Construction Project Manager

AgUpdate; Elon (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Agupdate is seeking a Construction Project Manager to lead university-level construction projects from planning through closeout on Elon Campus. The role emphasizes contractor performance, schedule control, and cost management, with proactive risk identification and timely issue resolution.

The position supports planning and design to improve constructability and procurement. The role requires eight years of progressive construction management experience and a bachelor’s degree in a related

Qualifications

• Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible construction management experience on complex projects such as higher education, institutional, healthcare, or schedule-driven work.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or a related field.
• Significant experience may substitute for formal education; prior roles with construction firms as PM/PMO, supervisor, scheduler, or similar with subcontractors.

Responsibilities

• Lead construction and closeout phases, ensuring contractor performance and timely completion.
• Monitor contractor performance against schedules, milestones, and occupancy commitments.
• Review baseline schedules, updates, procurement, and staffing; validate progress against field conditions.
• Coordinate with architects, engineers, and stakeholders to resolve field conditions promptly.
• Manage change orders, RFIs, and closeout documentation to protect project objectives.

Skills

Contractor management

Schedule control

Cost management

Quality management

Reading drawings

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/architecture/construction management

Tools

AutoCAD

MS Word

MS Excel

Microsoft Project

Procore

Job description

Construction Project Manager

Location: Elon Campus

Title: Construction Project Manager

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: M-F

Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: Finance and Administration

Department: Planning, Design & Construction Mgmt.

Location: Elon Campus

Position Summary

The role leads projects through construction and closeout, with particular emphasis on contractor performance, schedule management, cost control, quality, and timely resolution of construction issues. The Construction Project Manager proactively identifies risks and potential delays, coordinates timely solutions to maintain project milestones and support successful completion, and monitors contractor and design team performance against contractual commitments. The position also provides construction expertise during planning and design to improve constructability, phasing, procurement, and schedule performance.

Benefits of Working at Elon

As an Elon University employee, you'll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon's personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.

Elon University's home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you'll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation's premier travel destinations.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:

28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.

Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses

Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.

Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.

Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.

Free use of campus fitness facilities.

Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics.

Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon's principles of diversity extend to race and gender identity, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one's identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, passion for lifelong learning, emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible construction management experience delivering higher education, institutional, healthcare, or schedule driven projects. Experience must include substantial direct responsibility during construction for contractor management, schedule control, cost management, change management, field issue resolution, and project closeout.

Bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or related field.

Significant progressively responsible construction experience may substitute for formal education. Such as prior experience working for a construction company as a project manager, project engineer, superintendent, scheduler, or similar role requiring direct interaction with subcontractors.

Preferred Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, architecture, or related field preferred. PMP certification a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Mastery of design and construction process. Ability to read, understand and create construction drawings including Structural, Civil, Architectural, and MEP.

Experience with AutoCAD, MS Word, MS Excel, Microsoft Project, and Procore.

Required Other Training, Certifications, or Licensing

FE, PE, PMP, NCARB, RA certification and/or general contractor license.

Job Duties

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Manage the construction, and close out phases as well as coordinate activities of designated projects to ensure that goals or objectives of project are accomplished within prescribed time fame and funding parameters. Perform the full range of project management cycle from bidding to close-out: initiating, planning, budgeting, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Manage the construction budgets from conception through final completion. CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT Lead the University's construction-phase management of assigned projects and serve as the Owner's primary representative in managing contractor performance and successful project delivery. Monitor contractor performance against contractual schedule requirements, project milestones, and University occupancy commitments. Collaborate with contractors to develop and implement recovery plans when adjustments are needed to maintain project milestones. Review baseline schedules, schedule updates, critical path activities, procurement schedules, manpower and sequencing. Confirm reported progress is consistent with actual field conditions and challenge unsupported schedule assumptions or completion projections. Maintain a strong field presence and routinely evaluate construction progress, staffing, sequencing, quality, safety concerns, site logistics, and constraints that could affect project delivery. Facilitate constructive performance discussions with contractors by establishing clear expectations, documenting commitments, monitoring corrective actions, and supporting timely resolution of outstanding issues. Establish clear expectations, document commitments, track corrective actions, and elevate unresolved issues as appropriate. Anticipate construction risks and identify potential delays, conflicts, long-lead procurement issues, design conflicts or omissions, owner decisions, and other impediments before they affect the critical path. Lead construction progress meetings with a focus on decisions, accountability, schedule, outstanding RFIs/submittals, procurement, change management, and resolution of constraints. Review contractor payment applications and validate reported percent complete against actual work in place and contractual requirements. Review change order requests for entitlement, scope, cost, schedule impact, supporting documentation, and compliance with the contract. Negotiate or support negotiation of changes to protect the University's interests. Coordinate with architects, engineers, University stakeholders and authorities having jurisdiction to resolve field conditions and construction issues promptly. Oversee punch-list completion, commissioning, inspections, training, closeout documentation and warranty obligations and drive these activities to completion. DESIGN & PLANNING Reviews construction documents, bid packages, contracts for constructability and compliance with AIA owner-contractor contracts, and schedule. Reviews submitted bid packages and awarding contract to successful bidder. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION Attends departmental and division meetings Reviews and certifies invoices for payment Solicits estimates and establish purchase orders for goods and services. INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY BUILDING Community is foundational to Elon and a shared responsibility within our residential campus. All who work at Elon should demonstrate an understanding of and engagement with Elon's foundational commitment to relationships, mentoring and collaboration in a close-knit residential community. We embrace the shared responsibility to foster inclusive excellence within a strong residential community. Accordingly, employees are expected to join together and build connections in activities that foster an active and engaged campus environment and engage in professional development to support the shared responsibility of enriching diversity, equity, and inclusion through meaningful relationships and mentoring at Elon. Employees are encouraged to, for example, attend or participate in campus activities such as College Coffee, Numen Lumen, campus cultural events, athletic events, continuing education, professional development opportunities and trainings, employee resource groups and other university-sponsored activities to demonstrate an active commitment to the Elon community.