Associate Project Manager 1

Valmont Industries; Kansas City, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

401k retirement plan

Paid time off

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Tuition Reimbursement

Work Life Support

Job summary

Valmont Industries is seeking an Associate Project Manager I to support substation material procurement from bid to closeout. You will assist with quoting, material take-offs, BOMs, vendor coordination, and documentation control, ensuring cost, schedule, and quality compliance.

You will work with Project Managers, vendors, and internal stakeholders to deliver accurate, client-ready quotes and maintain strong vendor relationships. Travel up to 30% domestically is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Associate Degree plus 3+ years of experience or 5+ years of experience.
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, specifications, and RFQ/RFQ documents.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook); experience with project tracking spreadsheets preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist with quoting, material take-offs, procurement, vendor coordination, documentation control, and customer communication.
• Prepare and verify purchase orders to ensure alignment with quotes for pricing, lead times, and part numbers.
• Coordinate with warehouse personnel to schedule inbound and outbound material shipments; provide delivery notifications to clients.

Skills

Reading drawings

Vendor coordination

Excel proficiency

Communication

Project tracking

AutoCAD experience

Education

Bachelor's or Associate Degree

Tools

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Job description

10403 Hickman Mills Dr Kansas City Missouri 64137

We’re Here to Move the World Forward. Valmont impacts millions of people around the world every day, yet they might not realize the many ways. Our technology is helping feed the growing population, supplying the world with more reliable energy and access to renewables, enhancing connectivity in remote and urban locations to create a sustainable future and so much more. Simply put, Valmont is advancing agricultural productivity and reimagining vital infrastructure to make life better. Join a Fortune 1000 company that respects hard work, honors diversity and invests in our employees as we focus on creating the world of tomorrow, today. We are the modern workforce. Are you ready to move the world forward?

A Brief Summary of This Position

The Associate Project Manager I (APM I) supports the execution of substation material procurement projects from bid through closeout. This role applies foundational project management, estimating, and substation design knowledge to assist with quoting, material take-offs, procurement, vendor coordination, documentation control, and customer communication. The APM I works closely with Project Managers, vendors, warehouse personnel, and internal stakeholders to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery of materials while maintaining cost, schedule, and quality standards.

Essential Functions

This position reports to the Senior Director of Substation Packaging and has no direct reports and no indirect reports. This role requires up to 30% travel (domestically), including overnight stays.

Apply knowledge of the quoting process to support project estimates based on RFP/RFQ documents, technical specifications, and drawings. Complete RFQ forms and clearly document clarifications as required. Complete forms and assist with proposal ranking. Create accurate material take-offs from bid-level substation drawings. Develop and organize Bills of Materials (BOMs) from substation drawings, including: Item descriptions Manufacturer selection and part numbers BOM organization per RFQ order and standard VSLLC formats (e.g., steel, major equipment, bus & conductor, connectors by type). Identify or create electrical details required to complete material take-offs. Sketch sections to confirm layouts, one-line compliance, and material accuracy. Document quantity take-offs and assemble RFP check packages. Perform backchecks on quotes to ensure accuracy of spelling, formulas, totals, pricing validity, lead times, freight, bolt quantities, and material descriptions. Ensure all deviations from RFQ documents are clearly and concisely stated in clarifications, minimizing exceptions whenever possible. Deliver complete, professional, client‑ready quotes to the Project Manager for final review. Build and maintain strong professional relationships with manufacturers, sales representatives, and vendors. Ensure quote requests include all required drawings, specifications, and material descriptions.

Review vendor quotes to confirm compliance with RFQ requirements, technical specifications, drawings, freight terms, and lead times. Upon receipt of customer purchase orders, confirm vendor pricing and lead times. Prepare and verify purchase orders to ensure alignment with vendor quotes for pricing, lead time, freight quantities, and part numbers. Authorized to approve and sign purchase orders. Approve vendor invoices related to signed purchase orders without additional PM or supervisor approval. Obtain PM approval and PCARD authorization for online purchases, in-person purchases, or new vendors not yet established in the system. Use vendor Order Acknowledgements to develop project‑specific delivery schedules. Coordinate with warehouse personnel to schedule inbound and outbound material shipments. Create packing lists for VSLLC‑marshalled material and materials shipped directly to site. Verify packing lists using vendor Bills of Lading and packing documentation.

Provide customers with delivery notifications via email and phone. Provide clients with monthly or as‑requested schedule updates. Coordinate with the Business Manager to generate project invoices. Confirm invoiced materials have shipped complete. Maintain and provide monthly spreadsheets tracking purchase orders, costs, and invoicing totals. Forecast costs and invoicing three months forward for assigned projects.

Required Qualifications of Every Candidate (Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

Preferred Bachelors or Associates Degree with 3+ years of experience or 5+ years of experience. Basic understanding of electrical substation design, materials, and construction practices. Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, specifications, and RFP/RFQ documents. Strong attention to detail and organizational skills. Effective written and verbal communication skills. Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast‑paced environment. Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook); experience with project tracking spreadsheets preferred. Experience working with vendors, procurement processes, or construction‑related material management preferred.

Highly Qualified Candidates Will Also Possess These Qualifications

Proven ability to perform material take‑offs and BOM creation from bid‑level or IFC drawings. Strong working knowledge of substation materials and components (steel, major equipment, bus & conductor, connectors). Experience reviewing RFP/RFQ documents, technical specifications, and managing clarifications/deviations. Hands‑on experience with vendor quotes, procurement, and purchase orders. Proficiency in Excel for cost tracking and forecasting; AutoCAD experience preferred. Strong organizational and communication skills in a fast‑paced, multi‑project environment. Working Environment and Physical Efforts.

Working Environment and Physical Efforts

Work is typically performed in an office setting. The incumbent is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time, as well as talk and listen on the phone and in personal conversations or meetings. Environment is fast paced and demanding most of the time. Moderate travel requirements exist for this position. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms while working in the office with various files and forms and while working on the computer. The employee is occasionally required to move about the office. Incumbent must utilize proper ergonomic safeguards such as monitor height and positions, keyboard location and height and proper wrists rests. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds in working with large files, binders, and computer equipment. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

Benefits

Valmont offers employees and their families a comprehensive Total Wellbeing benefit package to ensure their individual and family’s overall wellness needs are met. Some offerings are dependent upon the role, work schedule, or location and can include the following:

• Healthcare (medical, prescription drugs, dental and vision)


• 401k retirement plan with company match


• Paid time off


• Employer paid life insurance


• Employer paid short‑term and long‑term disability including maternity leave


• Work Life Support


• Tuition Reimbursement up to $5,250 per year


• Voluntary programs like tobacco cessation, Type 2 diabetes reversal, one‑on‑one health coaching, mortgage services and more

Valmont does not discriminate against any employee or applicant in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. If you have a disability and require any assistance in filling out the application for employment email [e-mail].

Valmont is here to modernize vital infrastructure and increase agricultural productivity, sustainably and reliably. We galvanize steel to last a century with minimal environmental impact. We modernize irrigation to feed a growing population by utilizing the latest technology. We harden the electrical grid to enable the delivery of reliable power to millions of homes around the world. And we help make communities everywhere safer, cleaner and more connected through our smart infrastructure technology. Valmont serves two primary markets — agriculture and infrastructure — and seven diverse product lines: Utility, Lighting and Transportation, Telecom, Solar, Coatings, Irrigation and Ag Tech. We manufacture products in 85 facilities spread across six continents, and we do business in 100 different countries. That’s what Valmont does. We conserve resources and improve life, finding ways to make innovation and technology beneficial in the real world. That’s the value we add.