EXHIBIT PROJECT MANAGER

The Trade Group; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Trade Group in Dallas, TX is seeking a Project Manager to oversee customer projects from post-sale through closeout, coordinating with Sales, Design, Engineering, Estimating, Production, and Purchasing to meet scope, budget, and schedule. You will gather client feedback, resolve issues, and support leadership with service-level improvements while maintaining accurate records in Business Central.

Expect a fast-paced environment with occasional extended hours to meet deadlines and client

Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor's degree required.
• 3+ years of project management experience in exhibits/events or similar cross-functional environments.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with clients, vendors, and internal teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Experience with cost estimation, scope, timeline, and budget management.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned projects from post-sale through closeout, including scope, timeline, and cost.
• Coordinate with Sales, Design, Engineering, Estimating, Production, Purchasing, vendors, and clients.
• Support planning meetings, identify risks, and manage schedule changes.
• Maintain timelines and shipping requirements, and ensure client expectations are met.
• Review and release sales/work orders; monitor progress and costs; support final billing readiness.

Skills

Project management

Client coordination

Communication skills

Budget management

Scheduling

Vendor coordination

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Associate or Bachelor's degree

Tools

Business Central

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Job description

Manage customer projects, coordinate with internal departments, and help improve the overall client experience. This role gathers client feedback, supports issue resolution, recommends service-level improvements to leadership, shares best practices, works with Account Managers, and supports sales and company objectives. Project Managers own assigned projects from post-sale through closeout, including scope, cost, timeline, and client outcomes. With firm deadlines in the exhibit and event industry, this position may frequently require more than 40 hours per week, including work outside normal business hours or on weekends.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Own assigned projects from post-sale through closeout, including scope, timeline, cost, and client coordination.
• Exercise independent judgment on day-to-day project decisions, escalating when appropriate.
• Contribute to estimating on assigned projects, including material selection, vendor input, and cost breakdowns.
• Manage client projects, including exhibit managed program accounts, new sales, rental, custom exhibit, permanent installations, graphics, and activations or events work.
• Coordinate Sales, Design, Engineering, Estimating, Production, Purchasing, vendors, and clients to keep projects aligned to scope, timeline, budget, and client expectations.
• Participate in project planning meetings to set timelines, identify risks, provide input, and resolve communication gaps.
• Build, maintain, and communicate project timelines, including schedule changes, previews, vendor deadlines, production milestones, and shipping requirements.
• Maintain accurate Business Central records, including sales lines, orders, work orders, BOMs, shipment orders, approvals, deposits, quotes, calendars, and backup documents.
• Review and release sales agreements, sales orders, and work orders needed for drawings, setup instructions, production, and fulfillment.
• Coordinate vendor quotes, pricing, markups, purchase orders, confirmations, delivery details, shipping, and raw material needs.
• Monitor open orders, job tracking, project progress, costs, inventory needs, and monthly closing requirements.
• Coordinate previews, site visits, show supervision when needed, project follow-up, exhibit return reconciliation, final billing readiness, balance collection, and sale closure.
• Support Sales with presentations, event execution, and cross-functional coordination to meet client expectations.
• Note: Projects include a mix of custom fabrication, graphics, and event execution - PMs should be comfortable working across both build-side and event-side teams
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• An associate or bachelor's degree
• Three or more years of project management experience, ideally in exhibits, events, custom fabrication, or a similar cross-functional environment.
• Working knowledge of Business Central, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, and related business systems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work professionally with clients, vendors, and internal teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, maintain accuracy, and exercise sound judgment under pressure.
• Practical problem-solving skills, including the ability to evaluate project needs, research material options, and balance performance, cost, and schedule requirements.
• Ability to support purchasing activity, including sourcing raw materials, coordinating outsourced components, and working with approved vendors.
• Professional, dependable, detail-oriented, and able to maintain confidentiality while building effective working relationships.
• Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license.