Senior Project Manager
1 day ago
Chicago
Job Description Annual salary range noted above based on experience and qualifications. Employees in this role are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, up to 15% of their base salary, dependent on both individual performance and company financial results. Hey! We’re Skender, nice to meet you. At our core, we are builders — of communities, relationships, dreams, and careers. If you asked us to describe Skender, we’d say we’re ambitious, humble, and compassionate. We’re focused on building lasting partnerships with the right people. Our success starts and ends with our people. That’s why we seek out dynamic, high-energy teammates who are eager to learn, ready to take ownership of their careers, and excited to have fun along the way. Who is Skender? About 70 years ago, Skender got its start in the basement of our founder’s family home. Now, Skender has two locations, our Chicago headquarters and our Indianapolis office, with nearly 400 employees helping us raise the bar year after year. From humble beginnings to now, Skender has become one of the nation’s top 100 construction firms building dream spaces for many of the world’s leading brands. In more recent history, we’ve won 30 best-place-to-work awards from three different organizations, each based on comprehensive workplace evaluations and employee input. Our team is driven by three core values: • Proactive: You take initiative, stay curious, and aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves to get the job done., • Refreshing: You celebrate team wins, show appreciation freely, and always give credit where it's earned. Who are you? We’re looking for a Senior Project Manager who is ready to take their career to the next level. Do you know about project management best practices, establishing budgets, and innovating through construction technology? Great. Are you someone with a go-getter attitude who can assume responsibility and communicate effectively with your team, partners, and clients? Even better. What will you do as a Senior Project Manager? Our Senior Project Managers are strategic leaders within our Operations team, responsible for driving complex projects and client relationships from preconstruction through closeout. Operating with a high level of autonomy, you’ll ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, on budget, and with exceptional quality while also shaping project strategy and outcomes. You will also serve as primary client partners, collaborating closely with owners, architects, trade partners, and internal leadership, and provide guidance and mentorship to Project Managers and project teams throughout the project lifecycle. In this role, you will: • Lead all aspects of project delivery from contract review through closeout, ensuring budgets, schedules, and documentation meet Skender standards, • Oversee project teams by assigning workload, providing guidance on complex issues, and maintaining consistent communication on project health, • Partner closely with field leadership to plan phasing, logistics, and safety while upholding Skender’s production fundamentals, • Drive the development, maintenance, and execution of master schedules and project financials, including budgets, bids, change orders, and contract adjustments, • Proactively identify design or scope changes, ensure proper documentation, and protect contractual and financial outcomes, • Champion quality and safety by ensuring company programs, procedures, and expectations are followed by all project stakeholders, • Build strong client, architect, and trade partner relationships to support repeat business, uncover future opportunities, and elevate the Skender experience, • Represent Skender in sales pursuits and client presentations with confidence, clarity, and strong business insight, • Mentor, coach, and grow project managers and emerging leaders; conduct performance reviews, support career development, and ensure alignment with company policies and expectations, • Maintain open communication with executive leadership regarding key risks, challenges, and opportunities across all assigned projects, • Model Skender’s values by promoting teamwork, accountability, and pride in our work while upholding policies, compliance requirements, and industry ethical standards, • Track and communicate key project milestones, keeping all stakeholders informed, engaged, and confident in project progress What education and experience are required? • 4 year degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or another construction-related field, • 8 or more years of project management experience in the built construction world What skills will we require? • Deep understanding of construction industry practices, standards, and their impact on project success, • Strong command of Last Planner System principles and Lean-based production management, • Clear, concise communication tailored to diverse audiences, • Ability to motivate, develop, and lead high-performing teams through effective project and people management, • Strong documentation tendencies – organized, prompt, and meticulously detailed, • Understanding of contract language as it relates to construction activities and planning, • Advanced knowledge of project management and scheduling software for estimating and project management, • Proficient in building construction components and systems for conceptual budgets, • Fluency in the bidding process based on contract documents, • Strong understanding of quantity take-offs, qualification of subcontractor bids, scheduling, general conditions, and any project constraints or coordination issues, • Uses production management principles based on Lean philosophies, and coaches team members on best practices of Lean philosophy, • Possesses a fundamental understanding of planning phase schedules, lookahead schedules, and the key concepts of the last planner system, • Understands planned percent complete (PPC) to track daily tasks What's included in our Employee-First Benefits package? • Skender pays 100% of the premium for health insurance (medical, dental, & vision), • Annual deposit into health savings account, • Retirement plan with 100% match up to 5% of gross earnings, • Tuition reimbursement for continued learning opportunities, • Employee referral program, • Wellness incentives, • Paid time off, • Parental leave for mothers and fathers, • Free employee assistance program services, • Free short- & long-term disability insurance, • Community involvement EEO At Skender, our values guide our behavior and shape our actions. Our promise is an authentic commitment to equality, opportunity, and a respectful work environment for all. We embrace individuality and listen to diverse voices. We believe that hiring those with different experiences and backgrounds, ultimately enhances our expertise as an organization. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This statement applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.