Construction Counsel, North America Construction Operations Legal

Amazon

Seattle, WA

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Building Regulations, Communication Skills, Construction, Construction Contracts, Construction Projects, Construction Support, Contract Management, Contract Negotiation, Corporate Law, Cross-Functional, Customer Relations, Develop and Maintain Customers, Documentation, Expense Analysis, Finance, Industry/Trade Analysis, Internet Technology, Leadership, Legal, Legal Support Skills, Litigation, Logistics, Multitasking, Order/Customer Fulfillment, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Procurement Strategy, Project Execution, Project Lifecycle, Project Tracking, Project/Program Management, Real Estate, Regulatory Compliance, Risk, Risk Management, Supply Chain Management, Time Management, Writing Skills
LOCATION
Seattle, WA
POSTED
Today

Description

Amazon is seeking a strategic, business-minded construction attorney to support the building and launch of Amazon's operations facilities in North America and beyond. In this role, you'll partner with Construction, Real Estate and Operations teams on high-stakes, complex buildings - from multi-million square foot fulfillment center developments to strategically located delivery stations. You'll be a legal strategist who can spot issues before they become problems, direct outside counsel effectively, and balance legal risk with business objectives. You'll work on some of the most sophisticated construction projects in the logistics industry, directly impacting Amazon's ability to deliver for our customers.

Key job responsibilities

  • Structure, draft, and negotiate construction agreements and related project documentation for large-scale logistics and industrial facilities

  • Serve as strategic legal advisor to internal business partners on project execution and delivery, providing day-to-day construction law counseling across the project lifecycle

  • Identify and proactively flag legal and business risks in construction projects, providing practical solutions that balance risk mitigation with operational speed

  • Manage and direct outside counsel on construction-related matters-including disputes, specialist advisory, and complex contract negotiations-maintaining oversight of legal strategy, quality, and costs

  • Advise on developer, general contractor, and supply chain management, including procurement strategy, contractor performance, and subcontractor arrangements

  • Manage disputes, including identifying early resolution strategies and advising on escalation pathways to protect business interests

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Real Estate, Pre-Construction, Operations, Finance, and Environmental to drive projects from site selection through facility launch

  • Structure creative solutions for novel legal and business challenges in a rapidly evolving construction and logistics network

  • Advise on permitting and regulatory compliance strategies across multiple jurisdictions

  • Drive process improvements and leverage AI to increase efficiency and scalability

  • Stay current on construction law developments, building regulations, and industry trends affecting logistics and industrial facility delivery

A day in the life

Your day might start reviewing a general contractor's proposed amendments to a construction agreement while preparing risk guidance for the project team on a complex permitting issue. Mid-morning, you're on a call with outside counsel, directing their strategy on a pre-litigation dispute with a developer over delayed handover milestones-keeping the project on track for launch. After lunch, you're collaborating with International colleagues to develop client-facing AI solutions to streamline legal support. You spend the afternoon evaluating the potential impact of a design issue and developing a forward-looking strategy to fix the issue and recover costs from counterparties. Throughout the day, you balance urgent project escalations with strategic process improvements, making high-judgment calls that directly impact Amazon's ability to build, launch, and scale our operations network to serve customers.

About the team

You'll join Amazon's North America Construction Legal team, part of the wider Real Estate Legal organization, a dynamic group supporting one of the world's most ambitious logistics expansion programs. Our team works on construction projects including massive fulfillment centers, urban delivery stations, and specialized logistics facilities. We value strategic thinking, business partnership, and creative problem-solving. You'll work closely with experienced construction attorneys and have exposure to senior leadership on high-profile projects. We're looking for team members who thrive in fast-paced environments, can manage ambiguity, and are excited to shape the future of Amazon's physical infrastructure.

Basic Qualifications

  • 5+ years of post bar admission legal experience

  • Juris Doctor and membership in one state bar or equivalent

  • Experience in Construction Law

  • Experience managing complex construction contracts, project execution, delivery issues, and/or disputes.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience of a mix of corporate law firm and in-house work

  • Experience handling ambiguous or undefined challenges through strong problem solving abilities

  • Experience managing multiple projects and priorities across teams in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

  • Experience making business recommendations and influencing stakeholders

  • In-house experience in a technology, Internet company, or real estate / construction company

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to translate complex legal concepts for business audiences

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit for more information. If the country/region you're applying in isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at .

USA, VA, Arlington - 153,900.00 - 208,200.00 USD annually

USA, WA, SEATTLE - 153,900.00 - 208,200.00 USD annually

About the Company

A

Amazon

At Amazon, we don’t wait for the next big idea to present itself. We envision the shape of impossible things and then we boldly make them reality. So far, this mindset has helped us achieve some incredible things. Let’s build new systems, challenge the status quo, and design the world we want to live in. We believe the work you do here will be the best work of your life.

Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

It’s Always Day 1
At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here

Our Leadership Principles
Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles
COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
Retail
FOUNDED
1994
WEBSITE
http://Amazon.com/militaryroles