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 turnaround 

• 90% of first pass redlines returned within 2 business days (NDAs) and 5 business days (MSAs/CAs) of complete intake 

• Contracts negotiated within Authorized Limits 

• 80% of contracts negotiated within the Authorized Limits of the PS Contract Guidelines; all deviations escalated per the DOA before commitment 

• Insurance compliance rate 

• 100% of active contracts, subcontractors, and vendors maintain current, compliant coverage and COIs 

• COI request turnaround 

• Same business day request to broker; 48 hour turnaround from request to issuance 

• Obligation tracking & post-signature execution 

• 100% of executed agreements logged in the Legal Tracker with key metadata within 5 business days of execution 

• Outside counsel spend control 

• Annual 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 consultants 

• Negotiate 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 positions 

• Coordinate targeted involvement of outside counsel on high-impact or novel issues, including abstracts of key obligations for agreements valued over $1M 

• Screen new engagements for conflicts with existing PS roles and client relationships 

• Support 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 Owner 

• Contract Operations & Obligation Management 

• Own the contract lifecycle from intake through execution and post signature administration 

• Maintain the Legal Tracker, SharePoint filing per naming convention, and the Precedence Log of accepted deviations 

• Translate contractual obligations into operational requirements for internal teams 

• Own and update the PS Contract Guidelines and standard templates (MSA, CA, NDA) 

• Commercial Optimization 

• Maintain governance over contracted and proposed rates, escalation clauses, and pricing parameters, flagging rate adjustment windows ahead of contract renewals 

• Partner with Finance and Business Development to align commercial terms with margin and growth objectives 

• Train Business Development and project leads on contract intake and key risk terms 

• Insurance & Compliance 

• Manage 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 approval 

• Coordinate claim and incident notifications with the broker and internal stakeholders 

• Ensure compliance with contractual insurance requirements for Principle and its subcontractors, vendors, and consultants 

• Maintain ongoing COI and endorsement compliance through the life of each contract 

• AI Enablement & Process Improvement 

• Design and operate AI assisted workflows for contract intake, review, negotiation support, and obligation extraction 

• Build and maintain prompt libraries, clause standards, and review frameworks 

• Apply human judgment and governance to ensure accuracy, confidentiality, and consistency, within PS data security and client confidentiality obligations 

• Continuously identify opportunities to automate repeatable work and improve commercial efficiency 

• Other 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 environments 

• Demonstrated experience negotiating: 

• Indemnification 

• Limitation of Liability 

• Consequential Damages 

• Flow down contractual obligations 

• Proven ability to manage multiple active negotiations with minimal supervision 

• Strong commercial judgment balancing risk, revenue, and speed 

• AI 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 workflows 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Electric utility or transmission & distribution contracting experience 

• Legal or paralegal training and/or equivalent in house contracts experience with substantial negotiation responsibility 

• Experience developing contract playbooks, clause libraries, or CLM style workflows 

• Experience managing contractual insurance compliance in multi project environments 

• Working knowledge of CGL, auto, umbrella, professional liability, WC, additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary/noncontributory 

• CRIS, CIC, or similar insurance designation