Project Manager

Actalent; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 110,336,000 - 179,088,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Critical Illness

Accident

Hospital

401(k) Plan

Life Insurance

AD&D

Short-term Disability

Long-term Disability

HSA

Transit Benefits

EAP

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Actalent in Aurora, IL is seeking a Project Manager – HVAC/Mechanical Construction to lead projects from award through completion, coordinating with clients, vendors, and internal teams. The role requires 5+ years of HVAC PM experience, design-build proficiency, and strong budgeting and ERP skills.

On-site in the Chicago area with a contract-to-hire path. Candidates should be adept at managing budgets, submittals, and schedules while ensuring safety and quality standards across multifamily,

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years as a Project Manager in HVAC.
• Proven design-build project management experience.
• Experience managing projects from $20K to $6M.
• Strong HVAC knowledge and installation sequencing.
• Experience with submittals, cut sheets, and approvals.
• Proficient in ERP tools and Excel.
• Ability to coordinate with clients, vendors, and field teams.

Responsibilities

• Oversee HVAC and mechanical construction projects from award to completion.
• Own project delivery including schedule, budget, and quality.
• Manage budgets, cost tracking, billing, and labor hours.
• Coordinate equipment installation and milestone tracking.
• Procure equipment and manage submittals and approvals.
• Attend meetings with clients, contractors, and internal teams.
• Conduct job site visits in the greater Chicago area.
• Collaborate with engineering, CAD, estimating, and operations.

Skills

HVAC project management

Design-build experience

Budgeting & billing

Submittals & approvals

Client coordination

ERP systems

Excel & project tracking

Tools

Trimble Spectrum

Job description

Job Title: Project Manager – HVAC/Mechanical Construction

Job Description

This role oversees HVAC and mechanical construction projects across multifamily, senior living, commercial, retail, and educational facilities. The Project Manager leads projects from award through completion, ensuring schedules, budgets, and client expectations are consistently met. The position requires strong project management skills within the HVAC sector, with responsibility for budgeting, billing, equipment procurement, submittals, and coordination among internal teams, clients, vendors, and subcontractors.

Responsibilities

• Manage HVAC and mechanical construction projects across multifamily, senior living, commercial, retail, and educational facilities from award through completion.
• Own overall project delivery, ensuring schedule, budget, quality standards, and client expectations are achieved.
• Oversee project budgets, including cost tracking, billing processes, and labor hour monitoring to maintain financial objectives.
• Coordinate HVAC equipment installation and ensure project milestones and critical path activities are met.
• Manage equipment procurement and material releases to support project schedules and avoid delays.
• Review, process, and track equipment submittals, cut sheets, and approval documentation in alignment with project specifications.
• Purchase and buy out project materials while maintaining budget targets and cost controls.
• Attend project meetings with clients, contractors, and internal teams to communicate status, resolve issues, and align expectations.
• Conduct regular job site visits in the greater Chicago area to monitor progress, quality, safety, and overall project execution.
• Coordinate closely with vendors, subcontractors, and field personnel throughout the project lifecycle to ensure smooth installation and timely completion.
• Manage RFIs and other project documentation required for design-build HVAC projects.
• Support and collaborate with internal stakeholders including engineering, CAD, estimating, and operations to drive successful project outcomes.
• Handle projects ranging in size from approximately $20,000 to $6,000,000, adjusting management approach to project scope and complexity.
• Maintain accurate project records, documentation, and communication using ERP systems, Excel, email, and cloud-based tools such as Dropbox.

Essential Skills

• At least 5+ years of experience as a Project Manager in the HVAC industry, with minimal need for training.
• Proven experience managing HVAC projects in a design-build environment.
• Demonstrated success managing projects ranging from approximately $20K to $6M in value.
• Strong HVAC mechanical construction knowledge, including equipment, installation processes, and project sequencing.
• Experience reviewing and managing submittals, cut sheets, and approval documentation for HVAC projects.
• Hands-on project management experience with multifamily, school, retail, and commercial facilities.
• Proficiency in project management tools and processes, including RFIs and other construction documentation.
• Ability to coordinate and communicate effectively with clients, contractors, vendors, subcontractors, and internal field personnel.
• Experience using Trimble Spectrum or another ERP system to manage project financials and operations.
• Solid technical aptitude with the ability to use Excel, email, and Dropbox for project tracking, communication, and file management.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Degree is not required, providing an opportunity for experienced project managers from diverse educational backgrounds.
• Comfort working with ERP systems and adapting to new software tools as needed.
• Experience in a design-build HVAC mechanical environment is highly beneficial.
• Background managing projects in multifamily, school, retail, and commercial sectors.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in handling budgets, schedules, and documentation.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, family-oriented atmosphere that values loyalty and long-term relationships.
• Willingness to work in a non-union environment.

Work Environment

This position is based in an Aurora office, with a standard schedule of Monday through Friday, generally from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Weekend work is rare and typically only required when projects are significantly behind schedule. The Project Manager works on-site in the office five days per week and visits job sites in the greater Chicago area approximately once or twice per week to oversee field activities. The organization operates with approximately 60–100 employees and maintains a fleet of 20 service vans. The Aurora location includes a professional team structure with engineering, CAD, project management, general management, business operations, controlling, and estimating resources. The environment promotes a close-knit, family atmosphere, values loyalty, and experiences very low turnover, offering stable, long-term career potential within a collaborative construction and HVAC service setting.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Aurora, IL.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $38.46 - $62.50/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Aurora,IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.