Project Executive - Heavy Civil Construction

Wharton-Smith, Inc.; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Wharton-Smith, Inc. in Jacksonville, FL seeks a Project Executive – Heavy Civil Construction to oversee water and wastewater treatment plant projects, ensuring schedule, safety, and profitability.

Lead cross-functional teams, manage client relations with municipal and utility clients, and guide bids and contract negotiations across varied delivery methods. Requirements include a Bachelor's degree in a related field and 10 years of heavy civil water/wastewater experience, with strong leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Ten years of progressive experience in heavy civil construction, specifically water and wastewater treatment facility projects.
• Advanced understanding of construction processes and regulatory requirements for water/wastewater infrastructure.
• Experience with Design‑Bid‑Build, CMAR, and Design‑Build delivery methods in the water sector.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong client relations with municipal, utility, and public-sector clients.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction to multiple project teams on water and wastewater facilities, pump stations, pipelines, and related infrastructure.
• Develop team members through training, mentoring, and coaching for continuous improvement in project execution and delivery.
• Collaborate with Business Development and Marketing to identify and secure new water and wastewater opportunities.
• Advise senior leadership on pursuits, client development, and bid strategies within the water/wastewater sector.
• Review and negotiate contract documents to ensure understanding of scope, specifications, regulatory requirements, and deliverables.
• Coordinate interests of the company, client, and third-party stakeholders to ensure contractual obligations and client satisfaction.
• Promote collaboration and accountability across project teams to achieve unified goals.
• Supervise and review work of project personnel for compliance, quality, and accuracy.
• Provide oversight of project financial performance including cost tracking, forecasting, and profitability analysis.
• Champion safety practices across all projects by ensuring policies are implemented by PMs and Superintendents.

Skills

Leadership

Client relations

Financial management

Regulatory understanding

Contract documents

Communication

Project management

Strategic thinking

Team leadership

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management

Job description

Wharton-Smith, Inc., a highly regarded General Contractor based in Jacksonville, Florida, is seeking a highly qualified candidate for a Project Executive – Heavy Civil Construction position. This individual will be responsible for overseeing the management, execution, and financial success of our water and wastewater treatment plant construction projects.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong client relations with municipal, utility, and public-sector clients.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction to multiple project teams working on water and wastewater treatment facilities, pump stations, pipeline systems, and related infrastructure.
• Develop team members through training, mentoring, and coaching to maintain continuous improvement across project execution and delivery.
• Collaborate closely with Business Development and Marketing to identify and secure new water and wastewater opportunities.
• Participate in and advise senior leadership on pursuits, client development, and bid strategies within the water/wastewater sector.
• Review and negotiate contract documents to ensure understanding of project scope, technical specifications, regulatory requirements, and deliverables.
• Coordinate the interests of Wharton-Smith, the client, and third‑party stakeholders to ensure contractual obligations are met and client satisfaction is achieved.
• Promote collaboration, communication, and cooperation across project teams to ensure unified goals and accountability.
• Supervise, coordinate, and review the work of project personnel to ensure compliance, quality, and accuracy.
• Provide oversight and direction in project financial performance including cost tracking, forecasting, and profitability analysis.
• Champion safety practices across all projects by ensuring policies are reviewed and implemented effectively by Project Managers and Superintendents.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Ten (10) years of progressive experience in heavy civil construction, specifically in water and wastewater treatment facility projects.
• Advanced understanding of the construction processes and regulatory requirements specific to water/wastewater infrastructure.
• Experience with various delivery methods (Design‑Bid‑Build, CMAR, Design‑Build) within the water sector.
• Ability to interpret civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural drawings, technical specifications, and contract documents.
• Strong organizational, leadership, and analytical skills with a proven track record of managing complex infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and produce results through others.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to plan and manage project pipelines over a 3-5-year outlook.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Capable of managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making skills at both operational and strategic levels.
• High level of energy, integrity, and a commitment to exceptional client service.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with clients, consultants, and industry partners.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability

Wharton-Smith provides equal opportunity to qualified disabled veterans, Pre‑JVA special disabled veterans and individuals with disabilities to online application systems by making reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access for submitting to job openings. (i.e., wheelchair accessibility, website accessibility, etc).

Our recruiting process is centralized and is handled by our HR Department. If we are sent unsolicited resumes from recruiters, we will not pay any recruiting fees. Unsolicited resumes are any resumes sent to us by a recruiter who has not been pre‑approved by HR, has not signed our contract, and has not been requested by our HR Department to search for a specific position.