Senior Counsel - Development, Construction & Procurement

Job Description Summary

The Senior Counsel – Development, Construction & Procurement serves as Cedar’s primary legal advisor development, construction, engineering, procurement, and operations matters associated with the development and delivery of Cedar’s data center and digital infrastructure projects. This role leads the drafting, negotiation, and management of sophisticated construction, design, procurement, equipment, and commercial agreements and advises business leaders on contractual strategy, risk allocation, claims, project execution, and dispute avoidance. The Senior Counsel leads or supports, as appropriate, legal matters throughout the site-development lifecycle, including site acquisition and due diligence, entitlements, utility and power-related agreements, and other matters necessary to advance sites from development through construction and operational readiness.

Job Description

Development & Legal Support

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.

Procurement & Commercial Contracting

Partner with Procurement on strategic sourcing and contracting for major equipment, materials, services, and owner-furnished contractor-installed equipment, including master service agreements, equipment purchase agreements, consultant engagements, independent contractor agreements, and operational vendor agreements related to Cedar’s development projects and data center operations.

Lead legal review and negotiation of OEM, supplier, contractor, consultant, and other vendor agreements.

Develop and maintain appropriate contracting standards, templates, terms, and negotiation positions.

Advise Procurement and project teams on commercial risk, supplier performance, contractual remedies, warranties, delivery obligations, and other procurement issues.

Support contract amendments, change orders, purchase arrangements, and other modifications throughout project execution.

Claims, Disputes & Risk Management

Advise project leadership regarding potential claims, contractor disputes, delays, deficiencies, performance issues, change orders, and other contractual matters.

Develop strategies to prevent disputes and preserve Cedar’s contractual rights.

Manage and support the resolution of construction, procurement and project-related claims and disputes, including through negotiation and, where appropriate alternative dispute-resolution processes, in coordination with the Head of Legal and outside counsel.

Coordinate with outside counsel when specialized expertise or additional legal resources are required.

Partner with the Risk & Insurance Manager regarding contractual insurance requirements, indemnification, claims, risk transfer, and project coverage.

Legal Strategy & Business Partnership

Provide timely, business-oriented legal advice to senior leadership and project teams.

Develop and continuously improve legal templates, contracting playbooks, workflows, and internal processes that enable the business to execute efficiently while maintaining appropriate legal controls.

Identify emerging legal and contractual risks and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies.

Participate in project, procurement, commercial, and leadership meetings as appropriate.

Develop scalable legal processes and contracting practices that support Cedar’s continued growth.

Manage outside counsel within assigned areas of responsibility, including scope, strategy, work product, responsiveness, and legal spend.

Required Experience

• 7–10 years of relevant legal experience with a law firm, in-house legal department, or combination of both.
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• Significant experience with construction, development, procurement, engineering, or sophisticated commercial contracts.
• Demonstrated experience independently drafting and negotiating complex agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex technical and industry-specific matters, including energy and power constraints, engineering requirements, and technical specifications, and translate those issues into practical legal and business recommendations.
• Strong understanding of contractual risk allocation, indemnification, insurance, warranties, limitations of liability, remedies, and dispute resolution.
• Ability to independently assess legal and commercial risks and provide practical recommendations to business leaders.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex matters in a fast-paced development environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Data center, mission‑critical infrastructure, energy, real estate development, or large‑scale construction experience.
• Experience with major equipment procurement and sophisticated OEM/vendor agreements.
• Experience advising owners or developers on complex capital projects.
• Experience managing construction claims, disputes, change orders, and project closeout matters.
• Prior in‑house experience within a developer, owner, infrastructure company, or construction‑related organization.

Core Competencies

• Legal & Commercial Judgment: Evaluates complex legal and commercial issues and provides practical recommendations aligned with Cedar’s business objectives.
• Contract Negotiation: Develops effective negotiating strategies and drives sophisticated agreements through execution.
• Construction & Procurement Expertise: Understands the legal and commercial dynamics associated with complex development, construction, engineering, and procurement activities.
• Business Partnership: Builds credibility with business leaders and operates as a practical advisor rather than solely identifying legal risk.
• Execution & Accountability: Takes ownership of legal matters and drives them toward timely resolution while managing competing priorities.

Physical Requirements

Ability to perform work in a professional office environment and travel to project, construction, and data center sites as business needs require. Ability to navigate active project sites while utilizing required personal protective equipment.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays

Schedule

Full-time position based in Arlington, Virginia or New York, New York.