Legal Project Manager - Real Estate

It's fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they are doing. At Dutch Bros Coffee, we are more than just a coffee company. We are a fun-loving, mind-blowing company that makes a difference one cup at a time. 

Position Overview:

The Legal Project Manager - Real Estate will serve as a strategic partner to the Legal Real Estate, CRED, and Operations teams, overseeing the full lifecycle of real estate contracts. This includes managing leases, amendments, and related agreements; ensuring alignment with company standards and goals; coordinating contract execution; and monitoring budgets tied to real estate leases collaborating with finance and accounting teams. This Manager ensures accuracy, efficiency, and compliance while enabling business growth through effective project and financial management.

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Real Estate, Legal Studies, or related field; JD or paralegal certification a plus.; demonstrated equivalent professional experience in legal real estate life cycle project management may also be considered.

• 5+ years of experience in commercial real estate, legal operations, or project management.

• Strong financial acumen with budget tracking and spend management expertise.

• Project management certification (PMP or equivalent) preferred.

• Skilled in contract lifecycle management systems, project tracking, and reporting tools.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and business partner management skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft suite and LawVu.

• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to thrive under tight deadlines and cross-functional demands.

Location Requirement: 

This role is located in Tempe, Arizona. This position is required to be in office 4 days per week (Mon-Thurs); Fridays are optional remote work days.

Key Result Areas (KRAs):

Contract Lifecycle Management

• Manage the full lifecycle of real estate contracts (LOIs, leases, amendments, estoppels, SNDAs, purchase agreements, and related documentation).

• Ensure contracts reflect company standards, deal point guidance, and compliance requirements.

• Track critical dates, deliverables, and obligations across all agreements.

• Maintain centralized systems for document management, version control, and reporting.

Project Management

• Lead and track multiple real estate transactions simultaneously, from LOI through execution.

• Develop and manage detailed project schedules, timelines, and milestones.

• Provide early alerts to business partners on risks, bottlenecks, and critical deadlines.

• Implement standardized workflows to improve efficiency and reduce cycle times.

Budget & Financial Oversight

• Partner with outside counsel and Finance teams to track contract-related costs and fee structures.

• Monitor outside counsel spend against budget, flagging variances and cost-saving opportunities.

• Support negotiation and approval of fees related to legal review and project management.

• Provide financial reporting and insights to leadership on contract-related costs.

Business Partner Coordination

• Act as liaison among Legal, Real Estate, Construction, Finance, and Operations teams.

• Coordinate with outside counsel, developers, and landlords to ensure timely and accurate deliverables.

• Support onboarding and training of external partners on company lease standards and contract expectations.

• Deliver executive-level reporting on pipeline, budgets, risks, and key transaction updates.

• Must be able to collaborate in-person with occasional impromptu in-person meetings

Operational Excellence

• Drive adoption of contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools, dashboards, and reporting systems.

• Monitor KPIs such as deal cycle times, negotiation trends, legal spend, and compliance.

• Lead process improvement initiatives for contract review and execution.

• Provide training and resources for internal teams on contract processes and financial accountabil