Construction Change Management Lead
About the role
We are seeking a highly experienced Change Management Leader to join our established Program Management Team (PMT) within the Cincinnati, OH MSDGC Client Program Management Office. This position is ideally based in Cincinnati, OH; however, we are open to candidates located elsewhere who are willing to travel to Cincinnati on an ongoing basis (approximately 1–4 trips per month depending on client needs).
Responsibilities
Change Management & Governance: Lead the end-to-end change management process for construction contracts, including change identification, evaluation, approval, negotiation, and closeout.
Establish and enforce change control procedures aligned with contract terms and project governance requirements.
Maintain a centralized change log tracking potential changes, submitted change orders, approvals, and financial impacts.
Identify trends, root causes, and risk drivers related to change activity.
Contract Administration: Interpret and administer construction contracts, including change clauses, claims provisions, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Review contractor change requests for contractual entitlement, scope alignment, pricing accuracy, and schedule impact. Support preparation and issuance of owner-initiated changes, clarifications, and field directives. Ensure timely and compliant documentation of change orders, amendments, and contract modifications.
Commercial & Cost Impact Management: Partner with project controls and cost teams to validate pricing, labor rates, material costs, markups, and time-related impacts. Quantify cost and schedule impacts resulting from design changes, unforeseen conditions, or project delays. Protect project budgets through proactive change forecasting, early mitigation strategies, and negotiation support.
Stakeholder & Contractor Management: Act as the primary interface between project teams, contractors, designers, and legal/commercial stakeholders on all change-related matters. Facilitate negotiations to resolve disputed changes and prevent escalation to claims when possible. Provide clear communication and recommendations to project leadership regarding change exposure and risk.
Claims & Dispute Support: Support evaluation, documentation, and resolution of construction claims and potential disputes. Assist legal and commercial teams by providing change records, cost analysis, and contractual interpretation. Ensure change documentation supports defensible positions in negotiations, audits, or dispute proceedings.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, or a related field.
8+ years of experience in construction contract administration, change management, or commercial management.
Strong working knowledge of construction contracts (e.g., lump sum, GMP, unit price, T&M).
Demonstrated experience evaluating and negotiating change orders on large or complex projects.
Skills & Competencies
Strong contractual and commercial judgment.
Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
An analytical mindset with attention to detail.
Clear written and verbal communication skills.
Measures of Success
Timely and accurate processing of change orders.
Minimized cost and schedule overruns due to unmanaged changes.
Reduced disputes and claims through proactive change management.
High-quality documentation and audit-ready records.
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision plans.
A wellness program.
Health savings account.
Flexible spending account.
401(k) plan.
Employee stock purchase program.
Life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
Short-term/long-term disability plans.
Emergency travel benefits.
Tuition reimbursement.
Professional membership fee coverage.
Paid family leave.