Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Project Manager - Steel Fabrication Projects

This Project Manager role oversees steel scope projects ranging from approximately $20,000 to $10 million, leading all phases from inception through completion. The position plans, budgets, schedules, and manages risk while ensuring strict compliance with safety, quality, and contractual requirements. The Project Manager builds and maintains strong client relationships, drives project performance to meet or exceed targets, and plays a key role in developing project management best practices within a growing division.

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Responsibilities

• Lead and manage steel scope projects from initiation through closeout, ensuring adherence to scope, budget, schedule, and quality requirements.
• Develop, maintain, and update detailed project plans, schedules, and budgets for multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate closely with internal departments such as purchasing, engineering, and fabrication to optimize project execution and resolve issues quickly.
• Monitor and control project performance, proactively identifying risks, issues, and deviations and implementing effective mitigation and corrective actions.
• Ensure full compliance with all contractual requirements, customer specifications, industry standards, and internal procedures.
• Develop, track, and manage project budgets, ensuring robust cost control and accurate financial reporting.
• Analyze project financial performance and implement strategies to maintain or improve profitability.
• Own and manage project change orders, ensuring that scope, budgets, and schedules remain aligned and are accurately reflected in contract documents.
• Collaborate with the estimating team to develop accurate and timely change order estimates.
• Negotiate contracts and manage vendor and subcontractor relationships to optimize cost-effectiveness and performance.
• Work with purchasing to ensure all purchase orders and contracts are thoroughly and appropriately documented, including terms and conditions, flow-down requirements, and receiving requirements.
• Contribute to the development, refinement, and implementation of project management processes, tools, and best practices.
• Identify project risks and develop comprehensive mitigation plans to ensure smooth execution and on-time delivery.
• Enforce strict adherence to company safety policies, OSHA regulations, and environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Promote and reinforce a strong culture of safety within project teams and across the shop environment.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, subcontractors, and key stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provide regular, clear project status updates and reports to internal and external stakeholders, including schedule, cost, and risk information.
• Address and resolve project-related issues promptly to maintain high levels of client satisfaction and project momentum.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients to support ongoing business development efforts and repeat work.
• Manage the accuracy of project timeline tracking and reporting within company project management software.
• Interact regularly with shop production personnel to coordinate work, clarify requirements, and ensure fabrication aligns with project plans and specifications.
• Review and interpret fabrication drawings and plans, ensuring that project execution aligns with technical requirements and customer specifications.
• Review and evaluate customer specifications and requirements and ensure that project deliverables meet or exceed those expectations.
• Apply earned value management principles to track project performance and forecast outcomes.
• Provide leadership, direction, and support to project teams, fostering collaboration, accountability, and high performance.

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Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 10+ years of proven experience in project management, quality, and/or design-build project management within steel scope industries.
• Significant experience working in a steel fabrication environment, preferably in job-shop or general contract settings.
• Strong fabrication exposure with a builder mentality and a practical understanding of how to construct complex projects.
• Strong technical skills and aptitude, with a mechanical engineering highly preferred (other relevant experience may compensate).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage tasks in an organized, disciplined manner.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining high quality standards and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to read, interpret, and work from fabrication drawings, plans, and technical specifications.
• Detail-oriented approach, with the ability to review and evaluate customer specifications and ensure project compliance.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify root causes and implement effective solutions.
• Strong negotiation skills for managing contracts, change orders, and vendor relationships.
• Effective leadership skills with the ability to guide cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with shop craftsmen, clients, and regulators and inspectors.
• Understanding and practical application of Earned Value Management for tracking project performance.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Experience using Microsoft Project and/or Smartsheet for project scheduling and tracking (Smartsheet preferred).
• Experience working in a steel fabrication environment is required.

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Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience managing design/build projects where production proceeds in parallel with ongoing design activities.
• Highly technical with the ability to intake complex projects and support design and engineering efforts, including NQA-1 or other complex fabrication environments.
• Experience in steel scope industries such as nuclear or aerospace is preferred.
• NQA-1 experience is highly preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred.
• Experience with pressure vessels, including ASME Section VIII, is preferred.
• Experience working with government contracts is preferred.
• Strong analytical and planning skills with a track record of keeping teams and projects on track.
• High level of self-motivation and initiative, with the ability to operate as a highly motivated self-starter.
• Advanced organizational and multi-tasking skills to manage complex, concurrent project activities.
• Comfort working in a quickly growing division and contributing to the growth of a recognized industry leader.

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Work Environment

This position is onsite in Newberg, Oregon, working primarily in an office environment with frequent collaboration and interaction with the adjacent steel fabrication shop. The Project Manager works closely with engineering, purchasing, and fabrication teams and regularly visits the shop floor to coordinate work, review progress, and address technical or scheduling issues. The environment is fast-paced and growth-oriented, with a focus on complex steel fabrication projects and continuous improvement of project management practices. Standard business hours apply, with additional time as needed to meet project deadlines and support active jobs. The role uses modern project management and productivity tools, including MS Office, Microsoft Project, and Smartsheet, and operates within a culture that emphasizes safety, quality, and teamwork

This is a Permanent position based out of Newberg, OR.

The pay range for this position is $120000.00 - $130000.00/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.

- Full internal benefits: medical, dental, 401k offerings- Project based incentive options

This is a fully onsite position in Newberg,OR.

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 5, 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.