Construction Contracts Specialist - Remote

Description

 

Part-Time Employee or Independent Contractor  —  Columbia Safety Services, LLC and its subsidiaries

Position	Construction Contracts Specialist (experienced — this is not an entry-level seat)
Company	Columbia Safety Services, LLC and its subsidiaries
Location	Remote. W-2 candidates must reside in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. 1099 contractors may work remotely from anywhere in the United States. Office space is available at any of our office locations in Oregon, Idaho, or Washington, but not required.
Reports To	General Manager, Seattle
Employment Type	Your choice: part-time W-2 employee (non-exempt, hourly) or 1099 independent contractor
Hours	Approximately 30 hours per week for the first 2–3 weeks, then approximately 10–15 hours per week
Bargaining Unit	Non-union
Incentive Eligibility	Not eligible for commission or bonus
Travel	None required
Outside Work	Permitted, subject to the conflict-of-interest terms in this posting

ABOUT COLUMBIA SAFETY SERVICES

Columbia Safety Services, LLC and its subsidiaries form a multi-state regional fire and life safety company serving Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Our operating companies design, install, inspect, test, service, and repair fire sprinkler, fire alarm, fire extinguisher, and special hazard suppression systems for general contractors, developers, property managers, and building owners.

Our core values guide how we operate: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing.

We work almost entirely on other people's paper. Our customers are sophisticated general contractors with their own subcontract forms, master and on-call agreements, and insurance exhibits. Getting those documents right — before they are signed — is how we stay profitable and insurable.

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

Today, every contract that comes in the door gets its legal and risk review from the CEO. That means contracts wait. A subcontract that sits for a week while the CEO is solving another problem costs us schedule, goodwill with the contractor, and occasionally the leverage to get a provision changed at all.

It also means our review depth varies with how busy the week was. We have a written Contract Review SOP with defined positions on indemnity, insurance, liquidated damages, payment, delay, and termination. The SOP is good. The capacity to apply it consistently, on every document, within a few days, is what is missing, while balancing customer first centricity as our primary core value.

This seat fixes that. You take the legal and risk review — the redlines, the insurance exhibit analysis, the negotiation with the contractor — and the General Manager or CEO keep the escalation decisions and the operational judgment calls. The project manager keeps scope, schedule, and commercial alignment. You own everything in between, and you own turnaround.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a working review seat, not a supervisory one and not a legal one. You do not need to be an attorney and we are not asking you to give legal opinions. You are applying a documented set of company positions to real subcontracts, negotiating the ones that are winnable, recognizing the ones that are not, and getting a defensible document back to the contractor quickly.

The one hard commitment in this role is turnaround: no contract sits more than three business days without review and a substantive response to the contractor. Beyond that, you set your own schedule. We care about the result, not the hours you keep.

BALANCING RISK AND THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

This is the hardest part of the job and the reason the seat exists. Customer First is our primary core value, and it does not get suspended when a contract shows up.

The general contractors handing us these documents are the same people we want to be working for in five years. A reviewer who marks everything, argues every point, and treats each negotiation as a contest will cost us relationships faster than a bad indemnity clause will cost us money. We do not take a hardline approach. We ask for mutually favorable terms, we explain why a provision is a problem in language the other side can act on, we concede what is standard and genuinely not winnable, and we spend our marks where the exposure is real.

The other half matters just as much. Signing a contract that commits us to obligations we cannot perform, or to risk our insurance will not respond to, does the customer no favors either. A contractor who gets a fast signature today and an uninsured claim three years from now has not been served well. Part of this job is being able to say that out loud — to them, and when necessary to us.

If you can hold both of those at once, you will do well here. If you can only do one, you will not.

Requirements

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Contract Review and Redlining

• Review incoming subcontracts, master and on-call agreements, service agreements, monitoring agreements, purchase orders, and project-specific addenda before execution.
• Apply the documented review positions of Columbia Safety Services and its subsidiaries to indemnity and duty to defend, additional insured requirements, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory language, limitation of liability, consequential damages, liquidated damages, no-damages-for-delay, termination for convenience, backcharge rights, default and property seizure, pay-if-paid, retainage, bonding, wrap-up programs, lien waivers, notice periods, attorney's fees, warranty duration, venue, and change order rights.
• Request and read the prime contract before settling positions, and confirm for each redline whether our position contradicts the flow-down, matches it, or sits inside its latitude. We do not ask a contractor to grant something it cannot grant.
• Identify every exhibit incorporated by reference but not attached, and obtain it before execution.
• Conform the entire package — sample certificates of insurance, description-of-operations blocks, summary pages, schedules — so no document in the set contradicts the clause you just amended.
• Escalate the defined categories to the General Manager and/or CEO: liquidated damages above our threshold or flowed down with no stated daily rate, any change to monitoring agreement limitation of liability, insurance requirements our program cannot produce, and any contract exceeding the signatory's delegated authority.

