Senior Construction Contract Specialist – Major Projects

Raise; Burnaby; On-site; CAD 231,132,000 - 312,708,000; Full time

Job summary

Raise is seeking a Senior Construction Contract Specialist – Major Projects on behalf of a large Canadian electrical energy supplier. The role focuses on providing hands‑on contractual leadership for major capital projects, managing changes, and resolving complex commercial issues from project initiation through execution.

You will collaborate with Project Management, Construction, Engineering, Finance, Procurement, and Legal to protect commercial interests, interpret contracts, and guide

Qualifications

• Typically 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in construction contract administration, commercial management, claims, quantity surveying, project controls, or related major-project discipline.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience administering construction contracts and resolving commercial issues during project execution.
• Strong ability to interpret complex construction contracts and apply contractual requirements to real‑world project circumstances.
• Proven experience reviewing or preparing construction changes, claims, contractual notices, and commercial correspondence.
• Working knowledge of construction scheduling and CPM concepts to evaluate schedule impacts.

Responsibilities

• Administer major construction contracts throughout project execution in accordance with contractual requirements, established processes and delegated authorities.
• Interpret contract terms and conditions and provide practical contractual and commercial guidance to project teams.
• Prepare and review contractual correspondence, notices, responses, change documentation and other formal communications.
• Review and administer contractor submissions, change requests, proposals, claims, payment matters and other commercial issues.
• Assess complex contractor claims and commercial submissions, including entitlement, causation, schedule and cost impacts.
• Investigate significant contractual issues using contemporaneous project records such as correspondence, notices, RFIs, technical documentation, meeting minutes, schedules and costs.
• Identify gaps and substantiation needs in contractor submissions and determine additional information required.
• Prepare evidence-based assessments and recommendations for leadership that clearly state facts and commercial positions.
• Administer contract changes and support change orders and other contractual instruments.
• Coordinate input from Construction, Engineering, Project Controls, Finance, Procurement, and Legal for assessments.

Skills

Contract admin

Contract interpretation

Negotiation

Written communication

CPM scheduling

Independent work

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Engineering

Construction Management

Quantity Surveying

Business

Commerce

Law

Finance

Project Management

Job description

• Pay Rate: $95.09/hour, depending on experience
• Contract Length: 1 Year
• Location: Burnaby or Vancouver Island British Columbia

Raise is currently hiring a Senior Construction Contract Specialist – Major Projects on behalf of our client. They’re expanding their team to meet growing needs, making this a unique opportunity to work with an industry leader. Client, is one of the largest electrical energy suppliers in Canada.

Note: The primary pay rate is based on T4 classification; however, we will also consider applications from candidates interested in an INC classification, where applicable.

Description

The Senior Construction Contract Specialist will join our clients team, providing hands‑on contractual and commercial leadership on major capital construction projects.

Working as an integral member of multidisciplinary project teams, you will provide critical contractual and commercial expertise throughout project execution. This role administers major construction contracts, manages changes and emerging commercial issues, assesses contractor submissions and claims, and develops clear, evidence‑based recommendations to support project decision‑making.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who understands construction, interprets complex contracts with ease, and thrives when working through significant commercial issues where facts, contractual requirements, schedules, and costs are intricate. You will collaborate closely with Project Management, Construction Management, Engineering, Project Controls, Finance, Procurement, and Legal to protect the organization’s commercial interests and preserve contractual rights.

