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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Construction Project Manager

💰 $ - $

ConstructionProject ManagementEngineering

🎯 Role Definition

The Construction Project Manager leads and delivers construction projects from pre-construction through closeout, responsible for schedule, budget, quality, safety, contract administration and stakeholder communications. This role coordinates design, procurement, subcontractors and on-site teams to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to required specifications while mitigating risk and driving continuous improvement. Ideal candidates combine technical construction knowledge (civil, structural, MEP, or commercial fit-out), strong commercial acumen, and proven leadership in multi-discipline field environments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Assistant Project Manager / Project Engineer
  • Site Superintendent / Field Engineer
  • Estimator or Construction Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Project Manager / Program Manager
  • Construction Director / Head of Projects
  • Operations Director / VP of Construction

Lateral Moves:

  • Preconstruction Manager / Estimating Lead
  • Project Controls Manager / Commercial Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead full project lifecycle delivery for medium-to-large construction projects, including developing and maintaining the master project schedule, driving critical path activities, and ensuring milestones are met in accordance with contract requirements and client expectations.
  • Create, manage and own project budgets and cash flow forecasts; prepare monthly cost-to-complete analyses, variance reporting and change order documentation to protect margins and support executive decision-making.
  • Administer contracts and subcontracts (AIA, NEC, FIDIC or company-standard forms), enforce scope, manage amendments, issue purchase orders, and resolve commercial disputes through documented claims and negotiations.
  • Coordinate procurement strategy and execution: define long-lead items, issue RFIs/RFPs, evaluate bids, manage vendor selection, and oversee vendor performance to secure materials and equipment on schedule and within budget.
  • Supervise on-site construction activities, enforce quality control standards, perform regular site inspections, and ensure workmanship complies with drawings, specifications and applicable codes.
  • Direct and mentor site superintendents, foremen and subcontractor teams; assign responsibilities, establish performance metrics, and conduct regular performance reviews to drive team accountability and productivity.
  • Implement and enforce project-specific safety plans and HSE protocols, lead safety meetings, manage incident investigations and ensure compliance with OSHA, local regulations, and company safety standards.
  • Manage stakeholder communications and expectations: prepare and present status reports, progress updates, risk registers and executive summaries to owners, architects, engineers and internal leadership.
  • Oversee design coordination and constructability reviews with architects and engineers; manage RFI process and ensure timely resolution of design clarifications to minimize schedule impact.
  • Prepare and execute project commissioning, testing, turnover and startup activities; ensure closeout documentation, warranties, as-builts, O&M manuals and punchlist completion for final acceptance.
  • Lead value engineering and cost-saving initiatives that preserve design intent while optimizing cost and schedule; capture and report realized savings and process improvements.
  • Manage permitting, inspection scheduling and regulatory approvals; coordinate with authorities having jurisdiction to secure timely inspections and occupancy certificates.
  • Drive risk management: identify, quantify and mitigate commercial, technical and schedule risks; maintain a live risk register and implement contingency plans.
  • Lead monthly and weekly project review meetings, subcontractor coordination meetings and client progress meetings; document minutes and track action items to closure.
  • Control project documentation and records management: ensure accurate submittals, shop drawing reviews, document control, and version management across project stakeholders.
  • Conduct cash flow and billing cycles: issue progress applications, support owner audit requests, reconcile subcontractor invoices, and manage retainage release according to contract terms.
  • Resolve on-site conflicts and contractor performance issues promptly; administer cure notices and manage subcontractor default processes when necessary to protect schedule and quality.
  • Drive sustainability and environmental compliance programs on projects pursuing LEED, WELL or local green building standards; maintain required documentation and reporting.
  • Perform detailed change order analysis: evaluate scope impacts, prepare cost proposals, negotiate fair compensation and secure client approvals before execution.
  • Use project management and construction technology (Procore, Aconex, CMiC, PlanGrid, Autodesk BIM 360, Primavera P6, MS Project) to create dashboards, track KPIs and enable data-driven project controls.
  • Monitor and manage labor productivity and resource allocation; plan forecasts for skilled trades and subcontractor manpower to meet critical milestones and reduce idle time.
  • Lead claims avoidance activities and prepare defensible documentation for potential claims, including daily logs, delay analyses, correspondence and photographic evidence.
  • Ensure site logistics, security, site set-up and temporary works are planned and executed to maximize efficiency and minimize community impact.

