Job Description

Contracts & Risk Manager

Heavy Civil Construction | Bay Area, CA | $120K to $140K + Discretionary Bonus

An established, well capitalized heavy civil contractor in the East Bay is hiring a Contracts and Risk Manager to lead its contract administration department. This is a senior, high visibility seat reporting directly into the executive team, with ownership of every contract, claim, and compliance matter that touches the business.

The company builds public infrastructure across California, holds a strong backlog, and has invested in modernizing its back office.

The Opportunity

• Lead a three person team (1 contract assistant, 2 contract administrators) with the autonomy to shape how the department runs
• Sit at the intersection of legal, operations, accounting, and estimating; you are the connective tissue across departments
• Own claims, liens, and risk management end to end on a portfolio of public works projects
• Modernize processes and tools, with executive support to invest in technology that makes the function more efficient
• Direct visibility to senior leadership and the ability to influence how the company manages contractual risk going forward

What You Will Own

Department Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the contract administration team
• Set departmental priorities, workflows, and performance standards
• Partner with Accounting, Estimating, and Operations leadership as a cross functional peer

Contract Management

• Draft, review, negotiate, and finalize prime contracts, subcontracts, service agreements, and material purchase orders
• Identify and mitigate contractual risk before it becomes a problem on the job site
• Build and maintain strong relationships with owners, subcontractors, vendors, and customers
• Maintain accurate contract documentation, correspondence, and version control

Claims and Lien Management

• Manage preliminary lien procedures, stop notices, demand letters, and mechanic liens
• Run the internal claims process and coordinate with insurance carriers as needed
• Review and approve outside claim insurance invoices

Compliance and Licensing

• Review and approve outgoing DBE packages for compliance with public works requirements
• Provide project compliance documentation (insurance, bonds, DBE, preliminary lien notices, guarantees, special requirements)
• Manage all company licenses, permits, and renewals
• Build and maintain systems for tracking contracts, insurance, and licensing

Process and Technology

• Identify opportunities to modernize and improve back office processes
• Recommend and implement technology solutions that increase departmental efficiency

What We Are Looking For

We are open to two profiles for this role:

Profile A: Construction Contracts Professional

• Contract management experience within the construction industry (heavy civil, public works, or general contracting preferred)
• Demonstrated staff management or supervisory experience
• Hands on experience creating, reviewing, negotiating, and revising contracts
• Strong working knowledge of contract law and risk principles

Profile B: Senior Paralegal or Contracts Specialist

• Paralegal certificate or equivalent legal training
• Staff management or team leadership experience
• Proven track record creating, reviewing, and revising commercial contracts
• Construction industry experience is a plus but not required

What Success Looks Like

• You are a confident, decisive leader who can have difficult conversations and follow through on commitments
• You communicate effectively across departments and translate legal and contractual concepts for non legal audiences
• You operate independently and are comfortable owning a function rather than waiting for direction
• You bring strong organizational discipline and can manage competing priorities during peak volume periods

Compensation and Logistics

• Base salary: $120,000 to $140,000 depending on experience
• Annual discretionary bonus based on years of service and performance
• Full benefits package
• On site role based in the East Bay (Concord area)
• Open to direct hire or temp to hire for the right candidate