Group Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Group Manager

Reports To: Vice President 

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Summary: 

The Group Manager is accountable for the overall operational performance, successful delivery, and profitability of their assigned business segment. This role provides both strategic and hands-on leadership, overseeing all project and client activities within the group. The Group Manager leads and develops project teams, serving as both a Project Manager and Client Manager for select key projects and relationships.

This position is responsible for all aspects of team leadership within the business segment, including recruitment, training, mentorship, and performance evaluation. The Group Manager also provides oversight and guidance to Project Managers, ensuring that projects are executed safely, on schedule, within budget, and to quality standards. This includes monitoring progress, reviewing financial and operational metrics, and proactively addressing risks or performance gaps. 

In addition, the Group Manager prepares regular operational and financial reports for senior management, providing insight into project performance, resource utilization, and business unit progress. This individual may also serve as the Senior Project Manager for high-profile or strategically important projects, taking full ownership of planning, execution, and client satisfaction.

 

Key Accountabilities & Measurables:

Achieving the key measurables outlined below will qualify the individual to participate in the discretionary annual bonus pool.

• Project Volume Management : Successfully manage a minimum annual project portfolio valued between $15 million and $25 million, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget.
• Billing Performance : Demonstrate consistent, positive monthly billings across all managed projects for at least 10 out of 12 months annually, ensuring all design-build projects maintain positive billing status as reflected in monthly Work-in-Process (WIP) reports.
• Margin Performance : Meet or exceed the annual aggregate targeted gross margin on both original contract values and all associated change orders, as measured by the company’s monthly WIP reports.
• Reporting Accuracy and Timeliness : Provide accurate, timely, and consistent project reporting throughout the year, supporting operational visibility and leadership decision-making.
• Client Relationship Management : Maintain proactive, ongoing communication with clients to pre-sell monthly billing amounts, resulting in prompt and undisputed invoice payments and strengthened client relationships.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities  

The Group Manager is a professional, results-driven, and personable leader committed to the success of all projects and the overall performance of the organization. This commitment is demonstrated through effective leadership, accountability, and collaboration in the following areas:

• Leadership and Oversight: Lead the assigned business segment by providing strategic direction, guidance, and daily support to project managers and field teams. Ensure alignment with company goals related to profitability, performance, and client satisfaction while fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Direct Project Management: Act as Project Manager on designated projects when required, overseeing all aspects of project delivery including planning, scheduling, budgeting, and execution. Maintain full accountability for project performance, client communication, and financial outcomes.
• Safety Stewardship: Promote and model a safety-first culture across all projects. Actively participate in required safety activities and ensure safety is fully integrated into project planning, field operations, and leadership practices.
• Project Planning and Execution: Oversee the preparation of detailed project schedules, budgets, and execution strategies. Collaborate with project teams to ensure successful completion of all assigned work in accordance with scope, specifications, and contractual requirements.
• Contract and Document Control: Review and process all contract drawings and specifications to verify alignment with project estimates. Ensure all work is executed in compliance with design documents and industry standards.
• Change Management: Evaluate and process client-directed changes, prepare detailed pricing documentation, and present adjustments with confidence and accuracy. Maintain transparency and ensure that pricing aligns with the requested scope revisions.
• Client and Stakeholder Relations: Represent Norlee in meetings with owners, general contractors, and clients, maintaining professionalism and diplomacy in all interactions. Build and sustain strong client relationships to promote repeat business and long-term partnerships.
• Financial and Billing Performance: Ensure that all client billing aligns with contractual terms, approved changes, and credits. Maintain ongoing communication with clients to pre-sell monthly billings and secure timely, undisputed payments.
• Performance Monitoring: Regularly monitor project material, labor, and subcontractor costs, ensuring accurate reporting and forecasting. Analyze and interpret cost reports to evaluate progress against schedules and budgets, taking corrective action when necessary.
• Reporting and Communication: Provide timely and accurate reporting to senior leadership, including Work-in-Process (WIP) updates, cost forecasts, schedule performance, and overall project status.
• Talent Development: Identify, mentor, and develop high-performing team members. Recognize promotable individuals and ensure staffing aligns with future growth and project demands.
• Team Coordination: Conduct and participate in project meetings (bi-weekly or monthly, as required) to review progress, address challenges, and maintain alignment across teams and stakeholders.
• Subcontractor Oversight: Coordinate and manage subcontractors, resolving issues related to delivery, labor performance, scheduling, or payments in a fair and timely manner. 
• Cash Flow Management: Ensure projects maintain a positive cash flow position and prepare accurate Project Manager Reports for submission to the Division Vice President and Accounting.

Competencies: 

Ensure Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments

Manages Complexity – Making sense of complex, high quantity and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems

Customer Service – Building strong customers relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions. Responding promptly to customer needs; requests for service and assistance; meeting commitments and soliciting feedback to improve delivery.

Developing Talent – Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals; placing a high priority on developing teams through coaching, feedback, exposure and stretch assignments.

Confidentiality – has the ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality at all times.

Qualifications: 

To successfully perform and execute the requirements of this role, the individual must possess the following qualifications:

Education and/or Experience

A bachelor’s degree in Engineering or an equivalent combination of technical education and professional experience is required. The candidate must have a minimum of 10 years of experience in construction, design, finance, and project management. The individual must be capable of applying innovative management techniques to maximize employee and project performance. A thorough understanding of corporate and industry practices, standards, and processes and their impact on project execution is essential. Strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills, including tact, diplomacy, and influence, are critical for success. The role also requires proficiency in mathematics, organizational management, and administrative functions, along with the ability to assume responsibility, collaborate effectively with others, and perform with enthusiasm and initiative in a dynamic environment.

 

Health & Safety Responsibilities

An individual in this role is responsible for ensuring that work is performed within the established policies, procedures and guidelines of the organization and applicable legislation. The individual ensures that all safety documentation is displayed as required and available at site locations and fulfills the Health & Safety requirements for Managers and Supervisors as detailed in the organizations’ Health & Safety program.

 

Language Skills

An individual in this role must be able to create written reports and instructions/procedures, and to deliver coaching, training and other interactions verbally to clients and staff. Frequent face-to-face interaction with clients, general contractor representatives and other staff is required.

Mathematical Skills

Proven skills to deal with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to compute percentages, costs, gross margins and gross profit dealing with WIP, material estimates and deadlines.

Certificates, Licenses and Registration

PMP Designation is preferred.

Technical / Software Skills

Proficiency with Microsoft 365 including but not limited to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook is required.

 

Physical Demands

The individual is frequently required to walk, stand, reach, and crouch. Frequent travel to sites to review, supervise and manage projects is required, where ladder climbing or ascending and descending scaffolding may be necessary to reach site locations and inspect work.

 

Work Environment

The environments are typically construction sites as varying degrees of completion where exposure varies with the degrees of hazards potentially present. Protective headwear, footwear, ear protection and eye protection are usually necessary depending on circumstances. The walking surfaces can vary from uneven dirt with excavated areas to loose gravel to hard concrete floors.