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

1. 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.

2. Ensure projects meet or exceed project margin goals through efficient management of the projects.

3. Maintain a relentless focus on meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations. 

4. 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.

5. Review and analyze the bids and ensure budget and schedule compliance on all work.

Pre-Job Planning

1. Provide resources to the estimating department to ensure competitive participation on all trades.

2. Ensure that all general contract requirements are identified and provide senior management with a list of potential exposures.

3. Participate in or oversee the pre-qualification and bid evaluation process for consultants, contractors, and other outside vendors and selects vendors.

4. Create detailed analysis of potential exposures, and account for them in the contingency forecast.

Project Management

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Organize and administer a well-planned purchasing process to prevent the "Just-in-time" purchase of materials.

4. Understand the priority of timely buyout and gather the resources to meet the purchasing schedule.

Schedule Management

1. Provide leadership with the Project Team to produce a clear, thorough and accurate baseline Contract Schedule which rarely requires changes to the original logic.

2. Track events, impacts and changes in the schedule to allow for the management and prevention of delays.

3. Lead the Project Team to focus on critical path matters to prevent non-excusable delays.

4. Provide written monthly updates to senior management of the Contract Schedule in accordance with the requirements of the Contract.

5. Take decisive action with subcontractors that are impacting the schedule.

6. Produce buy-out and procurement schedule

Risk Management

1. Complete the buy-out process in a manner which permits the timely flow of work, prevents budget issues, contract executions, bonds, insurance, etc.

2. Write timely notices to Owners and Subcontractors.

3. Secure Change Order authorizations before proceeding with Changes.

4. Take immediate action when a non-performing Subcontractor is likely to cause impact to the Project.

5. Ensure that submittal/shop drawings are reviewed and approved within the timeframe required by contract document.

6. Ensure the safe execution of the jobs to achieve zero accidents.

7. Maintain a risk management regimen and train Project Team members on minimizing risks.

Change Order Management

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Work to recover all legitimate GC costs relating to Owner Changes.

4. Track the status of all Contract Allowances and submit Change Order Requests (COR) when an overrun is likely.

5. 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.

Financial Management

1. Assist in the development of a project strategy that maximizes profitability.

2. Meet or exceed profitability as established by the project strategy.

3. Consistently manage the cash flow of the Project to maintain a fiscally responsible position for Thornton.

4. Produce an effective Schedule of Values which supports a strong cash flow position.

5. Review each Subcontractor’s initial Schedule of Values to prevent overpayment.

6. Review Sub/Vendor requisitions to prevent payment of unsigned or unfunded Change Orders.

7. Generate an accurate percent complete projection to support the Thornton financial management process.

8. Require the Project Team to have the completed pay requisitions approved by the Owner no later than the last day of each month.

9. Establish a regimented process for the prompt collection of payments and subsequent efficient system for the payment to Subcontractors.

10. Review subcontractor invoices before payment is due to allow for timely handling of deficiency issues.

11. Ensure that the Project Team produce thorough Cost to Complete forecasts and that they are submitted on time per Forecasting Calendar schedule.

12. Require the Project Team to track costs of field directives and backcharges for forecasting purposes.

Project Closeout

1. Establish an effective closeout plan early in the project that includes the early collection, review and packaging of contract closeout documents.

2. Ensure that Project Team members comply with closeout requirements on a timely basis.

Meeting Management

1. Establish a meeting regimen for the Project Team which provides for effective communication and problem solving.

2. Follow the Project Management manual for focused meetings such as PM/PX, OAC's, subcontractor meetings, coordination meetings, preconstruction sessions, project logs, etc.

3. Conduct meetings to review the maintenance of contract logs and drill down to identify potential exposures and issues.

4. Effectively manage all meetings by providing agendas and sticking to scheduled time limits.

Subcontractor Relationships

1. Establish a "Firm but Fair" approach to building relationships with Subcontractors.

2. Promote an environment of organization and professionalism with Subcontractors.

3. Address issues immediately with a non-performing Subcontractor to protect Thornton from resulting delay and potential impact.

Owner Relationship

1. Work to establish a trusting and professional relationship with the Owner.

2. Focus on keeping the Owner well informed of important matters to prevent surprises.

3. Work to secure a strong letter of recommendation from the Owner for Thornton.

Quality Management

1. Ensure that the overall quality expectations are outlined and achieved.

2. Track and manage deficiencies in the work and ensure resolution of issues.

3. Require the use of mock-ups to establish the quality expectations.

Leadership

1. Strive to create synergy and a teamwork atmosphere on the project.

2. Lead by example by establishing the work ethic guidelines for the entire team and therefore establishes the boundaries and expectations.

3. Organize periodic team events and training sessions to advance the Thornton strategy of "Train & Develop Our People".

4. Take action immediately when personnel conflicts emerge among the team.

5. Assist in planning and implementing career and educational development of team personnel.

6. Require the adherence of standard operation procedures and actively teach each process.

Qualifications:

1. 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.

2. Thorough knowledge of construction cost, scheduling, estimating, purchasing and engineering principles and techniques, as well as accounting principles.

3. Proficiency with computer applications, including scheduling and construction software and Microsoft Office suite.

4. Proven written and verbal communication abilities.

Necessary Attributes:

1. Candidate must possess Thornton’s Core Values: Results Driven, Proactive, Safety Conscious, People Focused, Customer Oriented, and Team Oriented.

2. Excellent business judgment demonstrated by consistently achieving profitability objectives and strong project close-outs with client and subcontractor relationships in good standing.

3. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail evidenced by a strong command of all applicable contract and legal provisions.

4. High level of integrity, confidentiality and accountability.

5. Sound analytical, planning, prioritization, and execution skills.

6. Ability to consistently analyze and execute financial trade-offs which frequently involve dealing with incomplete data and ambiguity.

7. Ability to constantly multi-task and handle competing priorities between Thornton business needs, organizational issues, and sound customer relations.

8. Possess judgment to know when to appropriately escalate issues up the chain of command.

9. A strong sense of urgency and initiative. Able to quickly study and react to complex issues.

10. Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to confidently and decisively take action.