Construction Project Manager

Construction Project Manager

The Construction Project Manager supports large-scale Engineer Procure Construct (EPC), Construction Management, and Program Management projects from pre-construction through project completion and warranty periods. This role leads day-to-day construction operations, ensuring safety, quality, schedule, and cost performance while managing contracts, subcontractors, suppliers, and client relationships. The Construction Project Manager will operate as a standalone project leader on transmission and distribution (T+D) projects, working closely with engineering, field teams, and stakeholders to deliver successful capital and commercial projects.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to the company's safety programs, trainings, and policies, and actively promote and manage Safety & Health performance for project team members and subcontractors.
• Oversee day-to-day construction activities and successfully execute one or multiple projects simultaneously from pre-construction through closeout and warranty.
• Provide leadership and direction in project planning, scheduling, estimating, cost development, and the establishment of critical project objectives.
• Develop new and manage existing client relationships, serving as a primary point of contact for proposals, project updates, and issue resolution.
• Participate in internal and external project risk reviews and consult with the Legal Department as needed to address contractual and project risks.
• Negotiate prime contracts, construction management contracts, subcontracts, and change orders to protect project and company interests.
• Participate in and support formal risk review processes throughout the project lifecycle.
• Implement assigned sections of the Project Execution Plan, including construction execution, quality assurance, safety and health, subcontracting strategy, staffing plans, organization charts, and procurement approaches.
• Develop construction staffing plans, train project teams, coordinate activities across disciplines, and ensure efficient utilization of project staff.
• Oversee the development and implementation of site layout, mobilization, and demobilization plans for construction sites.
• Ensure all applicable project permits are identified, applied for, and secured in a timely manner.
• Direct and oversee the RFP and bid process, including scope development, bidder evaluation, and contractor selection.
• Review, approve, and communicate internal and external project reports, including budgets, cash flow forecasts, and overall project status updates.
• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to ensure timely development and distribution of design deliverables and construction documents.
• Manage downstream contract administration, including RFIs, submittals, change management, project closeout, documentation, and claims mitigation.
• Oversee invoicing for prime contracts, subcontractors, and client contractors, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Coordinate and facilitate commissioning and startup teams to support successful project turnover and operation.
• Implement, audit, and oversee project documentation to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance with company and client standards.
• Confirm and monitor insurance, taxes and duties, licensure, and bonding requirements for projects and contractors.
• Conduct safety, quality, progress, and financial audits and assessments to identify issues and implement corrective actions.
• Oversee and participate in non-conformance reporting and resolution processes.
• Facilitate cost reporting, scheduling, work breakdown structure development, project setup and closeout, and field progress tracking.
• Develop and manage materials receiving and inventory control processes to support efficient construction operations.
• Review contract documents with field staff to ensure understanding and compliance with scope, specifications, and requirements.
• Direct project turnover documentation, warranty administration, closeout activities, and recordkeeping.
• Support communication and coordination with governmental agencies, industry groups, and public entities as needed.
• Review construction field reports and use findings to drive project decisions and improvements.
• Mentor and train interns, coordinators, craft supervision, and assistant project managers to support their professional development.
• Provide clear, constructive performance feedback for project team members and support a culture of continuous improvement.
• Manage community and building trades relationships to support project execution and labor stability.
• Develop and implement project labor agreements as appropriate for project needs.
• Oversee onboarding of craft and field supervision personnel to ensure they understand project expectations and standards.
• Manage composite crew rates for labor and equipment costs to support accurate estimating and cost control.
• Manage overall project staffing, ensuring the right resources are in place at the right time.
• Manage labor burdens, including classifications, benefits, and compliance with applicable labor laws.
• Maintain accurate craft classifications and progression records to support workforce planning and development.
• Uphold craft competency and training standards to ensure safe, high-quality work.
• Estimate, forecast, and manage craft install unit rates to support project controls and performance measurement.
• Manage earned value, schedule performance, change management, and cost metrics to track and improve project outcomes.
• Mentor and foster craft training and identify advancement opportunities for field personnel.
• Manage construction equipment inventory and utilization to support project efficiency.
• Travel and work at project sites as assigned based on project requirements, including time at client locations.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Construction, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of project management experience in construction, with a minimum of 1 year in the transmission and distribution (T+D) space.
• Proven experience serving as a standalone Project Manager responsible for projects from planning through closeout.
• Strong construction project management skills, including planning, scheduling, estimating, and cost development.
• Hands-on experience with construction management and project coordination in capital and commercial projects.
• Ability to oversee and manage multiple projects or workstreams simultaneously.
• Demonstrated experience with contract negotiation and administration, including prime contracts, CM contracts, subcontracts, and change orders.
• Experience managing RFIs, submittals, change management, project documentation, and claims mitigation.
• Strong understanding of safety and health programs and the ability to lead safety culture on construction sites.
• Ability to develop and manage staffing plans, lead cross-disciplinary teams, and mentor junior staff.
• Experience with project risk review processes and collaboration with legal or contract teams.
• Ability to manage project financials, including budgeting, cash flow, cost reporting, and earned value metrics.
• Strong client-facing skills with experience building and maintaining client relationships.
• Willingness and ability to travel to project sites approximately one week per month or as project needs dictate.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Direct experience with document control, scheduling, and cost control is preferred.
• Experience using project management software tools for scheduling, cost tracking, and reporting is preferred.
• Experience in distribution engineering, site development, or power distribution projects is beneficial.
• Experience in oil and gas, transmission, or power distribution environments is an advantage.
• Familiarity with commissioning and startup processes for construction projects is helpful.
• Ability to develop and manage project labor agreements and maintain positive relationships with building trades.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills in a fast-paced project environment.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for interaction with clients, engineering teams, field staff, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop interns, coordinators, and early-career professionals.
• Interest in long-term career growth, with the opportunity to move into roles beyond current degree qualifications or previous titles.

Work Environment

This role operates within a consulting, professional engineering firm environment based in a downtown Lexington office of approximately 30 people. The culture is close-knit, highly collaborative, and strongly focused on teamwork both within the Lexington office and across offices nationwide. The standard schedule is roughly 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with flexibility in start and end times to support work-life balance. The dress code is business casual. For the first six months, the Construction Project Manager will typically spend about half of the week in the Lexington office and the remainder onsite at a client location in Louisville, with onsite time transitioning to project needs and client meetings as relationships develop. The company offers a robust project backlog, repeat work with existing clients, and a strong national and local reputation, providing stability and opportunities for advancement. The environment supports career growth,