Job Description
The Project Manager, Construction at Orenda is responsible for leading the safe, on-time, and within-budget delivery of battery energy storage system projects in NYC, overseeing all aspects from construction to commissioning, and managing teams, contractors, and external stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage multiple battery energy storage system (BESS) projects from notice to proceed through commissioning and handover, ensuring on-time, within-budget delivery.
- Coordinate and oversee project scope, schedule, cost, safety, and contractor performance across active construction sites.
- Interpret and manage project contracts, review change orders, track budgets, and produce cost forecasts.
- Track critical-path activities, identify schedule drivers, and develop reliable schedule reports and recovery plans for delays.
- Review technical drawings, evaluate contractor proposals, and identify scope gaps in BESS-specific systems.
- Set safety expectations, review safety plans, respond to incidents, and ensure contractor compliance to achieve zero recordable incidents.
- Coordinate commissioning activities, manage punch list resolution, and oversee project handover to operations.
- Build and maintain tracking and reporting systems for project budgets, schedules, and forecasts, and recommend process improvements.
- Onboard, develop, and delegate responsibilities to new construction team members to ensure independent project management capabilities.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field.
- 5-7 years of direct construction project management experience, preferably involving complex electrical infrastructure, industrial facilities, or power generation.
- Extensive experience managing active construction sites, with strong knowledge of construction means and methods, sequencing, and field problem solving.
- Proven ability to manage complex construction schedules and coordinate across utilities, AHJs, and contractors.
- Strong commercial experience including contract management, change orders, and progress payment review.
- Demonstrated safety expertise in industrial or commercial construction environments, with a target of zero recordable incidents across all managed sites.
- Strong financial acumen with experience in monthly forecasting and cost-to-complete reporting.
- Proficiency with scheduling software and construction project management platforms.
- Ability to interpret project contracts, identify conflicts or gaps between agreements, and coordinate with legal and commercial teams to resolve them.
- Experience reviewing contractor change orders and distinguishing valid scope changes from work already covered.
- Ability to track project budgets, produce cost forecasts, and review contractor payment applications against actual progress.
- Ability to track critical-path activities, identify what drives the completion date, and produce reliable schedule reporting and forecasts.
- Experience interpreting delays against contractual requirements and recommending recovery paths.
- Experience coordinating civil, structural, and electrical drawings and catching errors in submittals before they reach other groups.
- Ability to evaluate contractor proposals and identify scope gaps in BESS-specific systems, including battery racks, inverters, HVAC, and fire suppression.
- Set safety expectations for each project and ensure contractor compliance, including reviewing contractor safety plans and verifying corrective actions.
- Manage each project through commissioning, punch list resolution, and handover to operations, coordinating activities with contractors, equipment vendors, and internal teams.
- Build and maintain tracking and reporting systems for budget, schedule, and forecasting data, and provide feedback to internal groups for process improvement.
- Onboard and develop new construction managers and team members, delegating project work and providing feedback for independent management.
- Willingness to travel regularly to active project sites across all five NYC boroughs.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to produce concise project updates.
- Strong ability to build effective working relationships with contractors, utilities, and AHJs without compromising company position.
- Ability to take full ownership of project outcomes and hold contractors accountable in a professional manner.
Benefits & Perks
Base salary range of $120,000-$170,000 per year, determined based on experience and qualifications
Significant annual performance-based bonus
Health, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) plan with 3% employer match
Lifetime Fitness corporate membership
Monthly commuter stipend
Learning and education stipend
Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy
Regular company events
Ready to Apply?
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