Senior Project Manager

Senior Project Manager - Design Engineering & ConstructionLocation: Irvine, CA or Carlsbad, CA (hybrid!)Projects / Industries: Life Sciences, R&D, Laboratories, Clean Rooms, Biotech, Pharma Manufacturing, Industrial Food & Beverage Manufacturing.Base salary: 130k - 200k DOE This is not an IT Project Manager role! Must-have prior experience in design engineering and construction firms. We are a globally recognized Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firm delivering innovative solutions for some of the world's most technically complex and highly regulated facilities. Our teams partner with leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and beverage, and advanced manufacturing organizations to design and deliver facilities that improve lives, enable innovation, and support operational excellence.Our integrated approach combines engineering expertise, process knowledge, and project delivery excellence to create world-class manufacturing environments that are safe, sustainable, and efficient.Position OverviewSenior Project Manager responsible for leading complex capital projects from concept through handover within the life sciences, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors. The role combines design engineering and construction management services with strong client relationship management to deliver safe, compliant, on-time and on-budget facilities. Key ResponsibilitiesLead end-to-end project delivery including planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning and closeout for life sciences and pharma manufacturing facilities.Develop and implement project execution plans, schedules and budgets; manage scope, valuation, cost control and change management to maintain project financial performance.Coordinate and oversee design engineering activities across core disciplines (mechanical, electrical, industrial, chemical) and integrate with architecture, process and validation teams.Provide construction management services on site: supervise contractors, enforce quality and safety standards, resolve construction issues and maintain progress reporting.Manage client relationships and stakeholder communications; provide regular status updates, negotiate scope and commercial terms, and ensure client requirements are fully met.Identify, assess and mitigate project risks and technical complexities; lead problem solving and escalation processes to minimize impacts to schedule and cost.Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards (GMP, FDA/EMA expectations, local building and safety codes) and support commissioning/validation activities.Mentor and lead multidisciplinary project teams, consultants and subcontractors; promote continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across projects.Oversee procurement strategy and vendor management to secure equipment, materials and services that meet technical and schedule requirements.Prepare and present executive summaries, forecasts and technical reports for senior management and stakeholders.QualificationsBachelors degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field; advanced degree preferred.Minimum 7+ years of progressive project management experience delivering capital projects in life sciences, pharmaceutical manufacturing or AEC sectors, with demonstrated success on complex, high value programs.Proven experience in design engineering oversight and construction management services across mechanical, electrical, industrial and/or chemical disciplines.Strong understanding of pharma manufacturing processes, GMP requirements, commissioning and validation practices.Demonstrated expertise in scope definition, valuation, complexity management, cost control and scheduling on multidiscipline projects.Exceptional client relationship management skills with experience negotiating scope and commercial terms and maintaining senior stakeholder alignment.PMP certification or equivalent is highly desirable.Proficiency with project controls and collaboration tools (Primavera P6/MS Project, BIM software, cost control systems, MS Office).Excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills; ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and make decisive technical and commercial decisions.Willingness to travel to project sites as required and ability to obtain necessary site security/clearances.