Senior Project Manager - Federal Gov't Construction

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Project Manager – Federal Government Construction

Job Description

This Project Manager role oversees the full lifecycle of federal and institutional construction projects, typically ranging from $1 million to over $15 million, across the NY/NJ/PA region. The position offers substantial ownership, authority, and visibility, allowing an experienced Project Manager to lead projects with speed, accountability, and direct influence on outcomes. The portfolio includes federal, institutional, and commercial work, with a strong, long-term pipeline of contracts and a diverse mix of ground-up construction, site development, renovations, and specialized projects such as elevator upgrades and healthcare facilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the full project lifecycle from preconstruction through closeout for federal and institutional construction projects ranging from $1M to $15M+.
• Develop, implement, and oversee project execution plans, ensuring alignment with contract requirements, scope, schedule, and budget.
• Manage subcontractor selection, including identifying qualified firms, conducting bid reviews, and leading competitive buyout processes.
• Negotiate subcontractor contracts and purchase orders to secure favorable terms, clear scopes of work, and risk mitigation.
• Oversee subcontractor performance throughout the project, ensuring quality, safety, schedule adherence, and compliance with project specifications.
• Own project budgeting, including initial budget development, ongoing cost tracking, and variance analysis.
• Prepare and manage cost reports, forecasts, and financial updates to maintain accurate visibility into project financial performance.
• Lead change management processes, including identifying changes, preparing change order proposals, negotiating with owners, and executing approved changes.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the owner, architect, engineer, and other key stakeholders from project kickoff through final turnover.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with federal agencies and institutional owners, fostering trust and effective communication.
• Manage RFIs (Requests for Information) to clarify design intent, resolve field issues, and maintain project progress.
• Oversee submittal processes, ensuring timely preparation, review, and approval in full compliance with federal and institutional standards.
• Ensure all project documentation meets federal compliance requirements, including technical specifications, safety regulations, and reporting standards.
• Develop and maintain the Schedule of Values and oversee federal billing processes to ensure accurate, timely invoicing.
• Coordinate and prepare all required closeout documentation, including warranties, as-built drawings, operation and maintenance manuals, and final reports.
• Collaborate with preconstruction and design-build teams to review designs, provide constructability input, and support value engineering efforts.
• Coordinate site development, ground-up construction, and renovation activities, ensuring sequencing and logistics support efficient execution.
• Oversee project coordination activities, including internal team communication, meeting facilitation, and issue resolution.
• Monitor project schedules, identify potential delays, and implement corrective actions to keep projects on track.
• Support and enforce quality control procedures to ensure work meets or exceeds contract requirements and industry standards.
• Contribute to the planning and execution of specialized projects such as elevator modernizations and healthcare facilities, including dialysis centers.
• Provide clear leadership and direction to project teams, fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 10+ years of project management experience in institutional or public-sector construction.
• Proven experience managing construction projects in the $1M to $15M+ range.
• working for a general contractor, with direct responsibility for project delivery.
• Strong project management skills, including scope, schedule, budget, and risk management.
• Hands-on experience with preconstruction activities, including planning, estimating support, and design coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to manage design-build projects and collaborate effectively with design teams.
• Experience overseeing site development, ground-up construction, and renovation work.
• Ability to manage RFIs and submittals with attention to detail and timely resolution.
• Experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, trades, and phases.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with owners, architects, engineers, and subcontractors.
• Proficiency in managing change orders, cost reporting, and financial controls on construction projects.
• Capability to navigate federal compliance requirements and structured billing processes.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Federal construction experience with agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, Department of Defense, or similar entities is strongly preferred.
• Experience working on federal and institutional projects with secure or sensitive requirements, including DoD Top Secret environments, is a plus.
• Familiarity with federal billing procedures, Schedule of Values, and detailed closeout documentation requirements.
• Experience delivering elevator modernization or construction projects, particularly in institutional or public buildings.
• Experience managing healthcare-related construction projects, such as dialysis centers or similar medical facilities.
• Experience in design-build delivery methods, including collaboration with architects and engineers from early project stages.
• Ability to work effectively in both on-site and remote coordination settings, using digital tools for communication and documentation.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects or phases.
• Commitment to high standards of quality, safety, and professional integrity.

Work Environment

The work environment combines on-site project leadership with remote coordination, providing a mix of field and office-based responsibilities. Projects are located primarily in the NY/NJ/PA region, including institutional facilities, federal buildings, and specialized environments such as elevator systems and healthcare centers. On-site work involves regular interaction with subcontractors, owners, architects, and engineers, as well as oversight of construction activities, logistics, and safety. Remote work focuses on planning, documentation, RFIs, submittals, cost reporting, and stakeholder communication. The organization operates with a focused leadership structure rather than a large corporate hierarchy, giving Project Managers clear decision-making authority, direct visibility, and the ability to run projects with ownership, speed, and accountability. The role supports a strong backlog of federal work and a stable pipeline of projects, offering long-term engagement in complex, high-impact construction initiatives.

This is a Permanent position based out of Maple Shade, NJ.

The pay range for this position is $120000.00 - $170000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Strongly Preferred Federal construction experience (VA, GSA, DoD, or similar)

This is a hybrid position in Maple Shade,NJ.

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 4, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.