Senior Project Manager
The Senior Project Manager (SPM) manages a group of project teams and delivers exceptional results for our clients. The SPM shall ensure that both Thornton’s expectations and budgetary guidelines are met or exceeded.
Overall Focus- Supervise Project Managers’ activities related to contract administration, change orders, submittals, scheduling, procurement, project financials set-up and updates, and closeout to ensure projects are completed in a quality, profitable, safe, and timely manner.
- Ensure projects meet or exceed project margin goals through efficient management of the projects.
- Maintain a relentless focus on meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations .
- Build business relationships with current customers by delivering on our promises and creates new business with potential customers in a proactive manner, promoting all of our construction services.
- Review and analyze the bids and ensure budget and schedule compliance on all work.
- Provide resources to the estimating department to ensure competitive participation on all trades.
- Ensure that all general contract requirements are identified and provide senior management with a list of potential exposures.
- Participate in or oversee the pre-qualification and bid evaluation process for consultants, contractors, and other outside vendors and selects vendors.
- Create detailed analysis of potential exposures, and account for them in the contingency forecast.
- Require the Project Team to assemble and maintain the Project Logs (Change Management, Buy-Schedule, Contracts, Procurement, Submittals, RFI's, Safety, Construction Schedule) and periodically review for accuracy.
- Work with the Project Team, including Superintendents and Estimators, to consistently produce clear, thorough and accurate Scopes of Work based on drilled down review of documents.
- Organize and administer a well-planned purchasing process to prevent the "Just-in-time" purchase of materials.
- Understand the priority of timely buyout and gather the resources to meet the purchasing schedule.
- Provide leadership with the Project Team to produce a clear, thorough and accurate baseline Contract Schedule which rarely requires changes to the original logic.
- Track events, impacts and changes in the schedule to allow for the management and prevention of delays.
- Lead the Project Team to focus on critical path matters to prevent non-excusable delays.
- Provide written monthly updates to senior management of the Contract Schedule in accordance with the requirements of the Contract.
- Take decisive action with subcontractors that are impacting the schedule.
- Produce buy-out and procurement schedule
- Complete the buy-out process in a manner which permits the timely flow of work, prevents budget issues, contract executions, bonds, insurance, etc.
- Write timely notices to Owners and Subcontractors.
- Secure Change Order authorizations before proceeding with Changes.
- Take immediate action when a non-performing Subcontractor is likely to cause impact to the Project.
- Ensure that submittal/shop drawings are reviewed and approved within the timeframe required by contract document.
- Ensure the safe execution of the jobs to achieve zero accidents.
- Maintain a risk management regimen and train Project Team members on minimizing risks.
- Require the Project Team to fully utilize project management software to track all Proposed Change Order (PCO) including in-scope and out-of-scope items.
- Require the Project Team to produce a monthly Owner Change Orders (OCO) to prevent aging of PCO issues and allow timely closure of Changes with Subcontractors.
- Work to recover all legitimate GC costs relating to Owner Changes.
- Track the status of all Contract Allowances and submit Change Order Requests (COR) when an overrun is likely.
- Require the Project Team to track all field directives and backcharges in Expedition for timely processing on a monthly basis, i.e. composite clean-up, hoisting time, etc.
- Assist in the development of a project strategy that maximizes profitability.
- Meet or exceed profitability as established by the project strategy.
- Consistently manage the cash flow of the Project to maintain a fiscally responsible position for Thornton.
- Produce an effective Schedule of Values which supports a strong cash flow position.
- Review each Subcontractor’s initial Schedule of Values to prevent overpayment.
- Review Sub/Vendor requisitions to prevent payment of unsigned or unfunded Change Orders.
- Generate an accurate percent complete projection to support the Thornton financial management process.
- Require the Project Team to have the completed pay requisitions approved by the Owner no later than the last day of each month.
- Establish a regimented process for the prompt collection of payments and subsequent efficient system for the payment to Subcontractors.
- Review subcontractor invoices before payment is due to allow for timely handling of deficiency issues.
- Ensure that the Project Team produce thorough Cost to Complete forecasts and that they are submitted on time per Forecasting Calendar schedule.
- Require the Project Team to track costs of field directives and backcharges for forecasting purposes.
- Establish an effective closeout plan early in the project that includes the early collection, review and packaging of contract closeout documents.
- Ensure that Project Team members comply with closeout requirements on a timely basis.
- Establish a meeting regimen for the Project Team which provides for effective communication and problem solving.
- Follow the Project Management manual for focused meetings such as PM/PX, OAC's, subcontractor meetings, coordination meetings, preconstruction sessions, project logs, etc.
- Conduct meetings to review the maintenance of contract logs and drill down to identify potential exposures and issues.
- Effectively manage all meetings by providing agendas and sticking to scheduled time limits.
- Establish a "Firm but Fair" approach to building relationships with Subcontractors.
- Promote an environment of organization and professionalism with Subcontractors.
- Address issues immediately with a non-performing Subcontractor to protect Thornton from resulting delay and potential impact.
- Work to establish a trusting and professional relationship with the Owner.
- Focus on keeping the Owner well informed of important matters to prevent surprises.
- Work to secure a strong letter of recommendation from the Owner for Thornton.
- Ensure that the overall quality expectations are outlined and achieved.
- Track and manage deficiencies in the work and ensure resolution of issues.
- Require the use of mock-ups to establish the quality expectations.
- Strive to create synergy and a teamwork atmosphere on the project.
- Lead by example by establishing the work ethic guidelines for the entire team and therefore establishes the boundaries and expectations.
- Organize periodic team events and training sessions to advance the Thornton strategy of "Train & Develop Our People".
- Take action immediately when personnel conflicts emerge among the team.
- Assist in planning and implementing career and educational development of team personnel.
- Require the adherence of standard operation procedures and actively teach each process.
- Bachelor’s degree in Construction, Engineering or applicable discipline plus a minimum of 8 years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education training and/or experience.
- Thorough knowledge of construction cost, scheduling, estimating, purchasing and engineering principles and techniques, as well as accounting principles.
- Proficiency with computer applications, including scheduling and construction software and Microsoft Office suite.
- Proven written and verbal communication abilities.
- Candidate must possess Thornton’s Core Values: Results Driven, Proactive, Safety Conscious, People Focused, Customer Oriented, and Team Oriented.
- Excellent business judgment demonstrated by consistently achieving profitability objectives and strong project close-outs with client and subcontractor relationships in good standing.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail evidenced by a strong command of all applicable contract and legal provisions.
- High level of integrity, confidentiality and accountability.
- Sound analytical, planning, prioritization, and execution skills.
- Ability to consistently analyze and execute financial trade-offs which frequently involve dealing with incomplete data and ambiguity.
- Ability to constantly multi-task and handle competing priorities between Thornton business needs, organizational issues, and sound customer relations.
- Possess judgment to know when to appropriately escalate issues up the chain of command.
- A strong sense of urgency and initiative. Able to quickly study and react to complex issues.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to confidently and decisively take action.
Job ID: 480187854
Originally Posted on: 6/6/2025