Project Manager

Project Manager - Engineering and Manufacturing

Job Description

This role leads complex industrial and construction-focused projects within a fast-growing engineering and manufacturing environment. The Project Manager serves as the primary point of contact for customers, guiding projects from initial requirements through delivery while maintaining control over scope, schedule, and budget. The position offers hands-on involvement with engineering and production teams, clear career progression, and the opportunity to work on technically challenging projects with long-term organizational stability.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers throughout the entire project lifecycle, building trust and ensuring clear, consistent communication.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute projects while maintaining firm control over scope, timelines, and budgets to meet customer and organizational objectives.
• Interpret customer specifications and requirements and translate them into clear, actionable project deliverables for engineering and production teams.
• Monitor and manage changes affecting project scope, schedule, and cost, ensuring that all stakeholders understand and approve adjustments.
• Produce and deliver accurate drawing packages to manufacturing, ensuring all documentation is complete, current, and aligned with customer expectations.
• Partner closely with production teams to ensure product quality, resolve questions, and support smooth handoffs from design to build.
• Identify project challenges early, troubleshoot issues, and make timely, well-informed decisions to keep projects on track.
• Uphold and enforce quality standards across all phases of the project, from initial design through final delivery.
• Build and sustain strong, long-term customer relationships by providing responsive service, technical clarity, and reliable project outcomes.
• Assign work to engineering and production team members, ensuring tasks are clearly defined, prioritized, and aligned with project goals.
• Oversee and track work progress for engineering and production teams, providing guidance, removing obstacles, and coordinating cross-functional efforts.
• Track project metrics such as schedule adherence, cost performance, and quality outcomes, and use this data to evaluate project results.
• Document lessons learned at the conclusion of projects and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across the project management function.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, quality assurance, planning, and manufacturing teams to ensure cohesive execution and hands-on project impact.
• Participate in hands-on onboarding and mentorship activities, both as a learner and, over time, as a contributor to the development of other Project Managers.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Project Management.
• 1-3 years of experience managing projects in an industrial or manufacturing setting.
• At least 1 year of experience reading AutoCAD drawings and specifications.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including planning, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management.
• Ability to interpret customer specifications and convert them into clear technical and project requirements.
• Experience working with engineering and production teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD for reviewing and understanding drawings and specifications.
• Foundational understanding of engineering principles, with exposure to electrical engineering or related disciplines.
• Strong communication skills for engaging with customers and internal stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ability to identify issues, troubleshoot problems, and make timely, well-informed decisions.
• Capability to uphold and enforce quality standards across all project phases.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects, track metrics, and document outcomes.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with design tools such as SolidWorks and MicroStation.
• Experience or exposure in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related technical fields.
• Experience managing industrial and construction-focused projects where production and installation work are performed by specialized teams.
• Comfort working with cross-functional teams including engineering, quality assurance, planning, and manufacturing.
• Interest in continuous improvement and documenting lessons learned to enhance future project performance.
• Motivation to grow within a structured project management career ladder with increasing responsibility and influence.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-growing organization with long-term stability and an expanding manufacturing footprint.

Work Environment

This role is based primarily in an office setting within a rapidly growing engineering and manufacturing organization. Standard hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., totaling a 40-hour work week. The Project Manager works on a large team of approximately 25 people and reports into an experienced manager alongside 5-6 other team members. Approximately 75-80% of the time is spent at a desk collaborating with engineering, quality, and planning teams on project planning, coordination, and documentation. The remaining time is spent on the production floor engaging with foremen and operations staff to support manufacturing activities and ensure project requirements are met. Customer interaction occurs primarily onsite, as clients frequently visit the facility for project reviews and tours; travel to customer sites is rare and typically handled by specialized installation teams. The organization offers a collaborative and social culture, with team and company-wide outings, hands-on onboarding, and mentorship from experienced Project Managers. The environment emphasizes technically challenging work, clear career progression across project management levels, and long-term stability supported by secured customer contracts and ongoing facility investment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Des Moines, IA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $90000.00 - $120000.00/yr.

Paid Time Off 10 Holidays Bereavement Veteran's Day (if qualified) bonus position

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Des Moines,IA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 31, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.