Assistant Project Manager - Construction & Real Estate Development

Northstar Project & Real Estate Services; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Northstar Project & Real Estate Services is seeking an Assistant Project Manager to support cross-functional teams across the project lifecycle. The role emphasizes budgeting, contract administration, scheduling, and client relationship building on commercial real estate and construction projects.

The ideal candidate has at least 2 years of related experience, strong communication skills, and proficiency with MS Office; CAD/BIM/Procore/Bluebeam experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in engineering, architecture, construction management, or related field.
• Minimum of 2 years in commercial real estate, construction PM, or design management.
• Professionalism, strong work ethic, urgency; independently manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to build lasting relationships with project team and clients.
• Demonstrated judgment and decision-making in challenging situations.
• Ability to manage multiple projects at different stages in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office; CAD/BIM/Procore/Bluebeam a plus; sustainability certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Define project goals, objectives, and priorities with clients to ensure satisfaction.
• Build trust-based relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Support permitting and entitlement processes.
• Coordinate design team consultants, contractors, and suppliers; prepare RFPs and bid analysis.
• Assist negotiations and contract preparation; track changes and add services.
• Develop and maintain overall project schedule with milestones.
• Develop and monitor project budget; track reallocations and expenditures; forecast cash flow.
• Review and interpret owner requirements in plans and specs.
• Report project status to team and clients; maintain meeting minutes.
• Identify challenges and assist in issue resolution with the project team.
• Engage with IT, AV, Security, Facilities, and other stakeholders for alignment.
• Conduct site inspections to verify conformance and schedule adherence.
• Review RFIs and submittals to align with owner requirements and budget.
• Tour sites post-completion; support punch lists and close-out actions.
• Participate in occupancy planning and move management as required.

Skills

Project management

Budget tracking

Contract administration

Stakeholder communication

Multitasking

Scheduling

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/architecture/construction management

Tools

CAD

BIM

Procore

Bluebeam

Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/Project/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 scales.

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 2 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 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 2 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.