Paralegal

Job Title: Paralegal

ABOUT WATSON ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION

Watson Electrical Construction is a leading provider of electrical contracting services, specializing in delivering high-quality solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential projects. Our company prides itself on its commitment to safety, innovation, and customer satisfaction. We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Paralegal to join our growing team in Wilson, North Carolina

Job Summary Corporate Paralegal

The Construction Paralegal will manage the legal and administrative infrastructure of the company's pre-construction and operational phases. This role is responsible for ensuring the firm remains compliant with state and federal regulations, maintaining corporate certifications, and protecting the company's financial interests through diligent lien administration and contract oversight. This role is our company CONTRACT EXPERT.

Key Responsibilities

Statutory Compliance & Lien Administration

• NC Lien Agent Administration: Act as the primary administrator for all LiensNC filings. Appoint Lien Agents for all qualifying projects to ensure statutory compliance and preserve the company's mechanics' lien and bond claim rights.
• SAM.gov Management: Execute the annual renewal and entity validation for the federal System for Award Management. Monitor the portal for updates to ensure the firm remains eligible for government-funded projects.
• HUB/MBE Compliance: Manage all Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) reporting. Document "Good Faith Efforts" and maintain certification renewals to meet state and local participation requirements.

Surety & Risk Management

• Bonding Administration: Coordinate with the company's surety broker to issue Bid Bonds and Performance/Payment Bonds.
• Surety Portfolio Management: Facilitate annual Surety Letter updates and financial disclosures required by bonding agents.
• Annual Risk Reporting: Compile complex data sets for Marsh McLennan Annual Reporting and other insurance-related audits.
• Insurance Oversight: Review and manage Certificates of Insurance (COIs) for subcontractors to ensure they meet the minimum indemnification standards required by the prime contract.

Pre-Construction & Prequalification

• Portal Administration: Lead the annual renewal and data integrity of General Contractor portals and third-party prequalification platforms (e.g., TradeTapp, COMPASS, Highwire).
• Prequalification Documents: Draft and organize project-specific prequalification forms, ensuring legal and technical narratives are accurate and professional.
• Bid Form Oversight: Review and finalize formal Bid Forms and execution documents, ensuring all signatures, seals, and legal attachments are present.

Contract & Document Control

• Contract Administration: Assist in the review of project contracts, identifying Deviations from Standard Terms and ensuring all exhibits and riders are correctly incorporated.
• Subcontractor Prequalification: Develop and oversee the formal vetting process for all new subcontractors and vendors.
• Process Documentation: Draft and maintain a library of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the legal and compliance lifecycle of a project.

Qualifications

• Education: Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies; NALA or NCCP certification preferred.
• Experience: 2-4 years of experience as a paralegal, preferably in construction law, real estate, or with a large-scale specialty contractor.
• Legal Expertise: Strong understanding of North Carolina and Virginia Construction Law, specifically Chapter 44A (Statutory Liens and Bonds) in the NC Construction Code.
• Skills: Exceptional document drafting skills; ability to navigate government and corporate portals; high proficiency in Adobe Acrobat and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Physical and Cognitive Demands

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
• This position is based out of the company Headquarters in Wilson, NC.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to:

• Complete all company required training that is specified for the role, as defined by our compliance and training processes and protocols, which may be job specific or corporate/compliance related.
• Listen and communicate using both verbal and written feedback. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Maintain a high level of consistent cognitive function.
• Perform consistent keyboarding/computer use in a typical office environment for extended periods of time, up to 8 hours per day.
• Frequently move about the office.
• Stoop, kneel or crouch when maneuvering the office environment.
• Lift up 25lbs at times.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other duties, as assigned by their manager.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans.