Director, Contract Lifecycle, Cost Controls – Claims

Job Type: Full-time |Location: Ft Worth, TX |Department: Operations |Reporting to: Head of Procurement |Work Location Type: #remote or #hybrid

IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and GPU clusters for AI training and inference.

IREN’s platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and power in renewable-rich regions across North America, Europe and APAC.

With 100% renewable energy, we build, own and operate our data centers and take pride in being at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the ever-evolving applications of high-performance compute.

We believe that human progress is invaluable, but it should be done in the right way – responsibly, sustainably and having a positive impact on the communities we operate in.

The Director will lead the contracting SME, cost control, and claims management function for a portfolio of hyperscale and enterprise data center construction projects across the United States.

This role owns the full commercial lifecycle of General Contractor (GC), MEP, Design Engineering Consultant, Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC), and Commissioning agreements — from negotiation and award through post-execution administration, change order and billing governance, cost control, and claims resolution.

The emphasis is on managing executed contracts: partnering with procurement on price negotiations and commercial terms, governing change orders, non-conformance reports (NCRs) and back charges, validating contractor billings, and controlling cost to complete, in partnership with Procurement, Finance, and Legal.

The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in construction contract law and commercial structuring, cost engineering, and cost controls, combined with the judgment to manage risk across a fast-moving, capital-intensive construction program.

Requirements

• Contract Strategy, Negotiation & Administration**
• - Lead development and support procurement on negotiations of General Contractor (GMP, lump-sum, and CM-at-Risk), Design Engineering Consultant, EPC, and Commissioning contractual agreements for data center builds.
• - Establish standardized contract templates, terms, and playbooks that protect the company's interests while enabling schedule-critical execution.
• - Partner with Legal, Risk, and Development teams to structure indemnities, warranties, insurance, bonding, liquidated damages, and performance security provisions.
• - Oversee contract administration through the full project lifecycle, including change order management, notice requirements, and close-out.
• - Support procurement team on competitive bid evaluations, commercial negotiations, and award recommendations in partnership with Legal and Development leadership.
• - Monitor supply chain and labor market conditions affecting construction costs and schedule and provide input to category strategy.
• - Serve as the escalation point for complex commercial and contractual issues across the project portfolio.
• Post-Award Contract & Commercial Lifecycle Management**
• - Own the post-execution lifecycle of awarded GC, EPC, MEP, design consultant, and commissioning contracts, including obligation tracking, notice and milestone compliance calendars, and contract amendments.
• - Lead renegotiation of pricing and commercial terms on executed contracts, including escalation and index-based adjustments, commodity and labor rate resets, and re-baselining of rate schedules.
• - Govern the change order process end to end — origination, pricing review, entitlement and merit assessment, approval routing, and execution — and maintain change order registers capturing cost and schedule impact.
• - Establish billing and payment governance, including pay application review, invoice validation against contract terms and rate schedules, retainage administration, lien waiver and statutory declaration compliance, and resolution of disputed or non-compliant billings.
• - Administer non-conformance reports (NCRs), back charges, and rework cost recovery in coordination with Quality and Construction Management, and manage warranty claim administration through the warranty period.
• - Maintain contractor and supplier performance scorecards, and use performance data to inform renewals, rate negotiations, and future award decisions.
• - Lead contract close-out, including final accounting, release of claims, retainage release, and capture of lessons learned into templates and playbooks.
• Cost Controls & Budget Governance**
• - Establish and lead cost control frameworks across design, procurement, and construction phases, including budgeting, forecasting, and earned value tracking.
• - Partner with project controls and finance teams to maintain accurate cost-to-complete forecasts and variance reporting for executive stakeholders.
• - Drive cost accountability with GC, EPC, and design partners through transparent open-book cost reporting, milestone payments and audit rights.
• - Identify and implement value engineering and cost optimization opportunities without compromising schedule or quality.
• Claims Management**
• - Lead the identification, evaluation, negotiation, and resolution of claims, disputes, and change order disagreements with contractors and consultants.
• - Develop proactive claims-avoidance strategies, including robust documentation, schedule analysis, and early issue escalation protocols.
• - Manage engagement of outside counsel, forensic schedulers, and expert consultants for complex or escalated claims and disputes.
• - Maintain a portfolio-wide claims log and reporting cadence for leadership visibility into exposure and reserves.
• Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration**
• - Build, mentor, and lead a team of contracts managers, cost control managers, and claims analysts.
• - Partner closely with Procurement, development, Design, Construction Management, Finance, Legal, and Risk/Insurance teams to align commercial strategy with program objectives.
• - Present cost, contract, and claims status to executive leadership and, as required, investors or capital partners.
• - Contribute to enterprise-wide process improvement, systems (e. g., project controls/ERP platforms), and governance standards.
• Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in Contract Strategy, Negotiation, and Administration, with a strong focus on Cost Control and Claims Management for data center construction projects.

Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage the full commercial lifecycle of contracts while ensuring compliance and optimizing costs.

• Highest-signal resume keywords
• Contract Strategy Development
• Cost Control Frameworks
• Claims Management Expertise
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Construction Contract Law
• ATS Optimization Keywords
• Hard Skills
• Contract Negotiation
• Cost Engineering
• Change Order Management
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Invoice Validation
• Performance Scorecard Maintenance
• Value Engineering
• Risk Management
• Commercial Structuring
• Soft Skills
• Leadership
• Mentoring
• Communication
• Problem-Solving
• Collaboration
• Industry Keywords
• Data Center Construction
• General Contractor
• EPC
• MEP
• Design Engineering
• Sustainable Solutions
• Renewable Energy
• Claims Avoidance Strategies
• Non-Conformance Reports
• Capital-Intensive Projects
• Tools & Technologies
• Project Controls Software
• ERP Platforms
• Cost Reporting Tools
• #J-18808-Ljbffr