Senior Counsel: Development, Construction & Procurement

CEDAR; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k)

Life Insurance

Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

Job summary

CEDAR is seeking a Senior Counsel to lead legal support for development, construction, procurement, and operations of data center projects, guiding strategy and risk management. You will draft, negotiate, and manage complex contracts, advise executives on commercial terms, and support site acquisition, entitlements, utility interconnections, and project turnover from development through readiness.

This on-site leadership role demands strong negotiation, analytical thinking, and the ability to

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of relevant legal experience.
• Active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• Experience with construction, development, procurement, engineering, or sophisticated commercial contracts.
• Ability to independently draft and negotiate complex agreements.
• Ability to translate complex technical issues into practical legal and business recommendations.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex matters in a fast-paced development environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Cedar’s primary legal advisor to Development, Construction, Engineering, Procurement, Commissioning, and Operations teams on matters within the scope of this role.
• Partner with Site Acquisition and Development teams on legal matters arising from site selection, acquisition, due diligence, entitlement, and development activities.
• Review and advise on title commitments, boundary surveys, easements, zoning and entitlement matters, environmental diligence, and other site-development requirements.
• Support the negotiation and documentation of utility interconnections, power-related agreements, municipal development agreements, and other agreements necessary to advance data center development.
• Draft, review, and negotiate construction agreements, design and engineering agreements, professional services agreements, equipment procurement agreements, vendor agreements, and other project-related contracts, including customized agreements and applicable AIA forms.
• Advise project teams regarding contract structure, commercial terms, risk allocation, performance obligations, schedule requirements, warranties, indemnification, insurance, limitations of liability, remedies, and termination rights.
• Support projects throughout the development lifecycle, including pre-construction, procurement, construction, commissioning, turnover, warranty, and closeout.
• Provide practical legal guidance regarding project execution issues and recommend strategies that balance legal protection with business and schedule objectives.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract drafting

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Relationship management

Project management

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

CEDAR is seeking a Senior Counsel to lead legal support for development, construction, procurement, and operations of data center projects, guiding strategy and risk management. You will draft, negotiate, and manage complex contracts, advise executives on commercial terms, and support site acquisition, entitlements, utility interconnections, and project turnover from development through readiness.

This on-site leadership role demands strong negotiation, analytical thinking, and the ability to