EPC Project Manager

EPC Project Manager

Position Summary

The EPC Project Manager is responsible for the successful execution of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) of substation and transmission projects from project award through commissioning and closeout. This position provides leadership and direction for all aspects of project delivery, including safety, engineering coordination, procurement, construction management, financial performance, scheduling, quality assurance, customer relations, and risk management.

The Project Manager serves as the primary point of contact for utility customers, engineering firms, vendors, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders. The role is accountable for delivering projects safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with contractual requirements while maintaining exceptional customer satisfaction.

Projects may include greenfield and brownfield substations, station expansions, rebuilds, breaker replacements, transformer installations, protection and control upgrades, transmission interconnections, and utility infrastructure projects ranging from distribution voltage through EHV systems.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Project Leadership

• Lead EPC substation projects from conceptual development through commissioning and turnover.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project execution plans.
• Establish project objectives, budgets, schedules, and performance metrics.
• Coordinate engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities.
• Provide leadership to Project Engineers, Construction Managers, Superintendents, Schedulers, and Project Controls personnel.
• Foster a culture focused on safety, quality, accountability, teamwork, and operational excellence.

Safety Management

• Ensure compliance with company safety policies and client-specific safety requirements.
• Promote a Zero Incident culture throughout project execution.
• Participate in safety planning, audits, observations, and incident investigations.
• Review and approve site-specific safety plans and Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs).
• Monitor safety performance metrics and implement corrective actions when necessary.

Financial Management

• Maintain overall responsibility for project profitability and financial performance.
• Develop project budgets and forecasts.
• Monitor labor productivity, equipment utilization, subcontractor performance, and project costs.
• Review and approve invoices, purchase orders, and subcontractor pay applications.
• Manage cash flow and working capital requirements.
• Identify and pursue change order opportunities and contract modifications.
• Track earned value, productivity, and forecasting metrics.

Schedule Management

• Develop and maintain integrated project schedules.
• Coordinate engineering deliverables, procurement milestones, outage schedules, and construction activities.
• Identify schedule risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Monitor schedule performance and provide recovery plans when required.
• Coordinate client outages, switching windows, and commissioning activities.
• Create resource-loaded schedules and perform resource leveling utilizing Critical Path Methodology (CPM).

Contract Administration

• Manage project contractual obligations and deliverables.
• Review contract documents, scope requirements, and commercial terms.
• Administer owner contracts, purchase orders, and subcontract agreements.
• Prepare notices, claims, schedule updates, and change order documentation.
• Ensure compliance with contract requirements and company governance procedures.

Engineering & Procurement Coordination

• Coordinate engineering deliverables with internal and external design teams.

• Review drawings, specifications, and construction packages for constructability.

• Monitor procurement activities for critical equipment including:

• Power transformers

• Circuit breakers

• Disconnect switches

• Protection and control panels

• Relay systems

• Steel structures

• Control buildings

• Telecommunications equipment

• Manage vendor relationships and equipment delivery schedules.

Construction Oversight

• Support field operations and construction management teams.
• Ensure work is performed according to design specifications, quality standards, and project requirements.
• Coordinate site logistics, outage planning, material deliveries, and subcontractor activities.
• Participate in site visits, progress meetings, and executive reviews.
• Resolve field issues and support operational decision-making.

Quality Management

• Ensure compliance with project quality plans and inspection requirements.
• Monitor testing, commissioning, and turnover documentation.
• Verify completion of punch lists and closeout activities.
• Ensure all project documentation is properly maintained and archived.

Risk Management

• Identify, evaluate, and mitigate project risks.
• Maintain project risk registers.
• Develop contingency and recovery plans.
• Address commercial, technical, schedule, and resource risks.
• Escalate critical issues to executive leadership as appropriate.

Customer Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary customer interface throughout project execution.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships.
• Lead progress meetings and executive reviews.
• Ensure transparency in project reporting and communication.
• Consistently deliver a high level of customer satisfaction.

Reporting and Communication

• Prepare weekly and monthly project status reports.

• Communicate:

• Safety performance

• Financial performance

• Schedule status

• Resource utilization

• Risk exposure

• Change management activity

• Procurement status

• Present project updates to executive leadership and customers.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent utility EPC experience may be considered in lieu of formal education.

Experience

• Minimum 7-10 years of project management experience in utility infrastructure construction.
• Minimum 5 years of experience managing EPC substation projects.
• Demonstrated success delivering electrical utility projects with values ranging from $5M to $100M+.
• Experience with both greenfield and brownfield substation environments.
• Experience coordinating engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction), engineering, utility, energy, industrial, or construction environment.
• Professional certifications such as:
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)

Technical Knowledge

Strong working knowledge of:

• High-voltage substations
• Transmission systems
• Protection and control systems
• SCADA and telecommunications systems
• Utility construction practices
• Power transformers
• Relay protection schemes
• Utility outage planning
• Commissioning procedures
• Utility standards and specifications
• EPC contracting models
• Contract administration
• Change management
• Project controls and earned value management

Software Proficiency

Experience with:

• Procore
• Primavera P6
• Microsoft Project
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Teams
• SharePoint
• JD Edwards or similar ERP systems
• Scheduling and financial reporting software

Key Competencies

• Leadership
• Financial Acumen
• Client Relationship Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Strategic Thinking
• Risk Management
• Team Development
• Communication Skills
• Problem Solving
• Decision-Making Under Pressure
• Conflict Resolution
• Utility Industry Expertise

Performance Metrics

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Safety Performance (TRIR, DART, Near Miss Reporting)
• Gross Margin Achievement
• Cost Performance
• Schedule Adherence
• Change Order Recovery
• Forecast Accuracy
• Resource Utilization
• Customer Satisfaction
• Quality Metrics
• Project Closeout Performance
• Employee Development and Retention