Senior Construction Manager - Princeton University

Overview:

The Office of Capital Projects is seeking an experienced Senior Construction Manager to lead and mentor a team of  Construction Managers, overseeing the successful execution of complex construction projects across our portfolio. The Construction Management department is leading the largest capital construction expansion in the University's history, overseeing $6.5 billion in projects over the next decade. These projects will increase campus facilities by nearly 40% in square footage, featuring unprecedented size and complexity while being integrated more densely into the existing campus footprint. 

 

The Senior Construction Manager, reporting to the Director of Construction, will oversee a team of up to six external Construction Managers. This role focuses on mentoring and refining the skills of the team, enhancing strategic contributions across the Office of Capital Projects. Responsibilities include providing expert guidance on construction execution—managing schedules, budgets, and quality assurance—and supporting preconstruction efforts. Key preconstruction duties involve developing conceptual schedules and budgets, assessing constructability and value engineering, and leading the bid and contract proposal review process.

 

Construction Managers oversee the safe, timely, and successful completion of projects during construction and turnover, handling logistics, regulatory relations, campus impact mitigation, and managing budgets from $15M to $850M. This role requires extensive experience within the University or similarly complex settings and strong stakeholder relationship skills. Due to the high workload and learning curve, the new Senior Construction Manager role will support both project and staff oversight, providing guidance and training for Construction Managers and assisting Directors of Construction.

Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities of the Senior Construction Manager include:

 

• Budget: Manage and analyze budgets ranging from $15M to $850M. High level validation of budget and change management using executive level reporting to balance trends across more projects. Ensure consistency with established templates and apply best practices.
• Schedule: High level evaluation of schedule progress trends, looking for overall risks across portfolios, requiring a high level of Primavera (P6) expertise. Empowered to engage and manage schedule consultant when needed and establishes scope of service.
• Quality/Program: Managing full portfolio Construction Managers (CM) to ensure quality assurance and control process health across all projects, using executive level reporting to identify trends. Providing seasoned insight into programmatic/design omission risks.
• Vendor Relationships: High level of career experience, insights and coaching to strengthen CM management style related top vendor management, particularly when challenging issues arise. Senior CM will have career experience and style to successfully elevate performance issue with vendors, principals, and directors. Provide training to vendors, principals, and directors in these engagements.
• Regulatory Agency Engagements: Senior CM will oversee the process providing an experience-based approach to regulatory requests and direction.
• Building Department Code Submissions: Senior CM will maintain regular contact with MOP Code Official to maintain relationships for all projects assigned in the portfolio. In collaboration with the Construction Code Analyst.
• Project Turnover/Occupancy: The Construction Manage is primarily responsible for tracking/collecting and organizing presentation to PU Stakeholders for project turnovers. The Senior CM will provide guidance to ensure turnover content/format/audience is consistent across the portfolio.
• Design Standards Manual (DSM) Updates: Constructions Managers will make detailed recommendations to the Senior Construction Manager with changes to the DSM. The Senior Construction Manager will evaluate recommendations across portfolio and advance recommendations to the Office of Capital Projects technical team members.

Reporting to the Director of Construction(s) for various project portfolios, the Senior Construction Manager will:

 

• Act as a managerial authority, in close collaboration with the Director(s) of Construction, in the assignment of Construction Managers to various team assignments. Exercise independent judgment in the coordination and performance management of Construction Managers to which they are assigned.
• Allocate resources to projects within a program in accordance with the organization’s priorities and commitments and coordinate with leadership on OCP workload and staff resources.       
• Create an open, inclusive environment where Construction Managers and their key construction team operatives are organized, collaborative and are acknowledged for the responsibilities they hold. In coordination with the Director(s) of Construction, provide opportunities for career development for Construction Managers and provide constructive feedback to Construction Managers for developing skills to support continued career growth.            
• Provide Project Managers (PM) guidance that is complementary to the organization’s strategic objectives and track the alignment of strategic objectives to project objectives.
• Identify initiatives that improve processes practices that significantly improve the coordination and flow of information amongst team members. Demonstrate proactive ownership of these initiatives by leading training, performance metrics and written formalization of new protocols.
• Assume a position of leadership in training and one in pursuit of constant improvement.
• Play a leadership role representing a portfolio of projects in the close and frequent communication with Campus Impacts Coordinator staff to maximize the preparedness of university stakeholders for upcoming events. Actively engage with university stakeholders or their representatives to understand their needs; respect and incorporate stakeholder needs into construction planning, or effectively communicate when stakeholder requests cannot be met.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as engineering, architecture, construction management, etc. or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least 10+ years successful experience in managing capital design & construction projects.
• Ability to interpret construction documents and understanding of applicable construction codes and land use ordinances, working knowledge of the principles of design, an overview of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
• Be adept at implementing and expanding the use of construction management technology to facilitate effective communication, document archiving, scheduling, and future facility management. Be fluent with a variety of web-based PM management tools.
• Effectively utilize CPM scheduling practices and be fluent in developing, analyzing, and reporting on Primavera CPM schedules, particularly Primavera P6EPPM.
• Strong technical proficiency with MS Office Suite.
• Proficient in the use of web-based project management software/tools.
• Firsthand experiment reviewing BIM design models and participating directly in construction coordination BIM efforts.
• Extensive experience working as a lead PM on large ground-up projects. Experience as a lead superintendent on comparable projects is also strongly valued.
• Experience working on institutional laboratory/ research science facilities.
• Experience with diverse building programs and high end finishes common to projects ranging from lab/clean room, large civil /site utility work, historic renovations, and academic/performance space.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills as well as the ability to develop and maintain effective customer relationships within a team approach to construction management.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects with varying scope and multiple stages of completion
• Must possess assertive and collaborative skills capable of maintaining momentum of the project and driving it to successful conclusion in a politically sensitive manner.
• Effective organizational, prioritization and multi-tasking skills
• Ability to understand existing policies, processes, and procedures; and conceive of and implement new work procedures to enhance efficiency or execution to individual project circumstances.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Professional registration as an engineer is highly desired.
• LEED AP credentials
• BIM project delivery experience with Autodesk Suite including BIM360 Glue/Field, Autodesk Build, Revit, NavisWorks, Cad 2d/3D.
• Familiarity working with large scale Geoexchange/Geothermal systems and related conversions of conventional steam mechanical systems.

 

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Standard Weekly Hours:36.25Eligible for Overtime:NoBenefits Eligible:YesProbationary Period:180 daysEssential Services Personnel (see policy for detail):YesComments Related to End Date:This is a 5-year benefits eligible term position. Physical Capacity Exam Required:NoValid Driver’s License Required:No Experience Level:Director:#LI-SB1