Civil Project Manager

About Merritt Contracting

At Merritt Contracting, we build more than just projects — we build careers. Since 1995, our crews have helped us become a local leader in civil and concrete construction across Indiana. The Merritt Way means doing the job safely, delivering quality work, and moving efficiently as a team. We’re always looking for hardworking people who want steady work, respect on the job, and opportunities to grow.

Merritt Contracting is proudly employee-owned through our ESOP.

Merritt Contracting is looking for an experienced Civil Project Manager to take ownership of civil construction projects from pre-construction and project handoff through execution, billing, closeout, and final completion.

This role requires someone who can lead through the field, not just manage from behind a desk. The Project Manager will work closely with Foremen, crews, the Civil Field Manager (CFM), Project Engineers, customers, subcontractors, and suppliers to keep projects safe, productive, on schedule, and within budget.

The right person understands civil construction operations, production rates, labor and equipment planning, project costs, change-order management, scheduling, procurement, and customer expectations. They should be comfortable visiting jobsites regularly, holding field leaders accountable, removing obstacles for crews, and making decisions that keep work moving.

This position requires strong ownership. Success means knowing where your projects stand, anticipating problems before they affect production, communicating clearly with both the field and the customer, and doing what it takes to bring the job across the finish line successfully.

Lead personnel through holding accountable, career development, coaching, teaching, training, mentoring, and reviews.

Managing Foremen, Crew, Drivers, etc. on your assigned projects

Own the budget for your jobs through the Foremen (labor, material, and equipment).

Know our contract scope of work, manage change orders along with Project Managers (PM).

Ensure Project Completed on Time & Within Budget

Manage project during/after weather through Foremen and CFM.

Consistently able to attain production rates through Foremen and Crews.

Look for alternative methods to outperform what is budgeted

Review actual vs. estimate

Proactively plan your jobs, with assistance from CFM, and be accountable for the 2-3 week look-ahead and Master Schedule.

Be accountable for setting expectations & the overall quality of the work performed on your jobs by the crews, Including Day to Day scheduling/work of subcontractors/suppliers.

Participate in goal setting

Remove obstacles for Foremen to be able to attain production rates

Maintain Work Forecast

Weekend/After Hours Coverage

Billing on time & payments received (i.e. “Scoreboards”)

Monitor & Report on job productivity

Project Closeout (i.e. make sure as-builts, warranties, punch lists, bonds, etc. completed in a timely fashion)

Stay on Top of C/O’s. (Creation, Customer Communication, Capture Correct $ Amt, Get Paid)

Actively and Effectively communicate with customer and PM on schedule, change orders, RFI’s, etc.

Manage Customer Expectations - Negotiate

What do they need? When do they need it? What do we want?

How are we going to be able to reconcile expectations?

Along with Foreman – determine Means & Methods for meeting the expectation

Do your best to keep customers happy and within budget

Improve, refine and communicate processes to limit waste

Do whatever it takes to manage job and make it successful!!!

Value Engineering Designs

Budgets

Must demand & cultivate safety culture, including adherence to applicable rules & regulations, training, & PPE.

Interact w/ field personnel to drive company safety culture

Interact w/ field personnel to drive waste reducing culture

Interact w/ field personnel to monitor pulse of company morale

Conversion of a successful estimate to the company's job cost system

Information Transfer to Field Crews

Pre-construction/estimating information for new contracts

Keep information current on Procore, get new prints to guys in field

Complete pre-determined quality inspections @ critical…