Construction Project Manager

Construction Project Manager

The Construction Project Manager oversees multiple commercial construction projects, with a focus on quick-service restaurant, retail, and light commercial work throughout the Midwest. This role manages the full project lifecycle from estimating and bidding through preconstruction, contracts, budgets, owner approvals, construction, and closeout. The position is ideal for a highly organized, technology-proficient professional who thrives in a fast-paced yet laid-back environment, values autonomy, and can effectively communicate with owners, architects, subcontractors, and field teams while managing $3–5M or more in active construction volume.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and own the full lifecycle of commercial construction projects, from initial estimating and bidding through preconstruction, contract execution, construction management, and final closeout.
• Coordinate and manage budgeting activities, including developing, tracking, and maintaining project budgets for approximately $5M in active construction at any given time.
• Organize and oversee the bid process, including leading bid kickoff meetings, coordinating with estimators, and ensuring accurate and competitive proposals.
• Manage and mentor assistant project managers and project coordinators, providing guidance and oversight while maintaining a collaborative, non-hierarchical team dynamic with superintendents.
• Maintain constant communication with superintendents in the field, operating as a team to ensure schedules, quality standards, and safety expectations are met across all active ground-up projects.
• Handle owner communications, including obtaining approvals, providing regular project updates, addressing concerns, and building strong long-term client relationships.
• Administer subcontractor relationships, including drafting and managing subcontracts, monitoring performance, and ensuring compliance with project specifications and timelines.
• Oversee and maintain project documentation, including contracts, change orders, RFIs, closeout documentation, and other records within construction management software such as Procore.
• Use financial tools (such as Spectrum or similar software) to track project financials, monitor costs, manage billing, and support accurate reporting and forecasting.
• Ensure projects are executed according to design documents, specifications, and quality standards, particularly for fast-paced commercial environments such as QSR, retail, and restaurant construction.
• Plan and manage day trips to job sites, with occasional overnight travel as needed, maintaining accessibility during business hours and supporting field operations.
• Adapt to company processes and standards, learning and applying established methods while contributing to a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture.
• Balance multiple concurrent projects, typically around three active ground-up builds plus preconstruction and closeout work, while maintaining organized workflows and meeting deadlines.
• Support preconstruction efforts, including early budgeting, scheduling input, and constructability reviews for upcoming commercial projects.
• Uphold professional standards and comply with background and driving record requirements, representing the company positively with clients, partners, and field teams.

Essential

Skills:

• Approximately 5 years of total construction experience, including internships, with at least 2–3 years of post-graduation project management responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience as a true full-cycle Project Manager, owning projects from estimating and bidding through preconstruction, contracts, budgets, owner approvals, construction, and closeout, rather than inheriting fully bought-out projects.
• Proven ability to manage $3–5M or more in active construction volume at any given time, typically involving multiple simultaneous ground-up projects.
• Strong background in fast-paced commercial construction, particularly in quick-service restaurant, retail, or restaurant projects.
• Proficiency with construction management software, specifically Procore, or the ability to learn it quickly and work comfortably with technology.
• Experience using financial…