 

Insurance and Risk

• Review insurance exhibits against our actual program — limits, per-project aggregate, completed operations duration, pollution, professional liability, SIR thresholds — and confirm we can produce what is being certified before we agree to it.
• Work fluently in ISO additional insured endorsements, including the CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 families and the practical differences between edition dates.
• Apply Washington-specific realities correctly: L&I does not issue a waiver of subrogation endorsement for state workers' compensation; employers liability comes from Stop Gap coverage on the general liability policy; Title 51 immunity waivers and the mutual-negotiation certification are standard on Washington subcontracts.
• Coordinate certificates of insurance, W-9s, and ACH documentation with the Contract Administrator, and maintain subcontractor certificate files to the standard our general liability carrier audits against.

 

Negotiation and Turnaround

• Negotiate directly with our customers — general contractors, owners, and their contract and insurance analysts — by email and phone. Most of this role's value is in a well-argued, well-prioritized set of changes, not in the volume of marks.
• Return three options every time — an addendum leaving their form untouched, a redline, and a clean incorporated copy — with a short covering email, so the customer can take the path that costs them least.
• Know which fights are worth having. Some provisions are standard on a general contractor's form and are not going to change; spending a mark on them costs us the terms we could have won.
• Track contract status and approvals so nothing is waiting on us without someone knowing it.

 

Prequalification and Customer Onboarding

• Complete general contractor, owner, and property manager prequalification packages — company information, licensing, bonding capacity, insurance, safety statistics, references, and financial data — and submit them through customer portals and third-party compliance platforms where required.
• Maintain a current, reusable set of standing answers and supporting documents so each new prequalification is an update rather than a rebuild.
• Coordinate with the Controller, the Contract Administrator, and safety leadership for information you do not hold yourself.
• Track expiration and renewal dates so prequalification status never lapses ahead of a bid.

 

Making the Process Better

• Improve the Contract Review SOP and our AI review project as you learn where they are thin, wrong, or silent. Work with the CEO on suggested improvements prior to implementation.
• Build reusable redline language, fallback positions, and covering-email patterns rather than rewriting the same argument from scratch. Keep it customer centric.
• Work with project managers, salespeople, and the Contract Administrator so contractual obligations we accepted actually reach the people who have to perform them — particularly short notice windows, which are an express waiver of the claim if missed.

AI AND TECHNOLOGY — READ THIS PART CAREFULLY

This role is built around an AI-assisted review process, not an ordinary document workflow. Columbia Safety Services and its subsidiaries have a purpose-built contract review project in their AI software, loaded with our SOP, our preferred and fallback language, and our standing positions. It drafts the first pass. Your judgment decides what survives.

We are not looking for someone who has heard of AI or used it to summarize an email. We are looking for someone who already works this way every day and can show us what they have built.

• Daily working use of AI software on real document work — review, comparison, drafting, summarization.
• The ability to write and refine structured instructions and project knowledge so the output is consistent and other people can use it without you sitting there.
• Fluency with electronic workflows end to end: Word tracked changes and document compare, PDF markup, e-signature platforms and their artifacts, SharePoint or a network document library, and the discipline to keep versions straight.
• Judgment about where AI is unreliable. An assistant that misreads an endorsement edition date and you do not catch it is worse than no assistant at all.

 

Be prepared to show a project, instruction set, template, or workflow you built yourself, and to walk us through where it failed and what you changed.

WHO YOU ARE

• You can read a broad-form indemnity clause and explain, in plain English, exactly what it costs us and what our insurance will and will not cover.
• You are comfortable respectfully telling a general contractor's contract analyst "no" and comfortable telling us "this one is not winnable, take it and manage it."
• You write clearly and briefly. Your covering emails make it easy for the other side to say yes.
• You work without being managed. Nobody will be assigning you hours or checking your calendar.
• You are precise. You notice when the sample certificate still demands an endorsement the amended article no longer requires.
• You can push hard on a provision and leave the relationship intact. The contractor's analyst should want to take your call next time.
• You would rather build a better position once than argue the same point forty times.

WHO STRUGGLES HERE

We would rather be honest now than three weeks in.

