Project Manager PMO Build-Out (Underground Infrastructure Construction)
Location: Langley, WA Onsite, 5 days/week
Compensation: $100,000$150,000/year (negotiable)
About the Role
We're building out a Project Management Office (PMO) function to bring structure, consistency, and accountability to a growing portfolio of underground infrastructure construction projects. This is a hands-on, onsite leadership role for someone who can both roll up their sleeves on active project work and stand up the systems, standards, and processes this function has never had.
You'll oversee a portfolio of 78 concurrent projects ranging from roughly $1M to $20M, with typical timelines of 12 years. Work involves permitting and underground construction, coordinated closely with federal agencies, tribal partners, and other regulatory stakeholders.
You'll also manage and develop a team of three Project Coordinators all early in their careers who currently own day-to-day budget and scheduling work. Part of your mandate is to mentor them into stronger, more independent project professionals while you build the broader PMO framework around them.
This role reports to a senior leader on our operations team and will need to represent the PMO in front of the executive team regularly.
What You'll Do
- Take ownership of project delivery across a multi-project portfolio, from planning through completion
- Design and stand up PMO infrastructure from the ground up: standards, templates, workflows, and reporting cadences
- Directly manage, coach, and develop three Project Coordinators, building their skills in budgeting, scheduling, and project execution
- Build and maintain project plans, milestones, and work breakdown schedules across all active projects
- Own budget tracking and monthly financial/contract reporting across the portfolio
- Deliver regular (and on-demand) status updates to leadership on risk, priorities, and budget health
- Identify risk early, resolve issues proactively, and escalate when needed to protect budgets and timelines
- Coordinate cross-functional meetings, action items, and stakeholder communication, including with regulatory and government partners
- Serve as a credible, confident voice in front of executive leadership including being willing to push back diplomatically when priorities or resources need to be renegotiated
- Coordinate internal and external resources to keep projects moving on schedule
What You Bring
Required:- 5+ years of project management experience on large-scale construction projects (telecommunications, utilities, heavy civil, or manufacturing)
- 5+ years directly supervising and developing employees
- Demonstrated experience building or significantly maturing a PMO function not just operating within one someone else designed
- Comfort managing multiple concurrent projects and competing priorities in a fast-moving environment
- Strong executive presence: able to communicate clearly and hold your ground with senior leadership without being combative
- Experience with budgeting, financial reporting, and process improvement
- Strong facilitation and negotiation skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard project management/reporting tools
- Ability to travel internationally for business purposes as needed
- Must pass pre-employment and ongoing random drug screening
- Must be eligible to work in the United States
Preferred:- Background in telecom construction, public works, utilities, or a related infrastructure field (e.g., experience with an electric utility, public utility district, municipal/county government, or a large industrial employer)
- Bachelor's degree in business, construction management, project management, engineering, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
- PMP certification or equivalent project management training/experience
- Experience with federally or state-funded grant construction projects
Who Thrives Here
We're looking for someone with a genuine backbone someone who can work independently, bring order to ambiguity, and isn't afraid to have hard conversations with senior stakeholders when it's in the best interest of the project. This is not a role for someone who needs a fully built playbook handed to them; you'll be writing much of it. At the same time, you'll need the patience and people skills to develop a young team and bring them along with you.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
- Paid time off and paid holidays
- Employee assistance program
- 401(k) with company match
- Employee service discounts (where eligible)
- Additional compensation opportunities
Who is Rainier Recruiting? Rainier Recruiting is a boutique, award winning national staffing agency and executive search firm. Using an approach that treats every candidate like an executive search, we offer positions in contract-to-hire, Full-Time, and executive search. Named the #1 Best Workplace in Washington State in 2022, recognized as a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing firm, and identified as a top recruitment firm by multiple business journals, Rainier Recruiting is fast becoming a respected company. We are no longer the best recruiters you have never heard of. Rainier Recruiting is also proud to share our clients have a 93% repeat business rate. Rainier Recruiting is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation or belief, or any other protected class. We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and are dedicated to making employment decisions based on merit and value, for ourselves, our client companies, and for the candidates we represent. We engage in socially conscious business practices and believe that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and non-biased talent and recruitment processes are foundational to the success of every organization that we partner with.