Responsibilities

• Administer major construction contracts throughout project execution in accordance with contractual requirements, established processes and delegated authorities.
• Interpret contract terms and conditions and provide practical contractual and commercial guidance to project teams.
• Prepare and review contractual correspondence, notices, responses, change documentation and other formal communications.
• Review and administer contractor submissions, change requests, proposals, claims, payment matters and other commercial issues.
• Assess complex contractor claims and commercial submissions, including contractual entitlement, causation, schedule impacts, cost impacts, mitigation and supporting evidence.
• Investigate significant contractual issues using contemporaneous project records including correspondence, notices, RFIs, technical documentation, meeting minutes, construction records, schedules, cost information and change documentation.
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies and unsupported assumptions in contractor submissions and determine what additional information or substantiation is required.
• Prepare concise, evidence‑based assessments and recommendations for project leadership and senior management that clearly establish the relevant facts, contractual considerations, commercial exposure and recommended course of action.
• Administer contract changes and support the development, evaluation, negotiation and implementation of change orders, change directives and other contractual instruments.
• Work with Project Controls and project teams to understand schedule impacts associated with changes, delays, extensions of time, disruption, acceleration and prolongation.
• Review claimed costs and supporting records to assess whether costs are appropriately substantiated, reasonable and recoverable under the contract.
• Coordinate technical and specialist input from Construction, Engineering, Project Controls, Finance, Procurement, Legal and other subject‑matter experts and incorporate that input into contractual and commercial assessments.
• Monitor contractual obligations, notice requirements, key dates, commercial commitments and emerging risks and ensure contractual rights, remedies and entitlements are appropriately preserved.
• Identify emerging contractual and commercial issues early and provide practical advice regarding documentation, contractual requirements, mitigation and resolution strategies.
• Develop commercial and negotiation strategies and participate in negotiations with contractors regarding changes, claims and other significant contractual matters.
• Support the timely resolution of contractual disagreements and disputes, including escalation and formal dispute‑resolution processes where required.
• Maintain complete and accurate contractual and commercial records capable of supporting management decisions, negotiations, audits and dispute‑resolution proceedings.
• Maintain visibility of significant contractual and commercial matters across assigned projects and communicate emerging risks and potential exposure to project leadership.
• Build effective working relationships with contractors and internal stakeholders while maintaining appropriate contractual discipline and protecting the organization’s commercial interests.
• Support consistent contract‑management practices across the Major Projects portfolio and contribute to lessons learned and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Typically 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in construction contract administration, commercial management, claims, quantity surveying, project controls, or a related major-project discipline
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience administering construction contracts and resolving commercial issues during project execution.
• Strong ability to interpret complex construction contracts and apply contractual requirements to real‑world project circumstances
• Proven experience reviewing or preparing construction changes, claims, contractual notices, and commercial correspondence.
• Working knowledge of construction scheduling and critical‑path method (CPM) concepts to evaluate schedule impacts associated with changes.
• Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to draft clear, concise, and defensible contractual assessments and recommendations.
• Strong negotiation, problem‑solving, and commercial judgment
• Ability to work independently on intricate matters while collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Education and Certifications
• A degree, diploma, or equivalent combination of education and experience in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Business, Commerce, Law, Finance, or Project Management.
• Certificate in Project Management, Supply Chain Management or equivalent, an asset

Additional Information

• Candidates based in the Lower Mainland are expected to work from the Edmonds office 2 to 3 days per week.
• Candidates based on Vancouver Island are expected to work from the Campbell River office 2 to 3 days per week.
• Monthly site visit to Vancouver Island for up to 4 days.
• Every contractor must supply their own Windows 11 Laptop computer for the duration of the assignment.
• Every contractor must supply their own “Smart Phone”. This is needed to gain access to the Organizations network

Looking for meaningful work? We can help!

Raise is an established hiring firm with over 65 years of experience. We believe strongly in making the world a better place through work, which is why we’re a certified B Corporation and donate 10% of our profits to charity.

We strive to build teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we work in. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including people from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as LGBTQ2SI, veterans, and people with visible/nonvisible disabilities.

We have a dedicated webpage for accommodations where you can learn more about what we offer and request accommodation: https://raise.jobs/accommodations/

In order to submit candidates for roles, our clients will sometimes require personal information to confirm the identity of applicants and their legal status to work. Raise will never ask you for personal or banking information unless you have been selected for a job. If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of this or any other Raise job posting (or have any other questions), please contact us at [phone] or [e-mail].