Contracts & Commercial Corporate Counsel/AVP

Aztec Engineering Group, Inc,•Phoenix, AZ

14h•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a qualified, responsible, self-sufficient, and energetic Associate VP, Corporate Counsel – Contracts & Commercial (US) for our Phoenix, Arizona office. This hybrid position will primarily support TYPSA Group, TYPSA US, TYPSA Canada, and TYPSA Australia, occasionally requiring availability during Australian business hours. The role is crucial for supporting the growing commercial and contract risk TYPSA US is facing. This position serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on commercial and contractual risk across complex consulting engineering, architecture, and environmental projects. The primary responsibility is reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and advising on commercial contracts and related risk, with a growth path toward broader in-house counsel responsibilities (General Counsel track). The core role provides expert advice on contract strategy, commercial exposure, and risk mitigation across the full project lifecycle, enabling the business while safeguarding TYPSA’s interests and supporting sustainable growth. Over time, the role may broaden to include legal issue-spotting and coordination of legal support across other corporate functions.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent law degree from an accredited institution.
Admission to practice law in Arizona is preferred (active member in good standing). Candidates admitted in another US jurisdiction with eligibility and intent to seek Arizona admission may be considered.
Minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience.
Strong understanding of contract risk, commercial negotiation, and project delivery dynamics.
Proven ability to advise senior leaders and influence outcomes without direct authority.
Demonstrated legal training and experience with commercial contracting and project delivery risk in an engineering/architectural/environmental consulting environment (or similar complex project setting).
Ability to independently draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements and to identify when escalation to external counsel is appropriate.
Working knowledge of, or demonstrable ability and readiness to rapidly develop expertise in, professional liability insurance (PLI), Standard of Care, Fitness for Purpose / warranty-of-result exposure, and fixed-price/FFP risk structures and other headline risk areas — including back-to-back and flow-down arrangements across the AE professional services supply chain.
Self-starting, team player comfortable working at all levels with all levels of awareness.
Trusted, independent, and commercially astute.
Confident communicator with executive presence.
Balanced, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented.
Able to challenge constructively while enabling the business.
High professional judgment and integrity.
Comfort operating as an in-house legal resource-in-training on a path toward broader General Counsel responsibilities.
Valid Driver's License, with the ability to maintain insurability under the company's insurance carrier.
Communicative – interacts openly with others; can maintain relationships, works well independently or with a team.
Consultative - Consults with other disciplines as needed; tolerates different perspectives or opinions.
Decisive & Action Oriented - Has a high level of energy and stamina; gets things done; makes sound educated but rapid decisions even when short of information; enjoys managing challenging projects and works well in fast-paced and pressure environments. Self-motivated and proactive.
Flexible - Adapts to new challenges and circumstances; able to multi-task; thrives on variety and frequently changing environments; creative problem solver. Resourcefulness, with minimal direction.
Analytical – Uses sound data, and procedures, and follows all laws, rules, and regulations but is a solutionist or problem-solver.
Conscientious and Organized – Believes professional integrity is paramount; understands the importance of project records; responsive to clients and deadline oriented; quality oriented.

Nice To Haves

Five (5) years of experience are preferred.
Depth (or a clear path to it) in professional liability insurance, Standard of Care, Fitness for Purpose / warranty-of-result exposure, and fixed-price/FFP risk structures and other headline risk areas is a priority signal.

Responsibilities

Provide independent, expert advice to the CEO and Executive Team on material commercial and contractual risks.
Review and advise on non-standard contract terms and commercial positions.
Extensive role in design-build and alternative delivery contract negotiations.
Support executive decision-making by clearly articulating risk, opportunity, and mitigation options.
Advise project teams on commercial and contractual strategy for major and high-risk opportunities.
Work with marketing to address contractual risk during the proposal stage.
Participate in contract negotiations, supporting executive and project leadership as a senior commercial advisor and negotiator.
Perform hands-on contract review and provide advice to project managers.
Serve as a mandatory advisory review point for major bids and complex projects.
Contribute to the development of commercial frameworks, templates, and guidance.
Participate with leadership in developing appropriate insurance strategies to manage risk.
Review, draft, negotiate, and administer client, consultant, subcontractor, vendor, and supplier agreements.
Ensure compliance with company policies and risk tolerance standards.
Maintain contract templates and standard contract language and ensure compliance with laws.
Negotiate contract terms within established company risk parameters.
In collaboration with external counsel as needed, help maintain processes to support compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements impacting contracting.
Support Project Managers in managing commercial and contractual challenges during project execution.
Advise or support distressed or high-risk projects as requested by Executive leadership.
Monitor emerging commercial risks and escalating issues to Executive leadership as appropriate.
Provide guidance on scope control, variations, and commercial compliance.
Advice on the preparation and strategy for claims, variations, and commercial negotiations.
Perform hands-on, detailed analysis of major claims (as assigned) and prepare materials to defend/settle.
Participate in and/or lead negotiations with clients to resolve issues and avoid formal disputes where possible.
Coordinate with external legal counsel when required, ensuring alignment between legal advice and commercial strategy.
Support dispute resolution and contract close-out activities.
Coach and train Project Managers on commercial risk awareness and best practices.
Contribute to continuous improvement of commercial governance and risk management processes.
Support knowledge sharing and lessons learned across the organization.
Assist in shaping the future development of a Commercial / Contracts capability.
Pro-actively support the ongoing global initiatives for lesson learning and training.
Maintain ongoing dialogue with the contracts management team.
Contribute with workload itemization and planning of inputs.
Assist in the development of AI tools to streamline contractual risk management.