Contract Specialist/Paralegal

Contract Specialist/Paralegal, Boston Corporate Office – Boston, MA

Summary: Under the general supervision of the Associate General Counsel/Property Management, the Contract Specialist/Paralegal position will provide legal and administrative support to the Legal Service Center in providing a full range of legal services in a variety of legal matters, including property management, contracts, compliance, employment law, real estate, litigation support, and dispute resolution (such as landlord/tenant disputes, eviction, possession and monetary judgment, vendor disputes, etc.). This position requires a highly organized and detail-oriented professional with experience in litigation support, a wide variety of procurement and contracting duties, including document contract drafting, and case management. The ideal candidate will thrive in a dynamic environment, managing multiple tasks simultaneously, and collaborating with colleagues across departments.

Reports to: General Counsel/Associate General Counsel

Direct Reports: N/A

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Location: Boston, MA

Essential Functions of the Position:

• Reviews and analyzes terms and conditions of contract documents for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with laws and regulations to identify risks and ensure alignment with internal and external standards.
• Creates, updates, and maintains contract templates, including standard agreements and specialized clauses, to reflect current legal requirements, preferred terms and best practices, and identifies potential risks associated with contract language within the templates.
• Organizes and maintains the contract template repository and streamlines the contract review process.
• Provides guidance and training on how to utilize and interpret the contract templates and identifies opportunities to streamline the contract process through template optimization and standardization.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders to identify and address compliance issues with contract review and management.
• Provides comprehensive legal administrative support in the form of preparation, review, organization, filing, and/or tracking of legal documents, including but not limited to contracts, pleadings, and correspondence.
• Provides support to the Associate General Counsel/Property Management in conducting screening and intake of property management and various legal matters, and various administrative tasks, including legal research, document preparation, assisting in gathering information and documentation related to landlord-tenant matters and other legal issues and supporting responses to subpoenas and discovery requests, and assisting with conducting various types of research and business writing.
• Provides administrative support, including scheduling meetings, organizing files, and preparing correspondence.
• Assists with the development and update of legal processes, policies, procedures, and training materials.
• Assists with managing relationships with third-party vendors and service providers and liaises with internal stakeholders, external counsel, and government agencies as needed.
• Maintains the legal ticketing system and/or other legal matter management solution or platform and represents the Legal Service Center to internal Service Centers and external contacts on a variety of issues and serves as an information source to colleagues in the Legal Service Center.
• Performs other duties as directed by the General Counsel and/or Associate General Counsel/Property Management.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies, contracts, real estate, property management, or equivalent knowledge or experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience as contracts, real estate, or corporate paralegal at a law firm, real estate firm, or property management company or a combination of related experience.
• Advanced proficiency in use of Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Familiarity with basic concepts of contract law, real estate law, property management and affordable housing, particularly experience with developing and/or managing contracts, including tracking documents through the contracting lifecycle, and contract compliance items preferred.
• Interpreting, applying, and explaining to others policies, procedures, instructions, and contract requirements.
• Ability to maintain a variety of filing, record keeping, and legal management systems.
• Knowledge of methods, techniques, and practices of data collection, business letter writing, and research.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, including organizing own work, setting priorities, and meeting critical time deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment.
• Ability to respond to and effectively prioritize multiple requests for service.
• Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Process-oriented mindset.
• High level of commitment to quality of work product, organizational ethics, integrity and compliance.

Travel Requirements: Minimal travel related to occasional conferences, team retreats or regional site visits.

Work Environment: The position is conducted in an office work environment, sitting most of the time and using a computer approximately 90% for this position’s duties. Hybrid work schedule.

Beacon Communities LLC seeks a diverse pool of candidates. We are committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other protected class.

Beacon Communities is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Benefits Offered:

At the core of Beacon Communities is the talent on our teams, and we are committed to taking care of our team members so they can deliver great experiences to our residents. That is why we are proud to provide competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support a healthy life for you and your family when you join our team.

As a regular, full time employee at Beacon you can expect:

• Health & Wellness Benefits. We offer plans for quality medical, dental, and vision coverage to all employees regularly scheduled to work a minimum of 24 hours or more per week. HSA/FSA options are also available.
• Work-Life Balance. On top of offering 13 paid holidays per year, we have an attractive paid time off policy that includes vacation days, personal days, sick time, wellness days, summer flex time, volunteer days and early close Fridays.
• Retirement planning. We offer a 401k program with a company match.
• 100% Company-Paid Life Insurance. With affordable options to elect voluntary life, critical illness, hospital care or accidental injury coverage.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Childcare & Eldercare Support, Career Development and Advancement Opportunities … and more!

Company Overview:

Founded in 2004, Beacon Communities LLC is a privately-owned real estate firm that develops, acquires, invests in, and manages a wide range of multifamily housing. Beacon currently owns and manages approximately 150 properties including affordable housing, market rate housing, and mixed income-housing. Its developments range from new construction, to historic adaptive reuse, to the renovation of existing housing.

At Beacon, we strive to make a difference in our residents’ lives. We build outstanding communities that make enduring contributions to the vitality of our cities and towns. We create communities that serve a diverse cross section of our society. Our communities are healthy and vibrant. Why? Because they are planned with care, consideration, and compassion.

Beacon Communities LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks a diverse pool of candidates . We are committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other protected class. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Beacon Communities LLC participates in the E-Verify program.