Contracts and Claims Specialist

Luster National•Fresno, CA

9d•$90,000 - $155,000

About The Position

Luster is recruiting 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, using traditional and alternative delivery methods. These roles focus on construction contract claims and disputes—not insurance adjusting—and involve evaluating entitlement and quantum, testing claimed cost and time against contract terms and the contemporaneous record, and developing positions for negotiation, dispute review boards, and potential later proceedings. Contract administration is included, but the central focus is resolving disagreements between project parties. This is a future-opportunity posting rather than an opening for a specific currently available position. Luster accepts applications and interviews candidates in advance of upcoming hiring needs. Selected candidates are added to the talent pool for this specialty and notified first when a project need arises. Scope and complexity vary with experience level. The role requires a bachelor's degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience, along with at least five years of contract administration and construction claims experience on large, complex heavy-civil infrastructure projects valued above $500 million. Compensation is listed as $90,000–$155,000 per year, or $43–$75 per hour, with the offered amount dependent on factors including experience, skills, education, certifications, and geographic 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 the contemporaneous record.
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.
Excellent 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 package exceeding $100 million in construction 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 claims, evaluating entitlement under the 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, materials, extended field and home office overhead, and markup against contract provisions, force account records, and cost backup.
Identify unsupported, duplicated, or misclassified claimed amounts.
Coordinate with scheduling staff to assess time impact analyses and time extension requests against the accepted baseline and contemporaneous progress schedules.
Assemble contemporaneous claim records, including daily reports, correspondence, requests for information, submittals, inspection records, and meeting minutes.
Verify that notices meet contract timing and content requirements, and track responses to meet contractual response periods and preserve program defenses.
Develop independent cost estimates and quantity checks for roadway, structures, and utility work to assess 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 by developing entitlement and quantum summaries, cost comparisons, and documented settlement bases.
Evaluate claims arising 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.