Commercial Contracts and Insurance Manager

JOB SUMMARY:The Commercial Contracts & Insurance Manager leads contract review and negotiation for Principle Services, owning end to end contracting for client MSAs, Consulting Agreements, Work Orders, NDAs, and subcontract, vendor, and consultant agreements. This role balances speed to signature with disciplined risk management, negotiating directly with large utilities and engineering firms, or in partnership with the PS relationship owner, on Work Orders ranging from $50k to $5MM under multi year MSAs.The role works within the PS Contract Guidelines and Delegation of Authority and is accountable for contract structure, negotiation strategy, and execution within those guardrails, and for operationalizing contracts after signature through obligation tracking, insurance compliance, and rate governance. The role owns the relationship with our commercial insurance broker and leads the annual renewal process. The Manager is also expected to use AI as a default force multiplier, designing workflows that reduce cycle time, improve consistency, and create scalable contract intelligence.OUTCOMES:Reduce legal and insurance risk and accelerate speed to signature on complex MSAs/SOWs through pragmatic negotiation, AI enabled contract review tools, and disciplined capture of critical contractual obligations.Key Performance Indicators:First pass redline turnaround90% of first pass redlines returned within 2 business days (NDAs) and 5 business days (MSAs/CAs) of complete intakeContracts negotiated within Authorized Limits80% of contracts negotiated within the Authorized Limits of the PS Contract Guidelines; all deviations escalated per the DOA before commitmentInsurance compliance rate100% of active contracts, subcontractors, and vendors maintain current, compliant coverage and COIsCOI request turnaroundSame business day request to broker; 48 hour turnaround from request to issuanceObligation tracking & post-signature execution100% of executed agreements logged in the Legal Tracker with key metadata within 5 business days of executionOutside counsel spend controlAnnual outside counsel spend within approved budget (set with VP Finance)KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:Contracting & Negotiation (Core Accountability)Lead review and negotiation of MSAs, Consulting Agreements, Work Orders, SOWs, and NDAs with enterprise clients (utilities, engineering firms), subcontractors, vendors, and consultantsNegotiate commercial and risk terms directly with counterparties or in partnership with the PS relationship owner, operating within the Authorized Limits of the PS Contract Guidelines. Escalate deviations to the designated approver (VP Finance, SVP, or President) per the Delegation of Authority, following consultation, as needed, with outside counsel. This role does not hold signature authority.Draft and redline agreements using the PS Contract Guidelines, standard templates, and established fallback positionsCoordinate targeted involvement of outside counsel on high-impact or novel issues, including abstracts of key obligations for agreements valued over $1MScreen new engagements for conflicts with existing PS roles and client relationshipsSupport internal project managers during complicated or large procurement efforts by reviewing, processing, and documenting service and material agreements.For approximately 12 months, this will be a substantial component of job responsibilities due to an active project need.Review software T&Cs; report renewal, cancellation, escalation, and data ownership terms to Contract OwnerContract Operations & Obligation ManagementOwn the contract lifecycle from intake through execution and post signature administrationMaintain the Legal Tracker, SharePoint filing per naming convention, and the Precedence Log of accepted deviationsTranslate contractual obligations into operational requirements for internal teamsOwn and update the PS Contract Guidelines and standard templates (MSA, CA, NDA)Commercial OptimizationMaintain governance over contracted and proposed rates, escalation clauses, and pricing parameters, flagging rate adjustment windows ahead of contract renewalsPartner with Finance and Business Development to align commercial terms with margin and growth objectivesTrain Business Development and project leads on contract intake and key risk termsInsurance & ComplianceManage the insurance broker relationship and partner with the broker to lead the annual insurance renewal and resulting audits. Not directly responsible for coverage design, claims litigation, or actuarial decisions.Compare contractual insurance requirements to PS coverage during contract review and flag gaps for approvalCoordinate claim and incident notifications with the broker and internal stakeholdersEnsure compliance with contractual insurance requirements for Principle and its subcontractors, vendors, and consultantsMaintain ongoing COI and endorsement compliance through the life of each contractAI Enablement & Process ImprovementDesign and operate AI assisted workflows for contract intake, review, negotiation support, and obligation extractionBuild and maintain prompt libraries, clause standards, and review frameworksApply human judgment and governance to ensure accuracy, confidentiality, and consistency, within PS data security and client confidentiality obligationsContinuously identify opportunities to automate repeatable work and improve commercial efficiencyOther duties as assigned.DISCLAIMERS:This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and general nature of the work performed. It is not exhaustive and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of job duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties as necessary to meet business needs.The company is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding nondiscrimination. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.This job description is not a contract of employment, implied or otherwise. Employment with the company is at will, meaning the employee or the company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice.REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:5+ years of experience owning commercial contract negotiations in engineering, construction, utility, or professional services environmentsDemonstrated experience negotiating:IndemnificationLimitation of LiabilityConsequential DamagesFlow down contractual obligationsProven ability to manage multiple active negotiations with minimal supervisionStrong commercial judgment balancing risk, revenue, and speedAI native mindset: demonstrated use of AI tools to accelerate review, standardize outputs, and automate repeatable tasks (examples expected)Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint, Outlook) and comfort building lightweight workflowsPREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSElectric utility or transmission & distribution contracting experienceLegal or paralegal training and/or equivalent in house contracts experience with substantial negotiation responsibilityExperience developing contract playbooks, clause libraries, or CLM style workflowsExperience managing contractual insurance compliance in multi project environmentsWorking knowledge of CGL, auto, umbrella, professional liability, WC, additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary/noncontributoryCRIS, CIC, or similar insurance designation #J-18808-Ljbffr