Assistant Project Manager - Construction & Real Estate Development

Northstar Project & Real Estate Services; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Northstar Project & Real Estate Services is seeking an experienced Assistant Project Manager to support cross-functional teams through the project lifecycle on construction and commercial real estate projects.

Ideal candidates have at least two years of PM experience, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage budgets, schedules, and contracts while maintaining strong client relationships. Cambridge, MA-based, on-site role with interaction across IT, AV, and facilities teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of two years of directly related experience in commercial real estate, construction project management, or design management.
• Ability to lead, build relationships with clients and stakeholders, and work with urgency to meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Office, Project; CAD, BIM, Procore, and Bluebeam are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Work with clients and internal teams to define goals, objectives, and priorities while ensuring client satisfaction.
• Cultivate trust-based relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Coordinate design team consultants, contractors, and suppliers, including RFPs, bids, analysis, and award recommendations.
• Assist with development and maintenance of project schedule and budget, including forecasts and cash flows.
• Review documentation of Owner requirements in plans and specifications.
• Report project status to leadership and clients, and maintain meeting minutes.
• Support site inspections, RFIs, submittals, punch lists, and project close-out activities.
• Assist with occupancy planning and move management as required.

Skills

Cross-functional

Budget management

Project scheduling

Contract admin

Client relationships

Multitasking

MS Office

CAD/BIM

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Procore

Bluebeam

CAD

BIM

MS Project

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Northstar is seeking experienced Assistant Project Manager candidates to contribute to our mission of delivering predictable outcomes for our clients on construction and commercial real estate projects of varying sizes and scopes.

In this role, Assistant Project Managers will support cross‑functional teams throughout the project lifecycle. The position requires competency in management, planning, budgeting, contract administration, and project delivery.

We are seeking candidates with a propensity for leadership and the capacity to build collaborative relationships with clients, project team members, and stakeholders. The ideal candidate should be analytical, results‑driven, self‑motivated, and have at least two years of project management experience in a related field.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with clients and internal team members to define project goals, objectives, and priorities; facilitate overall client satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle.
• Cultivate strong, trust‑based relationships with clients and project stakeholders.
• Support the permitting and entitlement process.
• Coordinate the team assembly process for design team consultants, contractors, and suppliers, including RFP preparation, bid alignment, analysis, and award recommendations to clients.
• Collaborate in the negotiation and preparation of all contracts, contributing to ongoing add services and change orders.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of the overall project schedule, incorporating all phases and identifying key milestones.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of the project budget, including tracking reallocations, commitments, and expenditures, and regularly developing forecasts and cash flows.
• Coordinate the review, interpretation, and monitoring of comprehensive documentation of Owner requirements in plans and specifications.
• Collaborate with internal leadership to consistently report project status to the project team and clients.
• Support project team and client update meetings, developing and maintaining meeting minutes to record key decisions and action items.
• Anticipate challenges and engage in effective problem‑solving with the project team, support the process of recommended actions for issue resolution.
• Participate in engagement with clients’ internal stakeholders, including IT, AV, Security, Facilities, etc., ensuring their active involvement and alignment with the project design, schedule, expectations, and deliverables.
• Participate in site inspections throughout construction to verify conformance with design documents and quality assurance standards, and to ensure that progress aligns with the agreed‑upon schedule.
• Support the review of project RFIs and submittals to align with Owner project requirements and budget.
• Tour project sites upon completion and before turning space over to clients, ensuring the project is complete and site conditions meet expectations. Support punch list and project close‑out activities, including acceptance and completion of the project.
• Participate in occupancy planning and oversee the move management process as required.

Required Skills/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or a related field is preferred.
• Minimum of two years of directly related experience in commercial real estate, construction project management, or design management.
• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism, a strong work ethic, and a keen sense of urgency, showcasing the ability to work independently, handle multiple tasks in an organized manner, deliver quality work, and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to forge strong, lasting relationships with all members of the project team, both internal and external.
• Exhibit exceptional judgment and the ability to execute assigned tasks, showcasing the ability to make sound decisions in challenging situations and find effective solutions.
• Proven ability to multitask in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment. Ability to support multiple projects at various stages concurrently.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Office, Project, and PowerPoint is required; experience with CAD, BIM, Procore, and Bluebeam is a plus.
• Certifications, experience, and knowledge of sustainability initiatives such as LEED, Passive House, Living Building Challenge, WELL, Fitwel, etc. are a plus.

Email your resume and cover letter for consideration to [e-mail]