Construction-Claims Finance Recovery Authority

The mandate

Project teams forecast approved change, pending variation, disruption claim, subcontract recovery and liquidated-damage exposure through different probability and timing conventions. Commercial negotiations advance faster than accounting evidence, while schedules and cost-to-complete assumptions move independently. A lender review exposed unsupported margin and cash recovery on three projects before the group claims-finance executive resigned.

The fourteen-month assignment begins within three weeks and covers contract and change inventory, claim stage, entitlement evidence, measurement, probability, timing, cost-to-complete, liquidated damages, subcontract flow-down, accounting, tax, cash and covenant effects. It must deliver four controlled quarter-ends and one annual close while Legal and Commercial retain entitlement and negotiation authority.

Permanent recruitment starts in month seven. Handover requires project claim registers, source-to-forecast bridges, approved recognition gates, downside cases, six project files, four closes and three negotiation scenarios. During a seven-week overlap, the successor must resolve an unseen owner delay plus subcontract counterclaim and explain margin, cash, covenant and disclosure consequences without the interim’s private model.

The role may reject unsupported financial recognition, require schedule and commercial attestations, set forecast thresholds, approve delegated corrections, redirect the authorised CAD 90 million project-finance reserve and replace temporary finance leads. The board retains claim strategy, settlement, litigation, project scope, schedule, accounting policy, lender waiver, workforce decision and permanent appointments.

Claim drafting, legal opinion, engineering causation, quantity certification, commercial negotiation, dispute adjudication and project delivery remain outside scope. The leader may challenge their evidence and quantify scenarios but cannot manufacture earnings from advocacy positions or net unrelated owner and subcontract claims. The fixed term closes after the annual cycle and tested succession.

Why this seat is open

Project Controls owns schedule evidence, Commercial develops claims, Legal assesses entitlement and Finance reports probable outcomes. The lender review showed that their views were joined through the departing executive’s judgement rather than durable controls. Temporary authority is needed to restore disciplined recognition and cash forecasting across active disputes.

What you will own

• Reconcile contract, baseline, change notice, schedule event, cost record, claim stage, counterclaim and settlement evidence.
• Establish financial gates for approved change, pending variation, disruption, prolongation, liquidated damages and subcontract recovery.
• Bridge recognised revenue and margin, cost to complete, receivable, provision, cash forecast, tax and covenant outcome.
• Govern probability, timing, legal and commercial updates, management overlay, cut-off, true-up and disclosure evidence.
• Lead scenarios involving owner delay, design change, acceleration, subcontract default, counterclaim and adverse adjudication.
• Maintain separate entitlement, measurement, negotiation, accounting and cash views with named accountable owners.
• Transfer four closes, six project files and the unseen owner-and-subcontract case to the permanent leader.

Candidate qualifications

• Held senior claims-finance or project-control authority across major civil infrastructure contracts and disputes.
• Reconciled schedule, cost, commercial and legal evidence to project margin, cash, provisions and covenants.
• Challenged optimistic claim recognition without prejudicing negotiation, litigation or project relationships.
• Understands owner and subcontract flow-down, liquidated damages, prolongation, acceleration and counterclaim economics.
• Presented contested project outcomes to boards, lenders, auditors, engineers, counsel and commercial leaders.
• Completed succession through controlled closes and an unfamiliar combined owner-and-subcontract dispute during live adjudication and settlement windows.

Non-negotiables

• Can complete six project residencies and remain through four quarter-ends plus annual reporting.
• Will disclose relationships with owners, contractors, subcontractors, lenders, experts, lawyers, auditors and adjudicators.
• Brings claims-linked project financial control; quantity surveying or litigation support alone is insufficient.
• Will not opine on entitlement, negotiate settlement, certify causation, adjudicate disputes or recognise advocacy as earnings.

1. 49 words maximum. Describe a construction claim whose financial treatment changed after schedule evidence was rebuilt.
2. 49 words maximum. How would you keep entitlement, recognition and cash probability visibly separate?
3. 49 words maximum. What owner-and-subcontract scenario must the permanent leader resolve before handover?