Contract Specialist, Construction and Development

Job Description

The Contract Specialist sits within the legal team, reporting into the Contract Manager, and assists cross-functionally with project management duties in the development and construction teams or other teams as required.

The Contract Specialist will be responsible for many aspects of the development and project planning processes: overseeing and managing project contracting including drafting purchase orders, change orders, financial reporting, accounting and invoice and payment activities. The Contract Specialist will ensure that required processes are completed within prescribed schedules and budgets, in compliance with policies and procedures, and in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations. This role provides administrative support to project teams and will need to be - or become - proficient with project management software (Procore) and other software applications including LinkSquares, DocuSign, the entire Google Suite of applications, Microsoft applications, Smartsheet, Bluebeam.

The Contract Specialist is an integral part of both the legal team and the site development team. The Contract Specialist must demonstrate strong business sense, legal redlining capabilities, technical knowledge, organizational skills, time management, communication skills, and professional client service technique.

Core Responsibilities

• Manage development contract lifecycle from initiation of the contract process to its completion.

• Prepares, reviews, and administers contractual drafts relating to development and construction projects for the assigned project region.

• Review and negotiate redlines on site development vendor agreements - including those from architects, general contractors, and consultants - working independently within an established contract playbook and applying good judgment, escalating identified risks to legal oversight as needed.

• Develop strong expertise in contractual compliance and procedural functions within the project life cycle. Contributes to the audit standards process for contract organization including the maintenance of contract files and the contract preparation process.

• Effectively communicate and coordinate invoicing and payment policies and compliance with general contractors, subcontractor/vendor, consultant, sub-consultant and agency personnel as necessary.

• Contribute to a positive and collaborative experience for internal teams and external vendors engaging with legal department services.

• Manage contract schedules of values and billing in Procore, Excel, and/or other software platforms as required and assigned; review and process monthly progress billings with contractors, vendors, and project managers, interacting to resolve discrepancies timely and as needed.

• Prepare vendor contracts for general contractors, sub-contractors, engineers, other design professionals, and equipment vendors. Complete contract templates and liaise with internal teams or outside counsel to ensure accuracy.

• Use document control protocols to audit, research, and manage electronic project folders. Track mechanic's liens and conditional and unconditional releases for each project.

• Pre-qualify external consultants and contractors to support or augment activities, to include reviewing financial reports, insurance qualifications, safety ratings, credit reports, and other criteria as needed. Act as the company's primary interface during the onboarding process for new vendors, ensuring a smooth and positive experience.

• Review and process contractor and vendor change orders or additional service requests for approvals.

• Monitor vendor compliance with appropriate departmental and interdepartmental team members.

• Create, issue and track general contracts, subcontracts and work authorizations; follow up with general contractors, subcontractors and consultants regarding project paperwork as needed.

• Assist in developing accurate, accessible, and up-to-date instructional content for the training and reference guide.

• Support identification of process improvements to contracting workflows and contract management software utilization; execute regular data hygiene and administrative tasks to ensure platform integrity.

• Coordinate timely collection of signatures on all executed contracts via DocuSign or other designated platforms; ensure fully executed copies are properly labeled and stored in the contract management software upon completion.

• Collect, track, and maintain vendor and contractor evidence of insurance, including full policy documentation and endorsement forms, to confirm compliance with contractual insurance requirements; must demonstrate working knowledge of insurance policy structure, coverage types, and endorsement requirements.

• Facilitate the collection, tracking, and organization of prevailing wage requirements in accordance with applicable labor laws and project specifications, if needed.

• Perform other job essential assignments and special ad-hoc projects as assigned.

Core Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, law, paralegal studies, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• 3+ years of experience as a contract administrator or contract specialist in a project-based corporate environment, with demonstrated experience reviewing and negotiating contract redlines; construction or development industry experience highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on complex contract matters, apply good judgment, and balance commercial, legal, and operational considerations with minimal supervision; comfortable in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and responds effectively to shifting priorities and time-sensitive contract deadlines.
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate cross-functionally with various departments on projects and tasks. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with construction databases and office productivity tools like Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Google Suite of tools, Procore, Smartsheet, Bluebeam, and/or other software platforms.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms preferred.
• Familiarity with vendor and contractor evidence of insurance requirements, including full policy documentation and endorsement forms preferred.
• Respect for confidential information; use of proper judgment in time sensitive and critical situations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex contract language, identify commercial and legal risks, and determine appropriate escalation thresholds.
• Comfortable using AI-powered tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude) to enhance productivity, draft content, summarize information, and streamline routine tasks; applies sound judgment in reviewing and validating AI-generated outputs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Paralegal certificate or legal operations background a plus but not required.

$105,000 - $115,000 a year

We are building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. At Terawatt, we continuously strive to foster inclusion, humility, energizing relationships, and belonging, and welcome new ideas. We're growing and want you to grow with us. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

If a reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the position, please contact [email protected].

Terawatt Infrastructure is an equal-opportunity employer.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.