Construction Project Manager – Manufacturing

Job Title: Construction Project Manager – Manufacturing
Location: Schaumburg, Illinois
Type: Contract/Consulting
Compensation: $75.00 - $100.00 per hour
Work Model: Hybrid – onsite and remote

Overview

The Construction Project Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering capital construction projects within active manufacturing environments. This role leads projects from early development and design coordination through construction, commissioning, startup, and final turnover.
The successful candidate will understand the unique challenges of executing construction inside operating facilities, including production continuity, employee and contractor safety, GMP requirements, sanitation controls, shutdown coordination, contractor management, and stakeholder communication. This individual must be equally comfortable working in the field, managing contractors, reviewing schedules and costs, and communicating project status to plant and business leadership.
The Construction Project Manager serves as the primary point of accountability for safe execution, project scope, schedule, budget, quality, and operational readiness.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing capital projects from initial scope development through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup, and closeout. Develop detailed project execution plans covering scope, responsibilities, milestones, sequencing, operational constraints, risks, and resource requirements.
• Coordinate engineering, procurement, construction, operations, maintenance, quality, safety, sanitation, and other project stakeholders. Translate business needs into construction scopes of work, reviewing drawings, specifications, estimates, proposals, and work plans for completeness and constructability.
• Manage multiple projects or workstreams while maintaining clear priorities and accountability. Provide proactive field presence to address issues on site.
• Plan and execute construction within active manufacturing environments, minimizing disruptions to production. Coordinate contractor access, shutdowns, utility outages, tie-ins, temporary services, and interfaces with production schedules. Develop detailed shutdown and tie-in plans with operations and safety teams.
• Ensure construction activities comply with GMP, quality, sanitation, and regulatory standards, maintaining controls for dust, debris, foreign materials, temporary enclosures, and personnel movement. Coordinate inspections, documentation, testing, and validation to meet compliance requirements.
• Demonstrate safety leadership by establishing safety expectations during all phases, reviewing contractor safety programs, and leading safety audits and incident reviews. Stop work when unsafe conditions are observed and promote a safety culture.
• Develop, maintain, and manage detailed project schedules, integrating contractor schedules and tracking progress against milestones. Identify schedule risks, lead review meetings, and provide accurate forecasts.
• Develop and manage project budgets, forecasts, change orders, and financial documentation. Manage purchase orders, invoices, and commercial agreements. Track costs and identify potential overruns for mitigation.
• Support contractor and vendor selection, contract management, and site logistics. Monitor staffing, productivity, safety, and compliance. Resolve conflicts professionally and maintain effective relationships.
• Manage project risks, issues, actions, and change requests with mitigation plans and escalation procedures. Document decisions to ensure accountability.
• Serve as the main liaison among contractors, engineering, and facility leadership. Lead project meetings, reporting, and stakeholder alignment.
• Coordinate commissioning, startup, and project closeout activities, ensuring systems are operable, documented, and handed over successfully. Lead lessons learned and closeout documentation to meet operational objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, architecture, or related technical discipline; relevant experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of construction or capital project management experience within manufacturing, industrial, or similarly regulated environments.
• Experience working in GMP, manufacturing quality systems, sanitation, and active facilities.
• Strong knowledge of construction safety standards and high-risk work controls.
• Skilled in developing and managing project schedules, budgets, forecasts, change orders, and contracts.
• Ability to interpret construction drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Proven ability to coordinate multiple contractors, vendors, engineers, and stakeholders.
• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, project management, scheduling, and cost-control tools.
• Willingness to spend significant time in active construction and manufacturing areas. Able to travel or work extended hours during critical project phases.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in regulated manufacturing environments such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, or biotech.
• Knowledge of OSHA, NFPA standards, lockout/tagout, electrical safety, confined-space work, and contractor safety management.
• Familiarity with mechanical, piping, utilities, HVAC, electrical, automation, and infrastructure projects.
• PMP, Certified Construction Manager, OSHA 30, or similar certifications.
• Experience with scheduling tools like Microsoft Project or Primavera P6.
• Familiarity with construction management platforms such as Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud.

Key Competencies
Safety leadership, ownership, manufacturing awareness, GMP and quality discipline, construction planning, schedule development, budget management, contractor management, risk mitigation, clear communication, problem-solving, stakeholder alignment, attention to detail, and composure under pressure.

Performance in this role will be evaluated based on:
Safe execution and hazard management, GMP and quality compliance, delivery against scope and milestones, budget and schedule accuracy, effective change and contractor management, minimal manufacturing disruption, quality of commissioning and turnover, stakeholder communication, and the long-term safety, reliability, and operability of completed projects.

System One, and its subsidiaries including Joulé and Mountain Ltd., are leaders in delivering outsourced services and workforce solutions across North America. We help clients get work done more efficiently and economically, without compromising quality. System One not only serves as a valued partner for our clients, but we offer eligible employees health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, voluntary plans, as well as participation in a 401(k) plan.

System One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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