Project Manager- Industrial

Alterman is seeking an experienced Industrial Project Manager – Water/Wastewater to join our Industrial team in Austin, Texas. This position will have primary responsibility for managing electrical construction projects within the water and wastewater market, including water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, lift stations, process facilities, and related municipal and industrial infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will have proven electrical construction experience in water/wastewater or similar process-intensive industrial environments and a working understanding of electrical distribution, motor control, instrumentation, controls, PLC/SCADA systems, process equipment, and construction within active operating facilities.

Overview:

The Project Manager accepts profit and loss responsibility and accountability for the execution of assigned project contracts and customer accounts. The Project Manager is responsible for safely delivering projects at the highest level of quality while meeting schedule, cost, productivity, and customer expectations.

The Project Manager serves as the primary business and operational leader for assigned projects and is responsible for planning, financial performance, labor management, procurement, customer relationships, risk management, and successful project closeout.

Essential Functions:

Account Management - 10%

• Takes ownership and responsibility for assigned accounts and develops long-term customer relationships that support customer satisfaction, repeat business, and revenue growth.
• Develops and maintains relationships with owners, general contractors, construction managers, engineers, municipalities, utilities, plant personnel, and other project stakeholders.
• Evaluates bidding, procurement, material buyout, subcontracting, and negotiation opportunities associated with assigned accounts.
• Maintains effective communication with appropriate Alterman personnel regarding project performance, customer expectations, risks, and opportunities.
• Identifies cross-selling and future project opportunities within assigned customers and markets.
• Promptly communicates significant project, contractual, financial, schedule, or customer issues to the Senior Project Manager or Director and provides recommended solutions.

Project Planning - 10%

• Works in conjunction with Preconstruction, Estimating, Project Support, field leadership, and other support groups to develop a comprehensive project execution plan.
• Participates in turnover and project kickoff meetings and leads project planning sessions.
• Reviews estimates, plans, specifications, contracts, schedules, scope documents, and project requirements before construction begins.
• Develops the project labor plan using Alterman Labor Analysis Workflow (LAW) procedures.
• Develops procurement strategies for long-lead and critical electrical equipment.
• Ensures appropriate safety programs, project-specific safety requirements, and work plans are established before work begins.
• Identifies project constraints, shutdown requirements, sequencing challenges, owner operational requirements, and critical path activities.
• Coordinates planning for work performed within active water and wastewater facilities where continuity of plant operations is required.

Water/Wastewater Project Expertise 

• Works in conjunction with Preconstruction, Estimating, Project Support, field leadership, and other support groups to develop a comprehensive project execution plan.
• Participates in turnover and project kickoff meetings and leads project planning sessions.
• Reviews estimates, plans, specifications, contracts, schedules, scope documents, and project requirements before construction begins.
• Develops the project labor plan using Alterman Labor Analysis Workflow (LAW) procedures.
• Develops procurement strategies for long-lead and critical electrical equipment.
• Ensures appropriate safety programs, project-specific safety requirements, and work plans are established before work begins.
• Identifies project constraints, shutdown requirements, sequencing challenges, owner operational requirements, and critical path activities.
• Coordinates planning for work performed within active water and wastewater facilities where continuity of plant operations is required.

Project Management (Office) - 30%

• Manages assigned projects in accordance with Alterman procedures, policies, contractual requirements, and financial expectations.
• Completes project startup procedures, including developing project budgets and cost projections; establishing labor, material, subcontract, equipment, PACK, LAW, and Direct Job Expense budgets; preparing initial job cost entries and cost codes; developing project schedules and material release schedules; planning labor requirements and cash flow; reviewing and interpreting contracts; and providing input regarding project staffing and field leadership.

Project Development

• Leads 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100% project review meetings for small and midsized projects and conducts monthly project reviews for large or complex projects.
• Prepares agendas and leads internal project meetings as needed.
• Establishes project schedules of values for fixed-sum contracts and assists with billing preparation, billing projections, and cash-flow management.
• Prepares accurate cost-to-complete and job cost projections on a regular basis.
• Identifies cost and schedule trends early and develops recovery plans when project performance deviates from plan.
• Prepares, prices, negotiates, and tracks change order proposals.
• Reviews quotations, bills of material, vendor proposals, and subcontractor scopes.
• Reviews and processes shop drawings, submittals, RFIs, and other project documentation.
• Prepares major purchase orders while ensuring appropriate pricing, scope coverage, commercial terms, and schedule requirements.
• Maintains complete project documentation including purchase orders, quotations, submittals, shop drawings, test reports, action-item logs, field record drawings, and correspondence.
• Coordinates with Purchasing to procure and deliver materials and equipment within required project dates and established budgets.
• Manages long-lead equipment including switchgear, MCCs, transformers, generators, VFDs, control equipment, and specialized process electrical systems.
• Coordinates with equipment vendors, systems integrators, engineers, and field personnel to ensure electrical and controls requirements are properly integrated.
• Coordinates with Workforce Development and field leadership regarding supervisory staffing and workforce requirements.
• Evaluates project personnel performance and addresses performance deficiencies as appropriate.
• Coordinates labor planning and productivity expectations to achieve the project labor budget.
• Monitors subcontractors and vendors for scope, schedule, safety, quality, and commercial compliance.
• Ensures project documentation supports entitlement to change orders, schedule impacts, delay claims, and other contractual requirements when applicable.

