Project Development Manager

About Us

Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $8.1 billion in revenue for 2025, Clayco specializes in the "art and science of building," providing fast track, efficient solutions for mission critical, industrial, life sciences, power & energy, aviation, commercial, institutional, residential and sports & entertainment related building projects.

The Role We Want You For

The Project Development Manager will have responsibility for working with clients to define and develop projects from conceptual ideas and feasibility to a defined project that is ready for detailed design, procurement, and construction execution. You will focus on the development and implementation of Best-In-Class operations within our Industrial Business Unit of subject matter experts, engineers, estimators, and integrated constructability personnel to consistently deliver as a Solutions Provider that exceeds client expectations. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with external engineering firms, members of our interdisciplinary engineering team, estimators, schedulers and construction experts, all working to develop the best possible collaborative delivery of project development to our clients.

The Specifics of the Role

• Lead development and continuous improvement of processes, procedures and tools for efficient and consistent execution of Project Development operations.
• Work with the VP – Project Development, Project Executives and Business Unit Leaders on strategy and shaping the Project Development Group organization to provide Best-In-Class execution models for project development operations.
• Lead the consolidation and communication of best practices and lessons learned from project development execution.
• Through engaging communication, provide execution expertise, establishment of team goals, and alignment with project objectives.
• Develop and execute a communication and training plan, ensuring team members are informed of strategy, shared goals, objectives, individual responsibilities, best practices, and policies.
• Work with the Industrial team to engage with clients to fully understand priorities and ensure our execution strategy is aligned.
• Engage with third party engineers, vendors, and OEM’s to understand their development processes, procedures and tools so we can integrate them into our approach; identify industry best practices and incorporate into our continuous improvement effort.
• Support the project teams as they develop and maintain the Division of Responsibilities (DOR) for their project, to include internal as well as third party and client responsibilities.
• Provide guidance to the project team on how to maintain efficient execution processes within a dynamic and ambiguous environment, with limited information, including documenting and communicating design assumptions internally and with the client.
• Work within a matrix environment to communicate and coordinate resource needs.
• Conduct/support monthly internal project performance status reviews.
• This role requires great flexibility to react to issues and short-fused client RFPs/requests while demonstrating an ongoing ability to:
• Deal with ambiguity and remain focused on successful project operations.
• Manage many varied personalities on the work team and at the client level.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with appropriate documentation.
• Communicate effectively with Clients at all levels, always looking for additional work.
• Oversee the monitoring and reporting on progress of projects against the execution plan; direct project teams on taking appropriate corrective action if progress is not in line with the plan.
• Contract and Scope Change Management: develop and champion best practices to identify, control, and communicate changes to project contract obligations and project design scope.
• Oversee project team’s implementation of contract and scope change management process as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in mechanical, process, chemical, civil/structural, or electrical engineering, or related field; Master of Business Administration preferred, but not required
• 15+ years' experience in increasingly challenging positions, preferably in an engineering or construction organization
• 7+ years’ experience in managing an engineering and design team of at least 20 or more
• 5+ years’ experience performing engineering-related design or management within the industrial market
• Good negotiation, presentation and persuasion skills.
• Experienced in communicating ideas, winning approval, and reaching resolutions with a variety of audiences.
• Experience with management of projects and progression of ideas to execution in a complex environment.
• Strong analytical ability along with the capacity to interpret data and make recommendations.
• Comfortable with change and ambiguity; adaptable, collaborative and a systems thinker.
• Must be self-motivated, results oriented and must constantly coach in order to develop future leaders.
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• Attention to detail, with the ability to recognize discrepancies
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

Some Things You Should Know

• Our clients and projects are nationwide – Travel will be required.
• No other builder can offer the collaborative design-build approach that Clayco does.
• We work on creative, complex, award-winning, high-profile jobs.
• The pace is fast!
• This position is classified as a safety-sensitive role in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. Candidates selected for this position will be subject to a comprehensive background check, which includes mandatory drug testing.

Why Clayco?

• 2025 Best Places to Work – St. Louis Business Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, and Phoenix Business Journal.
• 2025 ENR Top 400 – Top Data Center Contractor (Top 3).
• 2025 ENR Top 100 Design-Build Firms – Design-Build Contractor (Top 5).
• 2025 ENR Top 100 Green Contractors – Green Contractor (Top 3).

Benefits

• Discretionary Annual Bonus: Subject to company and individual performance.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package Including: Medical, dental and vision plans, 401k, generous PTO and paid company holidays, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability coverage, learning & development programs and more!

Compensation

• The salary range for this position considers a wide range of factors in making compensation decisions including but not limited to: Education, qualifications, skills, training, experience, certifications, internal equity, and location. Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.