• If your background is administrative — you routed contracts, assembled packages, chased signatures — but you cannot independently explain indemnity and duty to defend, additional insured endorsement forms and why the edition date matters, and how a liquidated damages provision actually exposes us, this is not the seat. This is a substantive review role.
• Signing contracts in a previous role is not the same as reviewing them. If your experience is that documents crossed your desk and you executed them, you will not be a fit.
• If you have never taken formal contract review training and do not currently redline contracts as a regular part of your work, please do not apply. Both are required.
• If AI is something you are "open to learning," this will be frustrating. The process is already built around it.
• If you need a finished, well-documented process handed to you, this will not go well. Our SOP is real and it is good, but you will hit situations it does not address, and the expectation is that you decide, escalate appropriately, and then improve the SOP. People who have spent an entire career inside a large company with a mature playbook for everything generally struggle here.
• If contract review is an adversarial exercise to you — every mark defended, every point won — you will damage relationships we spent years building. Equally, if you will agree to anything to keep a customer happy, you will hand us exposure we cannot insure. Both failure modes end the same way.
• If you need a full-time seat with full benefits, this is not it, and we would rather you find the right role than take this one and leave.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Five or more years reviewing and redlining commercial construction contracts — subcontracts, master or on-call agreements, service agreements, or purchase orders — from the subcontractor, general contractor, owner, construction manager, or construction insurance side.
• Completed formal contract review or construction risk training. Examples of what qualifies: CRIS (Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist) coursework, CSI Construction Documents Technology (CDT), AGC, ASA, or CFMA construction contract and risk-transfer courses, NCMA contract management certification, or paralegal contract coursework. Equivalent documented training is acceptable — tell us what you took and when.
• Current, hands-on redlining as a regular part of your work. Not something you did several years ago.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of indemnity and duty to defend, ISO additional insured endorsements including the CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 families and edition-date differences, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory language, completed operations, liquidated damages, pay-if-paid, and no-damages-for-delay.
• Advanced Microsoft Word — tracked changes, document compare, styles — and practical fluency with PDF markup and e-signature platforms.
• Demonstrated daily use of AI tools on substantive document work, with examples you can show and discuss.
• The ability to work independently against a defined turnaround standard without day-to-day supervision.
• High school diploma or GED.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States. W-2 candidates must reside in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho; independent contractors may be located anywhere in the United States.

No college degree is required for this position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Two backgrounds we would be glad to see: a former insurance claims adjuster, or a licensed commercial property and casualty agent or broker. Both spend their careers on the question this role answers every day — when the loss comes, does the policy actually respond?
• Washington construction contract experience, including Title 51 immunity waivers, Stop Gap employers liability, and the retainage limits under RCW 60.28.011 and RCW 60.30.010.
• Experience with a specialty subcontractor in fire protection, mechanical, electrical, or another MEP trade.
• Familiarity with AIA A401, ConsensusDocs 750, and large general contractor proprietary subcontract forms.
• Experience with master and on-call agreements, where the terms bind every future award.
• Experience with alarm monitoring or recurring service agreements and their limitation of liability provisions.
• Property and casualty claims adjusting experience, or an active or lapsed commercial P&C producer license.
• Background in insurance brokerage, risk management, or certificate compliance supporting construction clients.
• Experience completing contractor prequalification packages and maintaining third-party compliance platform profiles.
• Familiarity with Acumatica, ServiceTrade, Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Textura, or GCPay.
• Paralegal certificate or law degree. Helpful, not required, and not a substitute for construction contract experience.

COMPENSATION

Columbia Safety Services and its subsidiaries post a good-faith range for every position. The rate offered depends on experience, demonstrated contract review depth, and which engagement structure you choose.

• Part-time W-2 employee: $45.00 – $60.00 per hour, non-exempt. Overtime is not expected in this role and is paid as required by Washington law when it occurs.
• 1099 independent contractor: $60.00 – $85.00 per hour, invoiced. The higher range reflects self-employment taxes, your own equipment and software, and the absence of employer-provided benefits.

 

This position is not eligible for commission, bonus, or other incentive compensation.

Summary

WHY THIS ROLE WORKS

Success in this seat is observable, and here is how we will judge it:

• First 30 days: Backlog cleared. You know our SOP, our template agreements, our insurance program, and what our escalation categories actually mean. You are returning complete three-option packages without needing them checked line by line.
• By 90 days: Nothing sits more than three business days. The General Manager and CEO are reviewing escalations and exceptions rather than reading every agreement. Our positions are landing consistently with the same contractors.
• By 180 days: The SOP and the AI review project are measurably better because of you — new fallback language, positions the SOP did not cover, gaps closed. Project managers are getting notice obligations and flow-down requirements in a form they can actually act on.
• At one year: Contract risk across Columbia Safety Services and its subsidiaries is managed by a process rather than by one person's available evening. That is the point of this seat.

 

We are building a formidable long-term fire and life safety company. The contracts we sign now are the exposures we carry for years. This role is small in hours and large in consequence.

