Contracts and Claims Manager

Luster National•Sacramento, CA

About The Position

We’re seeking Contracts and Claims Managers to support large, heavy-civil infrastructure programs—including highways, roads, bridges, transit (including rail and bus), and airport projects delivered through both traditional and alternative methods. You’ll safeguard the owner’s commercial interests, steer change order negotiations, and resolve claims in ways that keep budgets protected and project momentum intact. This posting is for future roles and not for a specific opportunity that is available right now. We accept applications and conduct interviews in advance of upcoming hiring needs. When a candidate is selected, their profile is activated in our talent pool for this specialty area. We notify our talent pool candidates first whenever we have a project need . This posting targets Sacramento, CA.

Requirements

Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills. You are a persuasive communicator and skilled negotiator who builds trust across technical, legal, and executive audiences.
Excellent multitasking and organizational skills.
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate schedule and cost data into actionable commercial strategies.
Collaborative mindset that fosters teamwork, trust, and positive relationships and thrives in multidiscipline, owner-representative environments.
Natural curiosity, problem-solving abilities, and a passion for continuous improvement.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, business, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
10+ years of hands-on contracts, change order, or claims management experience on heavy-civil infrastructure programs.
Experience with alternative delivery methods (e.g., DB, CM/GC, P3) and associated risk-allocation mechanisms.
Demonstrated success administering and negotiating complex civil works contracts as an owner’s representative or in a role protecting client interests.
Ability to interpret design documents, schedules, cost reports, and commercial terms to build clear entitlement narratives and quantum analyses.
Proficiency with industry standard project management software (e.g., Primavera P6, MS Project, etc.).
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365 (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (e.g., JD, LLM, or MBA) with construction law emphasis.
Active professional certifications such as CCM (CMAA), MRICS/FRICS (RICS), PMP (PMI), or CCA (AACE).
Experience with large (>$500M), complex, heavy-civil infrastructure projects that include highways, roads, bridges, transit (including rail and bus), and/or airport projects.
Prior success steering claims through mediation, DRB, or litigation.
Experience with Microsoft Power BI, Oracle Cloud Analytics, or other dashboard KPI reporting software.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement contract and/or commercial-management strategies across DBB, DB, CM/GC, and P3 delivery models.
Lead and/or support the end-to-end change-management and claims process—from entitlement review through negotiation, settlement, or formal dispute resolution.
Draft, review, and negotiate contract amendments, change orders, and service agreements in alignment with FAR, FIDIC, or state statutory frameworks.
Coordinate with project controls, schedulers, estimators, and legal counsel to quantify cost-and-time impacts and maintain an auditable change and claims log.
Prepare risk exposure analyses and executive briefings that connect commercial issues to contingency, schedule float, and program KPIs.
Represent the owner in mediation, arbitration, or litigation; manage outside counsel and expert consultants as required.
Coach project teams on contract-compliance and claims-avoidance best practices, embedding lessons learned into future procurement documents.
May establish change order and claims management procedures, ensuring consistency across multiple contracts and delivery partners.

Benefits

Unlimited flexible time off
Paid holidays
Paid parental leave
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Flexible spending accounts (healthcare and dependent or elder care)
Long-term disability insurance
Short-term disability insurance
Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment
401(k) plan with guaranteed employer contribution
Formal career planning and development program
$2,500 annually toward professional development
Wellness program with monthly wellness stipend
Company cell phone or cell phone plan reimbursement
Free personalized meal planning and nutrition support with a registered dietitian
Free personal financial planning services
Employee assistance program
Employee discounts
Employee referral bonus