Secondary Functions

  • Support pre-construction activities by reviewing tender documents, contributing to bid strategy, and providing constructability feedback during design development.
  • Contribute to the organization's project delivery playbook, continuous improvement initiatives and standard operating procedures for construction management.
  • Collaborate with estimating, design, procurement and commercial teams to align scope, schedule and budget assumptions prior to contract award.
  • Participate in weekly sprints and agile-style problem-solving sessions with cross-functional teams to remove project barriers and accelerate delivery.
  • Support business development by providing subject matter expertise, preparing technical proposals and participating in client presentations.
  • Maintain and update lessons-learned logs and project post-mortems to improve future project outcomes and reduce recurring issues.
  • Coordinate with finance and accounting to reconcile project financials, support audits and provide documentation for capital expenditure approvals.
  • Assist in developing subcontractor prequalification criteria, participate in bid evaluations and maintain a preferred vendor list.
  • Champion digital construction adoption, including BIM coordination, laser scanning, digital twin creation and analytics to improve quality and reduce rework.
  • Support sustainability reporting and community relations activities, including stakeholder engagement and addressing local concerns during construction.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Construction project scheduling and critical path management (Primavera P6, MS Project) with demonstrated ability to manage multi-million-dollar timelines.
  • Commercial contract administration experience with AIA, NEC, FIDIC or similar contract forms; strong knowledge of change order processing and claims mitigation.
  • Budgeting, cost control and forecasting expertise including earned value management (EVM), cost-to-complete analysis and cash flow management.
  • Construction procurement and vendor management experience — RFx processes, bid evaluation, PO issuance and subcontract negotiation.
  • On-site quality assurance/quality control processes, punchlist management and commissioning experience.
  • Field knowledge of building systems (structural, concrete, steel, MEP, envelope) and ability to interpret construction drawings and specifications.
  • Proficiency with construction management platforms (Procore, Aconex, PlanGrid, CMiC) and collaborative document control.
  • BIM coordination skills, Revit/AutoCAD familiarity and experience integrating design models into construction workflows.
  • Health, Safety & Environmental compliance knowledge (OSHA, local codes) and ability to implement site-specific safety plans.
  • Cost estimating and quantity takeoff experience or close collaboration with estimating teams for scope reconciliation.
  • Risk management and delay analysis skills, including experience preparing time impact analyses and entitlement evaluations.
  • Strong Excel modeling skills, familiarity with project dashboards and KPI reporting; ability to synthesize data for executive stakeholders.
  • Knowledge of permitting processes, municipal approvals and specialty inspections for commercial/residential/infrastructure projects.
  • Experience with sustainability standards (LEED, WELL, BREEAM) and environmental compliance on construction sites.

Soft Skills

  • Clear and persuasive verbal and written communication for client presentations, negotiation and stakeholder updates.
  • Strong leadership and team development skills with proven ability to motivate multidisciplinary teams in high-pressure environments.
  • Effective decision-making and problem-solving under ambiguity and time constraints.
  • Negotiation and conflict-resolution skills to manage subcontractors, suppliers and client disputes.
  • Highly organized with excellent time-management, prioritization and multi-project handling capabilities.
  • Client-focused mindset with ability to manage expectations and build long-term relationships.
  • Attention to detail and a quality-first mindset while balancing commercial objectives.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-changing construction environments and site conditions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or a related technical discipline — or equivalent industry experience (typically 7+ years).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Construction Management, Civil/Structural Engineering, Architecture, or MBA with construction emphasis.
  • Professional certifications such as PMP, CCM, LEED AP, OSHA 30, or Certified Construction Manager (CCM) are preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Construction Management
  • Civil Engineering
  • Structural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Construction Technology & Project Controls

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–15 years of progressive construction project management experience.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years managing commercial, hospitality, healthcare, institutional or infrastructure projects valued at $5M–$200M.
  • Demonstrated track record of delivering projects on schedule and on budget with measurable improvements in productivity and margin.
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams, working with design-build and design-bid-build delivery methods, and managing multiple subcontractor packages.
  • Proven experience using modern construction technology stacks (BIM, Procore, Primavera) and implementing digital workflows for field-to-office coordination.
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