Senior Claims and Change Manager

About the Position 

We are seeking a Senior Claims and Change Management professional to support claims analysis, entitlement evaluation, and change management activities on large, complex rail and transit infrastructure programs in the New York metropolitan area. This role functions as a senior individual contributor within established governance and approval structures, applying advanced claims, contracts, and change management expertise on major design build contracts while independently leading claims strategy, analysis, and negotiation; change management and formal notice letters; contract interpretation and dispute response; owner and attorney interactions; and providing commercial risk insight for a $2B contract package. The position works closely with construction management, project controls, and contract administration teams to evaluate Notices of Change, develop and document entitlement positions, support negotiations, and ensure adherence to defined change control processes and audit expectations in politically sensitive, federally scrutinized environments. 

This is a long-term, full-time, on-site position located in New York City, NY. 

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Conduct detailed claims analysis and contract research to evaluate the merit and entitlement of Design Builder Notices of Change. 
• Develop clear, well-supported entitlement recommendations based on contract language, technical documentation, and owner procedures. 
• Prepare formal written correspondence to the Design Builder related to Notices of Change, including requests for clarification, position letters, and responses addressing merit and entitlement (including change management and notice letters). 
• Draft comprehensive written assessments that document findings, contractual basis, risk considerations, and recommended paths forward. 
• Administer and maintain assigned elements of the change control process for a large scale heavy civil design build contract in accordance with contract requirements and owner procedures, utilizing Unifier and other designated tracking tools. 
• Review, validate, and process change requests submitted by the Design Builder within required contractual timelines and established workflows. 
• Prepare detailed change documentation, including cost and schedule impact analyses, in coordination with estimators, schedulers, and project controls staff. 
• Collaborate with construction management, contract administration, estimators, and schedulers to assess technical, contractual, cost, and schedule implications of proposed changes and provide commercial risk insight for time-sensitive claims activity. 
• Maintain accurate, complete, and auditable records of all change requests, approvals, negotiations, and supporting documentation within the official project change log. 
• Facilitate and participate in meetings to clarify scope, entitlement, and change related issues and support alignment across project stakeholders (including owner and attorney interactions as needed). 
• Support change order negotiations by coordinating meetings with the Design Builder and Project Management Team and preparing negotiation records and summaries (including claims strategy, analysis, and negotiation leadership). 
• Provide regular status updates and reporting to the project team on a weekly basis or more frequently as required. 
• Ensure all claims and change management activities comply with owner standards, procurement guidelines, and audit requirements, and assist with internal and external audits related to contract compliance and change control. 
• Independently lead dispute response and contract interpretation activities, including coordination with owners and attorneys, and develop recommended positions for leadership review. 

Attributes 

• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present complex contractual and technical issues clearly to diverse audiences. 
• Strong organizational and multitasking skills, with the ability to manage multiple active change matters concurrently in a high volume, time-sensitive environment. 
• Analytical mindset with the ability to translate schedule and cost data into well-reasoned commercial and entitlement positions. 
• Collaborative working style that supports teamwork, trust, and productive relationships within multidisciplinary, owner-representative environments. 
• Natural curiosity, sound judgment, and a practical approach to problem solving and continuous improvement. 
• Self-starter, capable of working independently with minimal oversight while maintaining alignment with governance and approval structures.  

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, business, or related field, or equivalent combination of education/experience.  
• 10+ years of hands-on experience performing claims analysis within public transportation authority contract environments, including familiarity with owner procedures and approval processes. 
• Extensive experience working on design build projects and understanding associated risk allocation mechanisms and public agency processes. 
• Demonstrated experience supporting negotiations and contributing to favorable commercial outcomes for public sector transit owners or operators. 
• Proficiency with Unifier. 
• Proficiency with industry standard project management, schedule/cost and/or EDMS tools (e.g., P6, EcoSys, MS Project, Bluebeam, etc.).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365 (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's degree in engineering, construction management, or business.   
• One or more of the following certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP through PMI), National Contract Management Association (NCMA) certifications such as Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) or Certified Contract Manager (CCM).  
• Experience working on NYC MTA projects.  
• Prior success steering claims through mediation, DRB, or litigation.  
• Proficiency with Microsoft Power BI, Oracle Cloud Analytics, or other dashboard KPI reporting software.  

Compensation Details 

Expected Salary: $150k-$190k/year ($72-$91/hour). Luster provides the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might offer for this position based on the successful candidate’s level of experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, education, certifications, licenses, geographic location, etc. Luster reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range depending on circumstances not related to any status protected by local, state, and/or federal law. 

Just LOOK at the Benefits We Offer!  

• Unlimited flexible time off  
• Paid holidays  
• Paid parental leave  
• Health, dental, and vision insurance  
• Flexible spending accounts (healthcare and dependent or elder care)  
• Long-term disability insurance  
• Short-term disability insurance  
• Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment 
• 401(k) plan with guaranteed employer contribution  
• Formal career planning and development program  
• $2,500 annually toward professional development  
• Wellness program with monthly wellness stipend  
• Company cell phone or cell phone plan reimbursement  
• Free personalized meal planning and nutrition support with a registered dietitian  
• Free personal financial planning services  
• Employee assistance program  
• Employee discounts  
• Employee referral bonus  

Specific plan details and coverage for each benefit noted above will be provided upon offer. #IN-LNJS