Construction Contracts Manager

Solutions Driven; Skokie (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Solutions Driven is seeking a Contracts Manager to lead the commercial and contractual management of complex construction projects in the United States. This role emphasizes change management, contractual compliance, and risk mitigation, working with project leadership, field teams, project controls, and legal/risk partners.

The position develops leadership experience across the full lifecycle of project execution and claims prevention, with a focus on document control, compliance, and proactive

Responsibilities

• Review prime contracts, subcontracts, and change order procedures to identify notice requirements, milestones, and compliance obligations.
• Track and manage project documentation, including change orders, delay notices, claims, RFIs, submittals, and payment applications.
• Maintain logs and dashboards to track contractual status, deadlines, deliverables, and potential risks.
• Draft professional correspondence with owners, subcontractors, and consultants in collaboration with Project Management and Legal.
• Interface with project teams to identify scope changes, cost overruns, delays requiring formal contractual action.
• Establish and manage project document control systems for organization, version control, auditability, and accessibility.
• Enforce documentation standards for correspondence, drawings, RFIs, submittals, minutes, and change‑related records.
• Ensure documentation supporting change orders and claims is complete, consistent, and defensible.

Job description

We are seeking a Contracts Manager to support the commercial and contractual management of complex construction projects. This role plays a critical part in change management, contractual compliance, and risk mitigation, working closely with project leadership, field teams, project controls, and legal/risk partners.

The Contracts Manager brings field awareness, professional judgment, and disciplined documentation practices to ensure contractual obligations are met, entitlements are preserved, and project risks are identified early. The role is viewed as a developmental step toward broader project or commercial leadership, offering exposure to the full lifecycle of project execution and claims prevention.

Contract & Change Management

• Review prime contracts, subcontracts, and change order procedures to identify notice requirements, milestones, and compliance obligations.
• Track and manage project documentation, including change order requests, change orders, delay notices, claims, RFIs, submittals, payment applications, and formal correspondence, ensuring timely and contract-compliant submission.
• Maintain structured logs and dashboards to track contractual status, deadlines, deliverables, and potential risks.
• Draft and coordinate professional correspondence with owners, subcontractors, and consultants in collaboration with Project Management and Legal.
• Proactively interface with project teams to identify scope changes, cost overruns, delays, and other risks requiring formal contractual action.

Document Control & Defensibility

• Establish and manage project document control systems to ensure organization, version control, auditability, and accessibility.
• Implement and enforce documentation standards for correspondence, drawings, RFIs, submittals, meeting minutes, change‑related records, and other project documentation.
• Ensure documentation supporting change orders and claims is complete, consistent, and defensible.

Commercial & Strategic Support

• Coordinate with Project Controls on cost and schedule updates, enabling early identification of performance trends and potential claims.
• Support development of change order narratives, time impact analyses (TIAs), and claim documentation.
• Provide insight into contractual and commercial risks based on documentation trends, compliance gaps, and field conditions.
• Assist Project Managers and Executives in preparing materials for internal and external reviews.

Communication & Cross‑Functional Coordination

• Serve as a liaison between field operations, project management, project controls, and legal/risk functions.
• Participate in or lead recurring contract and documentation review meetings to track priorities, compliance status, and emerging risks.
• Elevate issues proactively and professionally to support informed decision‑making by project leadership