Construction Project Manager - Special Projects

The Construction Project Manager – Special Projects is responsible for the planning, coordination, and execution of construction, renovation, capital improvement, and special projects across WellMed Optum's Florida clinic portfolio of 94 medical clinic locations and approximately 1,600 employees. This role serves as the organization's internal owner's representative, bringing greater control, vendor accountability, and cost and schedule visibility to every project, while keeping work moving with minimal disruption to clinic operations and patient care. Initially, the Construction Project Manager will work alongside existing project management and construction consultants to gain visibility into the active project pipeline, current processes, vendors, costs, and delivery model. The role will then progressively take on greater responsibility for project management, vendor selection, bidding, and construction oversight, and will build a scalable internal delivery model supported by a strong regional network of architects, engineers, general contractors, and specialty vendors across Florida. Beyond traditional construction, this role also leads portfolio-wide special projects that require structured project management and cross-functional execution. This position reports to the Senior Director, Real Estate and Facilities, and requires regular travel to clinic sites throughout Florida. WHAT YOU'LL DO Construction Project Management • Manage construction projects from initial planning and programming through design, permitting, construction, turnover, and closeout. • Manage renovations, expansions, relocations, consolidations, clinic refreshes, infrastructure improvements, and other capital projects. • Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, milestones, and execution plans; review proposals, change orders, invoices, and contractor recommendations. • Conduct site visits throughout design and construction to monitor progress, quality, schedule, and clinic impact. • Identify project risks early, develop mitigation plans, and manage punch lists, warranties, documentation, and turnover to Facilities. Construction Partner & Vendor Strategy • Evaluate the existing construction delivery model and identify opportunities to bring greater project management and vendor oversight in-house. • Build a qualified regional network of general contractors, architects, MEP engineers, and specialty contractors, with preferred partners by geography and project type. • Lead or participate in RFQs, RFPs, competitive bidding, vendor evaluations, negotiations, and selection. • Benchmark consultant, design, and construction costs and identify opportunities for greater efficiency. • Develop standardized scopes, bidding requirements, project controls, and vendor expectations. Special Projects & Portfolio Initiatives • Lead portfolio-wide initiatives such as signage and branding programs, security improvements, equipment or infrastructure upgrades, facility standards, and clinic refresh programs. • Support clinic openings, relocations, consolidations, closures, and decommissioning activities. • Develop scopes, schedules, budgets, vendor strategies, and implementation plans for special projects. • Create repeatable rollout models when a successful initiative needs to be implemented across multiple clinics. • Coordinate with clinic leadership to understand operational requirements, schedule work appropriately, and minimize disruption to patients and employees. Clinic & Cross-Functional Coordination • Serve as the primary project management liaison between clinic operations and construction vendors and consultants. • Partner with the Facilities Manager to ensure technical requirements, existing building conditions, maintainability, and lifecycle considerations are built into projects. • Work with the Manager, Real Estate & Workplace Operations on lease requirements, landlord responsibilities, and project documentation. • Coordinate with IT, security, branding, clinical operations, procurement, finance, legal, and landlords, with clear roles, accountability, and escalation paths on every project. Project Controls & Governance • Develop standardized project management processes, including approval, budgeting, bidding, change management, and closeout procedures. • Maintain a comprehensive pipeline of active and planned projects with visibility into schedule, budget, status, risks, and next steps. • Deliver consistent project reporting for leadership and track actual costs against budget to identify trends and savings opportunities. • Establish consistent design and construction standards and maintain historical project data to support future estimating and planning. Capital Planning • Partner with Real Estate, Facilities, Finance, and clinic leadership to identify and prioritize future capital requirements. • Assist with annual capital planning, budgeting, forecasting, and project prioritization. • Develop preliminary budgets and schedules for proposed projects, and evaluate whether renovation, replacement, or relocation offers the most practical solution. WHAT YOU'LL BRING Required Qualifications • 7+ years of construction project management, owner's representation, development, architecture, engineering, or related experience. • Demonstrated experience managing projects from planning and design through construction and closeout. • Strong understanding of construction documents, permitting, budgeting, scheduling, bidding, change orders, and project controls. • Experience selecting and managing architects, engineers, general contractors, and specialty vendors. • Experience managing multiple concurrent projects across a geographically dispersed portfolio. • Strong financial skills, including managing project budgets, forecasts, invoices, and change orders. • Ability to deliver projects in active, occupied environments with minimal operational disruption. • Strong organizational, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills. • Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout the Florida clinic portfolio. Preferred Qualifications • Healthcare, medical office, corporate real estate, retail, or other multi-site construction experience. • Experience leading RFQ/RFP and competitive bidding processes. • Experience building standardized project controls, delivery models, or regional vendor networks. WellMed Optum is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. WellMed Optum is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state laws. Applicants who require accommodation should contact Human Resources.