Vice President of Risk Management

Reports to: President Summary of Position: Blach Construction seeks a Vice President of Risk Management to support Blach’s continued growth while managing risk across the company. Reporting to the President and serving as a member of the Blach Leadership Team, the VP balances protection against opportunity so Blach can pursue the right work on the right terms. This is a newly created executive position, so the person who takes it will have real latitude to shape how the function is built. The VP works closely with leaders across Operations, Preconstruction, Finance and HR, and serves as a trusted advisor on the decisions that shape Blach’s future. Essential Duties And Responsibilities Strategic Executive Leadership Leads Blach’s overall approach to risk as a member of the Leadership Team, advising the President on growth strategy, major legal issues, and contract and insurance strategy for our projectsKeeps the President and Leadership Team informed on Blach’s most significant risks, how they are changing and what we are doing about themBrings risk judgment to go/no-go decisions, contract strategy and delivery models, including design-build and prefabrication, from pursuit through closeoutLeads Blach’s response to major incidents, claims and crises, and sets escalation protocols and authority levels for claim reserves and settlementsBuilds, develops and coaches the risk team, including the Senior Safety Manager and staff across insurance, contracts and compliance, and grows the function as Blach scalesTrains project teams on contracts, insurance and claim avoidance, building risk awareness into how Blach plans and runs work Safety & Captive Insurance Program Holds executive ownership of safety and our Captive insurance program, setting direction and managing the leaders and teams who run them day to dayServes as Blach’s representative to our Captive (general liability, auto and workers’ compensation) and is accountable for its performance, connecting safety results, claims and loss trends to Captive costsSets the vision for Blach’s safety program, defining the culture, standards and priorities behind our policies, training, hazard identification, incident and emergency management, workplace violence prevention and subcontractor safety oversight, and champions safety technology and continuous improvementOwns Blach’s Cal/OSHA regulatory posture and reports safety and Captive performance, including EMR, incident rates and loss trends, to the President and Leadership Team Insurance Oversees the design, placement and administration of Blach’s insurance program beyond the Captive, including property, builder’s risk, professional and pollution, D&O, cyber, crime and specialty linesManages broker and carrier relationships, leads annual renewals, and structures coverages, limits and deductibles to lower Blach’s total cost of risk as the company and the market changeSets insurance strategy for individual projects, including builder’s risk, owner- and contractor-controlled programs (OCIP/CCIP) and project-specific coverage, and makes sure Blach recovers what it is owed on insured lossesSets the insurance requirements in our owner and subcontract agreements and oversees subcontractor insurance complianceOversees the Subcontractor Default Insurance (SDI) program, including enrollment decisions, claims and program performance Surety & Bonding Partners with the President and Finance on Blach’s relationship with our surety and surety broker, including annual reviews and underwriter accessSupports bonding capacity planning (single and aggregate limits) for our growth plan, working with Finance on financial statements, work-in-progress (WIP) reporting and backlogSupports bond program renewals, terms and indemnity requirements, and advises Operations and Preconstruction on how to deploy capacity across pursuits and regionsBrings the surety in early on large or high-risk projects and coordinates surety communication on claims, defaults and subcontractor failures Contracts, Subcontractors & Project Compliance Subcontractor Prequalification Manages subcontractor prequalification, evaluating financial strength, safety performance, licensing, bonding capacity and insurance before award, and sets single and aggregate exposure limitsWorks with Preconstruction and Operations to flag subcontractor risk early, build Risk Mitigation Plans for higher-risk trade partners and evaluate subcontractor performance at closeout Contracts Works with Operations executives to negotiate prime agreements across delivery methods (AIA, design-build and other formats), including bond, indemnity and insurance provisionsMaintains our standard subcontract templates (long form, short form, short-short form and purchase order), oversees other agreements, and works with project teams on any revisions to standard termsSets Blach’s standard positions on key terms, including indemnity, insurance, limitation of liability, delay and design responsibility, and maintains contract review checklists for project teamsPartners with Preconstruction and Operations to flag contract risk during bid and buyout Project Compliance Leads project-level risk management, including subcontractor insurance tracking, SDI enrollment, lien releases and required state filingsOversees public works compliance, including prevailing wage and certified payroll, Skilled and Trained Workforce requirements, apprenticeship ratios, subcontractor licensing and DIR Public Works Contractor (PWC) registrationManages owner insurance documentation and controlled insurance program (OCIP/CCIP) enrollment, Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and Project Stabilization Agreement (PSA) compliance, and Department of Justice (DOJ) fingerprinting Claims & Legal Manages major legal claims and dispute resolution, including investigation, litigation strategy, settlement recommendations, and the selection, direction and cost of outside counselLeads regular claims reviews with Operations, tracking loss trends, reserves and lessons learned to reduce the frequency and severity of claimsOversees risk policy governance, licensing and regulatory compliance, employment-related risk (with HR) and records retention Qualifications Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree in construction management, engineering, business, risk management or a related field; JD valued15+ years of progressive experience in construction risk management, insurance, construction law or construction operations, including 5+ years in a senior leadership roleHands-on leadership of a contractor insurance program, including renewals, broker and carrier relationships and claims; experience with a group captive is a strong plusExperience overseeing, or partnering closely with, a construction safety program, including Cal/OSHA mattersHas negotiated prime agreements and subcontracts across delivery methods, including design-build, on large commercial and public projectsBackground with a commercial general contractor or construction manager strongly preferred, including working knowledge of California public works complianceProfessional designations such as ARM, CPCU, CRIS or CSP are a plus, not required Candidate Backgrounds We welcome seasoned executives from either of two paths and will weigh every candidate on judgment, results and breadth: Construction law: a JD with deep construction practice, as outside counsel to contractors or in-house, and the business sense to lead an operating functionConstruction operations: a senior operations or project executive with firsthand command of contracts, claims, insurance and surety Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Executive presence, sound judgment and excellent communication, with credibility among the President, owners, sureties, carriers and counselStrong grasp of construction contract law, insurance, surety and risk transfer; skilled negotiator who balances risk mitigation against project and client relationshipsFinancial acumen: reads contractor financial statements and WIP schedules, understands how they drive bonding capacity, and turns loss and premium data into clear recommendationsManages multiple priorities across Blach’s three regions; proficient with contract, insurance-tracking and safety management software Location: San Jose, CA (HQ), with regular travel to the Monterey and Orange regional offices and to jobsites Compensation: Competitive base salary and performance bonuses; three weeks of paid vacation to start (four weeks after five years), holidays and sick leave; medical, dental and vision coverage; a 401(k) with company match; an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); long-term disability; paid parental leave; student loan paydown; education assistance; and wellness reimbursement. About Blach Construction Founded in 1970 and employee-owned, Blach Construction is an award-winning builder and construction manager headquartered in San Jose, with operations across the Bay Area, the Central Coast and Southern California. We build in education, workplace, housing, and civic and cultural markets, and we are the inventor and exclusive builder of Folia, our own line of prefabricated buildings. Blach has been recognized year after year as one of the Bay Area’s Best Places to Work. Learn more at www.blach.com. Blach Construction is an Equal Opportunity Employer.