Project Management (Field) 15%

• Maintains a consistent presence on assigned projects and develops strong working relationships with field supervision and project stakeholders.
• Attends owner, contractor, engineer, coordination, schedule, and onsite project meetings.
• Reviews actual field conditions against plans, specifications, schedules, and project assumptions.
• Works with project supervision to identify productivity issues, material constraints, design conflicts, manpower needs, and schedule risks.
• Supports field leadership in achieving planned labor productivity and project milestones.
• Coordinates major shutdowns, electrical cutovers, tie-ins, testing, startup, and commissioning activities.
• Ensures work within active water/wastewater facilities is coordinated with plant operations to protect uninterrupted treatment processes whenever required.
• Coordinates electrical construction with mechanical equipment, piping systems, process equipment, instrumentation, controls, and vendor-supplied systems.
• Reviews field changes and ensures cost and schedule impacts are documented and communicated.
• Verifies that record drawings, equipment documentation, testing records, startup documentation, and turnover requirements are maintained throughout construction.

Project Closeout 

• Manages punch-list completion.
• Obtains required customer, engineer, and AHJ signoffs.
• Completes final billing and retainage collection.
• Closes purchase orders, subcontracts, and outstanding commitments.
• Manages warranty requirements and material returns.
• Completes record drawings and as-built documentation.
• Coordinates final AHJ inspections.
• Completes Operations and Maintenance Manuals.
• Ensures required testing, commissioning, startup, and training documentation is complete.
• Coordinates turnover of electrical, instrumentation, and control systems to the owner.
• Schedules and leads internal project closeout meetings.
• Documents project lessons learned for use on future projects.

Leadership and Staff Development – 15% 

• Oversees and supports direct reports to ensure responsibilities and project expectations are being fulfilled.
• Provides direction, coaching, and feedback to Assistant Project Managers, Project Engineers, Project Coordinators, and other assigned personnel.
• Conducts regular performance reviews and identifies development opportunities.
• Develops team members capable of assuming increased project responsibility.
• Establishes clear expectations for accountability, communication, documentation, safety, quality, and financial performance.

Process Improvement – 10% 

• Works with the Department Director or Senior Project Manager to identify critical processes and project-management activities.
• Develops and maintains process documentation when directed.
• Ensures appropriate team members understand critical processes and can provide adequate support.
• Reviews documented processes annually and recommends improvements based on lessons learned and current business practices.
• Identifies repeatable project successes, failures, and lessons learned that can be applied across the Industrial group.

Other Duties – 10% 

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience 

Candidates must meet the minimum requirements of one of the following pathways: 

• Completion of an Inside Wireman Apprenticeship or similar/equivalent program, a minimum of two years of field supervisory experience, and successful completion of Alterman’s Assistant Project Manager development program; or
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Construction Engineering, Engineering, Business Management, or a related field with relevant electrical construction experience; or
• Minimum of two years of experience as a Project Manager within the electrical construction industry.

Required Water/Wastewater Experience

Minimum 3–5 years of Project Management experience in electrical construction supporting water/wastewater projects is required. Candidates must demonstrate experience managing the electrical scope of water treatment plants, waste water treatment plants, pump/lift stations, or similar process intensive projects from preconstruction through closeout. 

Required experience should include multiple areas below: 

• Water treatment plants.
• Wastewater treatment plants.
• Pump stations, lift stations, or booster stations.
• Municipal water/wastewater infrastructure.
• Industrial process facilities.
• Electrical construction within active operating plants.
• Instrumentation and controls.
• PLC and SCADA systems.
• MCCs, VFDs, motors, and process equipment.
• Electrical shutdowns and complex system cutovers.
• Startup and commissioning of process-related electrical systems.

Skills and Abilities 

• Strong understanding of electrical construction project management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong leadership, judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong understanding of project financials, job costing, forecasting, billing, cash flow, and change management.
• Ability to read and interpret contracts, construction drawings, specifications, schedules, submittals, and technical requirements.
• Ability to read and understand electrical one-line diagrams, control drawings, equipment schematics, and process-related electrical documentation.
• Familiarity with P&IDs and process-control documentation.
• Working knowledge of electrical distribution, motor control, instrumentation, controls, and process systems.
• Working knowledge of the National Electrical Code and applicable electrical construction standards.
• Ability to manage technically complex projects in active industrial environments.
• Ability to coordinate electrical construction with mechanical, process, controls, instrumentation, and commissioning teams.
• Ability to manage shutdowns, cutovers, startup, commissioning, and owner turnover activities.
• Ability to identify project risks early and develop practical solutions.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced construction environment.
• Ability to identify and capitalize on project and customer opportunities.
• Working knowledge of trade terminology, electrical materials, construction methods, codes, contracts, specifications, procurement, and estimating.
• Proficient with or able to learn Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office, accounting systems, estimating software, project-management platforms, and other required systems.
• Ability to complete required continuing education and training.

Work Environment 

• Combination of office and active construction-site environments.
• Regular travel to project sites is required.
• Position may require work within operating industrial and municipal water/wastewater facilities.
• Occasional work outside normal business hours may be required to support shutdowns, cutovers, startup, commissioning, or critical project activities.

Physical Requirements 

• Must be able to use hands and fingers to handle objects, tools, controls, and computer equipment.
• Must be able to reach with hands and arms.
• Manual dexterity associated with computer data entry is required.
• Must be able to communicate effectively verbally and audibly.
• Must be able to frequently sit.
• Must be able to occasionally stand, walk, climb, balance, crouch, crawl, stoop, and kneel.
• Must be able to safely operate a vehicle and travel to and from project sites.
• Must be able to regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.
• Must be able to safely maneuver within active construction and industrial environments.
• Close vision, distance vision, color vision, and depth perception are required.