Director of Claims and Legal Risk
AMPAM, Carson, CA, United States
Job Summary
AMPAM Parks Mechanical specializes in multifamily residential construction. The company’s core strength is its design-build model that allows clients to minimize risk, shorten construction schedules, and accelerate the construction process.
The Director of Claims & Legal Operations is responsible for leading AMPAM’s end-to-end claims management function across both employee-related matters and construction-related disputes. This role serves as the primary liaison between AMPAM and external legal counsel, ensuring all claims are proactively managed, strategically positioned, and efficiently resolved. This is a highly cross-functional leadership role that partners with Finance, Operations, HR, and Safety to reduce risk exposure, improve outcomes, and drive accountability across the organization. The ideal candidate is a strong operator with deep claims and construction experience who can manage complexity, influence stakeholders, and bring structure to a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities Claims Management – Employee Matters
Oversee all employee-related claims, including:
Workers’ compensation
Wage & hour claims
Employment-related disputes
Partner with HR, Safety, insurance carriers, and TPAs to ensure timely reporting, documentation, and resolution
Identify trends and partner cross-functionally to mitigate recurring risks
Claims Management – Construction Matters
Lead management of all construction-related claims, including:
Contract disputes
Change order disputes
Delay claims
Back charges and defect-related issues
Partner with Operations and Project Teams to ensure proper documentation and claim positioning
Support pre-claim strategies to minimize escalation and financial exposure
Legal Coordination & Oversight
Serve as the primary point of contact for all external legal counsel
Coordinate and manage legal strategy in alignment with company priorities
Monitor attorney performance, responsiveness, and cost efficiency
Ensure consistency and visibility across all active legal matters
Financial & Risk Oversight
Maintain a consolidated view of all claims, including exposure, reserves, and financial impact
Partner with Finance to support forecasting and risk assessment
Identify opportunities to reduce claims costs and improve outcomes over time
Support insurance renewal and risk transfer strategies with data‑driven insights
Process, Systems & Reporting
Develop and maintain standardized claims tracking and reporting tools
Ensure all claims have clear ownership, status, and next steps
Improve documentation practices across Operations, HR, and Safety
Provide regular reporting to executive leadership on claims status and trends
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner with HR, Safety, Operations, and Finance to drive alignment and accountability
Promote a culture of ownership in addressing and resolving issues
Escalate risks appropriately and ensure timely decision-making
Qualifications
10+ years of experience in claims management, risk management, or legal operations
Strong experience in the construction industry required
Demonstrated experience managing both:
Employee-related claims (workers’ comp, employment)
Construction-related claims and disputes
Experience managing external legal counsel and insurance partners
Strong understanding of construction contracts and claims processes
Financial acumen with the ability to assess and communicate risk exposure
Excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills
Preferred Background
Experience with a general contractor, specialty contractor, or construction-focused organization
Background in insurance, claims consulting, or construction litigation support (non-attorney)
Experience working in a multi-entity or rapidly growing organization
Ownership and accountability mindset
Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability
Ability to operate both strategically and tactically
Effective cross-functional leadership and influence
High attention to detail with strong process discipline
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis without future employment sponsorship.
Recruitment Agencies To protect the interests of all parties, AMPAM WILL NOT accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to AMPAM, including unsolicited resumes sent directly to AMPAM leaders/managers/coworkers or to AMPAM's database will be considered AMPAM property. AMPAM will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.
Inquiries from external recruitment agencies should be directed ONLY to our talent acquisition team.
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The Director of Claims & Legal Operations is responsible for leading AMPAM’s end-to-end claims management function across both employee-related matters and construction-related disputes. This role serves as the primary liaison between AMPAM and external legal counsel, ensuring all claims are proactively managed, strategically positioned, and efficiently resolved. This is a highly cross-functional leadership role that partners with Finance, Operations, HR, and Safety to reduce risk exposure, improve outcomes, and drive accountability across the organization. The ideal candidate is a strong operator with deep claims and construction experience who can manage complexity, influence stakeholders, and bring structure to a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities Claims Management – Employee Matters
Oversee all employee-related claims, including:
Workers’ compensation
Wage & hour claims
Employment-related disputes
Partner with HR, Safety, insurance carriers, and TPAs to ensure timely reporting, documentation, and resolution
Identify trends and partner cross-functionally to mitigate recurring risks
Claims Management – Construction Matters
Lead management of all construction-related claims, including:
Contract disputes
Change order disputes
Delay claims
Back charges and defect-related issues
Partner with Operations and Project Teams to ensure proper documentation and claim positioning
Support pre-claim strategies to minimize escalation and financial exposure
Legal Coordination & Oversight
Serve as the primary point of contact for all external legal counsel
Coordinate and manage legal strategy in alignment with company priorities
Monitor attorney performance, responsiveness, and cost efficiency
Ensure consistency and visibility across all active legal matters
Financial & Risk Oversight
Maintain a consolidated view of all claims, including exposure, reserves, and financial impact
Partner with Finance to support forecasting and risk assessment
Identify opportunities to reduce claims costs and improve outcomes over time
Support insurance renewal and risk transfer strategies with data‑driven insights
Process, Systems & Reporting
Develop and maintain standardized claims tracking and reporting tools
Ensure all claims have clear ownership, status, and next steps
Improve documentation practices across Operations, HR, and Safety
Provide regular reporting to executive leadership on claims status and trends
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner with HR, Safety, Operations, and Finance to drive alignment and accountability
Promote a culture of ownership in addressing and resolving issues
Escalate risks appropriately and ensure timely decision-making
Qualifications
10+ years of experience in claims management, risk management, or legal operations
Strong experience in the construction industry required
Demonstrated experience managing both:
Employee-related claims (workers’ comp, employment)
Construction-related claims and disputes
Experience managing external legal counsel and insurance partners
Strong understanding of construction contracts and claims processes
Financial acumen with the ability to assess and communicate risk exposure
Excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills
Preferred Background
Experience with a general contractor, specialty contractor, or construction-focused organization
Background in insurance, claims consulting, or construction litigation support (non-attorney)
Experience working in a multi-entity or rapidly growing organization
Ownership and accountability mindset
Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability
Ability to operate both strategically and tactically
Effective cross-functional leadership and influence
High attention to detail with strong process discipline
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis without future employment sponsorship.
Recruitment Agencies To protect the interests of all parties, AMPAM WILL NOT accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to AMPAM, including unsolicited resumes sent directly to AMPAM leaders/managers/coworkers or to AMPAM's database will be considered AMPAM property. AMPAM will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.
Inquiries from external recruitment agencies should be directed ONLY to our talent acquisition team.
#J-18808-Ljbffr