BENEFITS

If you choose the W-2 part-time option

• Paid sick leave accrued as required by Washington law.
• Eligibility for the company 401(k) plan (Vestwell, QACA Safe Harbor, employer match up to 3.5%) is governed by the plan document's age and service requirements.
• Because this position is scheduled below 30 hours per week, it is not eligible for medical, dental, or vision coverage, the HSA contribution, or the company holiday and PTO programs. We would rather say that plainly than have you find out at offer.
• Company-provided laptop and access to all systems required for the work.

 

If you choose the 1099 independent contractor option

• No employee benefits are provided. You invoice for completed work, use your own equipment and software, and are responsible for your own taxes and insurance.
• You will receive access to the contract review project, document library, and systems of Columbia Safety Services and its subsidiaries required to do the work.
• The engagement is governed by a written independent contractor agreement covering scope, confidentiality, ownership of work product, and conflicts.

 

How the independent contractor engagement is structured

• The engagement is deliverable-based. You are engaged to produce completed contract reviews, redline packages, negotiated outcomes, and prequalification submittals — not to work hours we assign.
• You control the method. Columbia Safety Services and its subsidiaries do not direct or supervise how, when, or in what sequence the work is performed, do not set your hours, and do not require you to work from any particular location.
• You furnish your own computer, software, and workspace, and carry your own insurance.
• You may serve other clients and employers concurrently, subject only to the conflict-of-interest terms below.
• You invoice for work completed. No taxes are withheld, and you are responsible for your own tax obligations.
• The one operational standard is turnaround — no contract sits more than three business days without review and a substantive response. How you meet it is entirely up to you.

SCHEDULE, WORK ENVIRONMENT, AND OUTSIDE WORK

• Hours: Approximately 30 hours per week for the first two to three weeks while you work through the existing backlog and learn our positions, then approximately 10–15 hours per week ongoing. Volume moves with construction activity.
• Schedule: You set it. We do not dictate hours, days, or working method, and we do not supervise how the work gets done. The single expectation is that no contract sits more than three business days without review and a substantive response to the contractor.
• Location: Remote. W-2 employees must reside in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho; independent contractors may work from anywhere in the United States. An office is available at any of our office locations in Oregon, Idaho, or Washington if you want one; nobody will ask you to come in.
• Physical requirements: Sedentary work. Extended periods reading, comparing, and marking documents on screen, and regular communication by phone, video, and email.

 

Outside Work and Conflicts of Interest

You may hold other employment or serve other clients while in this role. We expect that, and it is part of why the seat is structured this way. Two things are not permitted:

• Working directly for a customer or competitor of Columbia Safety Services or its subsidiaries, where your work for them would put you on both sides of the same contract or relationship.
• Taking the contract review process, positions, template language, or systems of Columbia Safety Services or its subsidiaries to a competitor, or using them for another party's benefit.

 

Both points are handled in the written agreement you will sign. If you are unsure whether a current client creates a conflict, tell us during the interview — most do not, and we would rather sort it out early.

HOW TO APPLY

Send your resume along with:

• A short description of the contract review training you have completed and when.
• A description of the contracts you review today — what kind, whose paper, how often, and what you typically change.
• One example of an AI project, instruction set, or workflow you built and use, and what you learned from where it failed.
• Whether you prefer the W-2 or 1099 arrangement, and your rate expectation.

 

Redacted work samples are welcome but not required. We would rather see how you think than how you format.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Columbia Safety Services, LLC and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status, use of a trained service animal, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

 

All employment decisions — including recruiting, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, and discipline — are based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices. If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of this position, please contact us and we will work with you to identify an appropriate accommodation.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT

Employment with Columbia Safety Services, LLC and its subsidiaries is at-will. Either the employee or the company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Nothing in this job description or posting creates a contract of employment or a guarantee of employment for any specific duration.

 

If this position is filled as an independent contractor engagement rather than as employment, the relationship is not an employment relationship and is governed entirely by the terms of the written independent contractor agreement between the parties.

5+ years reviewing and redlining commercial construction contracts; formal contract review training; current hands-on redlining; advanced Microsoft Word; daily AI tool use; high school diploma; legally authorized to work in the US; W-2 candidates must reside in WA, OR, or ID.

Key Responsibilities

• reviewing contracts
• negotiating terms
• managing risk

Skills & Tools

Microsoft Word, PDF, e-signature platforms, SharePoint, AI software, Acumatica, ServiceTrade, Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Textura, GCPay

Job Details

• Category: Legal and Compliance
• Seniority: Senior Level
• Commitment: Part Time, Contract
• Workplace: Remote — Washington or Oregon or Idaho or United States
• Salary: USD 93,600 – 124,800 / year
• Languages: English

Benefits

• 401k matching
• Retirement plan

About Columbia Safety Services

A multi-state regional fire and life safety company serving Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. — Industry: Construction