Construction Manager

Magnit Global; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Novartis is seeking an experienced Construction Manager to lead on-site activities for a major Red Cedar Expansion Project in Durham, NC. The role involves overseeing contractor work, maintaining project cost, schedule, and quality, and ensuring GMP compliance within an operating biomanufacturing facility.

The successful candidate will engage early in design through construction, drive constructability, manage commercial risk, and coordinate with engineering, validation, and operations to

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in construction management or project management on large-scale industrial, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences capital projects.
• Experience serving as an Owner's Representative on complex construction projects.
• Strong track record managing project cost, schedule, quality, contractor performance, and change management.
• Extensive knowledge of construction means and methods, project controls, contract administration, and field execution.
• Experience working within GMP-regulated pharmaceutical or biotechnology manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the on-site owner's representative, overseeing contractor-led construction activities and ensuring adherence to cost, schedule, quality, and safety.
• Participate in detailed design reviews to identify scope gaps, constructability concerns, and coordination issues.
• Monitor baseline and look-ahead schedules, identify delays, and drive recovery plans to meet milestones.
• Optimize construction execution strategies, including sequencing, logistics, trade coordination, and productivity improvements.
• Oversee field quality activities, ensuring GMP compliance and coordination with Quality, Validation, and Commissioning teams.
• Review design packages, bid documents, and construction scopes for completeness and clarity.
• Proactively manage change orders, claims, and commercial risks while protecting owner interests.
• Prepare executive-level reports on project status, risks, contractor performance, and savings opportunities.
• Foster collaboration among engineering, construction, commissioning, validation, and operations teams.

Skills

Construction Management

Owner's Representative

Cost & Schedule Management

GMP Experience

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

Novartis is seeking an experienced Construction Manager to support the Red Cedar Expansion Project in Durham, NC. This high-profile capital project involves the demolition and modification of existing manufacturing suites and utility spaces, along with the installation of two high-speed filling lines, inspection equipment, parts washers, autoclaves, and supporting utilities within an operating biomanufacturing facility.

The Construction Manager will serve as the owner's on-site representative, providing leadership and oversight of contractor activities while maintaining accountability for project cost, schedule, quality, and execution. The ideal candidate will engage early in the design phase through construction completion, ensuring constructability, minimizing commercial risk, and driving successful project delivery in a regulated GMP environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the on-site owner's representative, overseeing contractor-led construction activities and ensuring adherence to project objectives related to cost, schedule, quality, and safety.
• Actively participate during detailed design reviews to identify scope gaps, constructability concerns, coordination issues, and package ambiguities that could result in cost escalation or change orders.
• Monitor and evaluate baseline and look-ahead schedules, identify potential delays, and drive recovery plans to maintain project milestones.
• Optimize construction execution strategies, including sequencing, logistics planning, trade coordination, productivity improvements, and constraint management.
• Oversee field quality activities, ensuring compliance with GMP requirements and coordination with Quality, Validation, and Commissioning teams.
• Review design packages, bid documents, and construction work scopes to ensure completeness, clarity, constructability, and alignment across disciplines.
• Proactively manage change orders, claims, and commercial risks by evaluating field conditions, entitlement, pricing, and schedule impacts while protecting owner interests.
• Prepare concise executive-level reports highlighting project status, cost and schedule risks, quality concerns, contractor performance, pending changes, dispute resolution, and savings opportunities.
• Foster collaboration among engineering, construction, commissioning, validation, and operations teams to ensure smooth project execution within an active manufacturing environment.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of experience in Construction Management and/or Project Management, supporting large-scale industrial, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences capital projects.
• High School Diploma required; additional technical, engineering, construction management, or related education is preferred.
• Strong experience serving as an Owner's Representative on complex construction projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing project cost, schedule, quality, contractor performance, and change management.
• Extensive knowledge of construction means and methods, project controls, contract administration, and field execution.
• Experience working within GMP-regulated pharmaceutical or biotechnology manufacturing environments is required.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders, challenge assumptions, and drive practical project execution strategies.
• Strong communication, leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting manufacturing facility expansions, equipment installations, and brownfield construction projects within active operations.
• Familiarity with commissioning, qualification, and validation processes in regulated environments.
• Experience working on pharmaceutical filling lines, utilities, clean rooms, or aseptic manufacturing facilities is highly desirable.

Industry Experience: Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Life Sciences, with GMP Manufacturing