Paralegal – Construction Dispute Resolution Specialist

Paralegal – Construction Dispute Resolution Specialist

Portland Metro Area | Full-Time

Your paralegal skills may be exactly what we're looking for — but this isn't a law firm.

SFW Construction is looking for an experienced paralegal or legal professional who is ready to apply their skills in a different environment.

We manage hundreds of residential construction projects, and occasionally projects result in billing disputes, warranty claims, collection matters, construction liens, regulatory complaints, or other issues that require careful documentation and professional resolution.

That's where you come in.

We're looking for someone who already knows how to build a file, establish a chronology, review contracts and correspondence, identify missing information, track deadlines, communicate professionally, and move complicated matters toward resolution.

We can teach you construction.

We need the organizational, documentation, communication, and case-management skills you've already developed.

What You'll Actually Do

You'll become SFW Construction's internal Dispute Resolution Specialist, working with Operations, Accounting, Customer Experience, company ownership, and outside legal counsel.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Take ownership of customer financial disputes from intake through resolution
• Investigate disputed invoices, payments, project events, and customer allegations
• Build organized case files using contracts, invoices, photographs, emails, text messages, field documentation, and CRM records
• Establish clear factual chronologies for complicated matters
• Draft professional customer correspondence and resolution communications
• Communicate directly with customers regarding disputes and potential resolutions
• Assist with collection matters and payment arrangements
• Track statutory and internal deadlines
• Coordinate the company's construction lien process and maintain required documentation
• Prepare organized files and supporting documentation for outside counsel
• Coordinate responses involving CCB, BBB, attorneys, insurance carriers, property managers, and other third parties
• Manage warranty disputes and other post-project claims
• Track settlement commitments and ensure agreed-upon actions are completed
• Identify matters requiring escalation to Operations, ownership, or legal counsel
• Maintain detailed records from initial complaint through final resolution
• Identify recurring problems and help leadership improve company processes

Why a Paralegal?

Because many of the skills that make someone an excellent paralegal are exactly the skills we need.

You know how to take a messy situation involving competing stories, dozens of documents, financial records, deadlines, and strong personalities and turn it into an organized file with a clear path forward.

You understand that good documentation matters.

You know how to communicate firmly without being unnecessarily confrontational.

You know the difference between an allegation and a documented fact.

And you know that complicated matters rarely resolve themselves — someone has to own the file and keep moving it forward.

That's the person we're looking for.

This Could Be a Great Fit If You...

• Have experience as a paralegal, litigation assistant, legal assistant, claims specialist, or similar professional
• Enjoy resolving problems more than simply documenting them
• Are exceptionally organized
• Write clearly and professionally
• Are comfortable discussing money and resolving financial disputes
• Can remain calm and objective when conversations become difficult
• Enjoy investigating what happened and assembling the supporting documentation
• Can manage numerous active files, deadlines, and follow-ups simultaneously
• Know when something can be handled internally and when it needs to be escalated
• Want to apply your legal-industry skill set in a business environment

Construction experience is not required.

We'll teach you our projects, terminology, contracts, billing systems, and processes.

A Different Career Path for a Paralegal

This isn't a traditional paralegal position.

You won't spend your day performing legal research or preparing litigation for an attorney.

Instead, you'll use many of the same skills to help a growing construction company prevent disputes from escalating, resolve financial disagreements, manage claims, protect its contractual rights, and create better outcomes for both the customer and the company.

You'll work directly with company leadership and have meaningful ownership over the matters assigned to you.

When a matter requires legal advice or representation, you'll help organize the information and coordinate with the company's outside counsel.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of paralegal, legal assistant, litigation support, claims, or comparable case-management experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent documentation and organizational abilities
• Experience managing deadlines and multiple active matters
• Comfortable reviewing contracts, invoices, correspondence, and financial documentation
• Strong judgment and professional discretion
• Ability to handle difficult conversations professionally
• Experience with litigation, collections, construction, real estate, insurance, or contract disputes is particularly valuable

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Performance-based incentives
• Paid time off
• Health benefits
• Professional development opportunities
• Long-term advancement opportunities

Interested in using your paralegal skills differently?

If you're an experienced paralegal who enjoys solving problems, organizing complicated matters, negotiating resolutions, and taking ownership of cases, we'd like to talk with you.

Submit your resume and tell us a little about the type of matters you've handled.

Pay: $68,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• How many years of experience do you have as a paralegal, legal assistant, litigation assistant, claims specialist, or in a similar case-management role?
• Describe a matter you managed that involved a financial dispute, collection issue, settlement, claim, or disagreement between parties. What was your role in moving it toward resolution?
• You inherit a customer dispute involving 40+ emails, several invoices, photographs, a contract, field notes, and conflicting accounts of what happened. What are the first steps you would take?
• Are you comfortable communicating directly with an upset customer regarding disputed invoices, payment expectations, warranty concerns, and potential resolutions?
• This position involves managing multiple active matters simultaneously, each with deadlines, required follow-ups, documentation, and next actions. Briefly describe the system you currently use to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
• This is not a traditional law-firm paralegal position. You would use your paralegal skills inside a construction company to investigate disputes, organize documentation, communicate with customers, coordinate collections and lien administration, and work with outside counsel when necessary. What interests you about making that transition?
• This position requires a background check and drug screening including cannabis. Please confirm you can meet those requirements.

Work Location: In person