Contracts and Claims Specialist

Luster National•Fresno, CA

About The Position

Luster is building a talent pool of Contracts and Claims Specialists at various skill levels for future roles supporting large, complex heavy-civil infrastructure programs. Projects may include highways, roads, bridges, bus and rail transit, international airports, and water/wastewater, delivered through traditional and alternative methods. This is a construction claims and disputes role focused on contract claims—not insurance adjusting. Specialists evaluate claims and requests for equitable adjustment for entitlement and quantum, test claimed costs and time against contract terms and the contemporaneous record, and develop positions for negotiation, dispute review boards, and subsequent proceedings. Contract administration is part of the work, with a central focus on resolving disputes. This posting is for future hiring needs rather than a specific currently available opportunity. Selected candidates may be activated in Luster’s talent pool and notified first when a project need arises. Scope and complexity increase with experience level. The role coordinates with scheduling staff, counsel, claims consultants, project controls, and finance staff. The listed salary range is $90,000–$155,000 per year ($43–$75 per hour), with actual compensation dependent on factors including experience, skills, education, certifications, licenses, and location.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in construction management, civil engineering, quantity surveying, finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
At least 5 years of contract administration and construction claims experience on large (over $500 million), complex heavy-civil infrastructure projects.
Experience analyzing or supporting claims, requests for equitable adjustment, or disputed change proposals for entitlement, cost, and schedule impact.
Working knowledge of standard construction contract terms and public agency contracting requirements, including notice, changes, differing site conditions, delay, and disputes provisions.
Ability to interpret construction contract documents, plans, specifications, and cost and schedule records, and build an entitlement narrative from contemporaneous records.
Experience with industry-standard contract administration, document management, and CPM scheduling software, such as Unifier, Aconex, e-Builder, or Primavera P6.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365, such as Outlook, Teams, Word, and PowerPoint.
Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong multitasking and organizational skills.
Collaborative mindset that fosters teamwork, trust, and positive relationships.
Curiosity, problem-solving ability, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in construction management, civil engineering, quantity surveying, or finance.
Active professional certifications such as CPCM (NCMA), CCM (CMAA), and/or CCP or CFCC (AACE).
Experience serving as the owner’s lead analyst on a claim exceeding $10 million in disputed value.
Experience supporting contract administration and claims on a construction package exceeding $100 million in value.
Experience carrying a claim beyond the project level through a dispute review board, mediation, arbitration, or litigation, including document production and support to counsel.
Experience preparing or reviewing time impact analyses, as-planned versus as-built comparisons, or windows analyses for delay claims, including treatment of concurrent delay.
Proficiency with Microsoft Power BI, Oracle Cloud Analytics, or other dashboard KPI reporting software.

Responsibilities

Analyze claims, notices of potential claim, and lost productivity, evaluating entitlement under applicable contract provisions.
Evaluate requests for equitable adjustment and disputed change proposals for entitlement, merit, and cost reasonableness, and recommend a position supported by the record.
Review claimed labor, equipment, material, extended field and home office overhead, and markup costs against contract provisions, force account records, and cost backup; identify unsupported, duplicated, or misclassified amounts.
Coordinate with scheduling staff to evaluate time impact analyses and extension requests against the accepted baseline and contemporaneous progress schedules.
Assemble contemporaneous records—including daily reports, correspondence, requests for information, submittals, inspection records, and meeting minutes—to support the program’s position.
Verify that notices comply with contract timing and content requirements, and track responses to meet contractual response periods and preserve defenses.
Develop independent cost estimates and quantity checks for roadway, structures, and utility work to evaluate contractor pricing on disputed changes and claims.
Prepare claim position papers, findings of fact, and recommendations for program decision-makers, dispute review boards, and mediation or arbitration panels.
Support negotiation and settlement of disputed changes and claims with entitlement and quantum summaries, cost comparisons, and a documented settlement basis.
Evaluate claims in active operating environments, including restricted service windows, access limits, and facility shutdowns.
Coordinate with counsel, claims consultants, project controls, and finance staff on claim strategy, document production, and responses to formal demands.
Track open claims and disputed exposure by contract for program leadership.