Project Manager

LF Studios; Hazelwood (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

LifeFormations / LF Studios is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead custom projects for themed attractions, museums, and immersive experiences worldwide. You will collaborate with Producers, Designers, Production, Purchasing, and Finance to translate creative ideas into guest experiences.

The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments, communicates exceptionally well, and leads without direct authority, managing projects from kickoff to closeout with a focus on schedule,

Qualifications

• Five or more years of project management experience in custom manufacturing, fabrication, themed entertainment, construction, museum exhibits, scenic fabrication, or a related industry.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting and forecasting.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project management software.
• Ability to travel as required for client meetings and project installations.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned projects from kickoff through final delivery.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, schedules, and milestones.
• Set priorities and maintain momentum across all phases of the project.
• Anticipate risks and develop proactive solutions before issues affect performance.
• Deliver projects on schedule, within budget, and to LifeFormations' quality standards.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned clients.
• Build trusted relationships through proactive communication and responsiveness.
• Lead project meetings, status reviews, and milestone presentations.
• Manage client expectations while balancing scope, schedule, and budget.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen long-term client relationships.
• Own project financial performance from award through closeout.
• Monitor project profitability and flag financial risks early.
• Prepare pricing and documentation for change orders.
• Collaborate with Finance to maintain accurate forecasting and billing.
• Identify technical, financial, operational, and schedule risks.
• Evaluate tradeoffs between cost, quality, and schedule.
• Escalate significant issues with recommended solutions.
• Maintain project stability through proactive planning and decision-making.
• Coordinate project reviews throughout fabrication and assembly.
• Verify deliverables meet LifeFormations' quality expectations.
• Support Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and client reviews.
• Coordinate installation logistics and project turnover.
• Lead project closeout and lessons-learned reviews.

Skills

Project management experience

Multi-project management

Financial budgeting/forecasting

Organizational skills

Written/verbal communication

Presentation skills

Travel readiness

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project management software

Job description

Position Summary

LifeFormations / LF Studios is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the successful execution of custom, one-of-a-kind projects for themed attractions, museums, and other immersive experiences around the world.

Working closely with Producers, Designer, Production teams, Purchasing, and Finance, the Project Manager coordinates the effort to transform creative ideas into exceptional guest experiences. The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments, is comfortable problem solving and updating strategy, communicates exceptionally well, and leads effectively without relying on direct authority.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Leadership:

• Own assigned projects from kickoff through final delivery.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, schedules, and milestones.
• Set priorities and maintain momentum across all phases of the project.
• Anticipate risks and develop proactive solutions before issues affect performance.
• Deliver projects on schedule, within budget, and to LifeFormations' quality standards.

Client Leadership:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned clients.
• Build trusted relationships through proactive communication and responsiveness.
• Lead project meetings, status reviews, and milestone presentations.
• Manage client expectations while balancing scope, schedule, and budget.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen long-term client relationships.

Financial Management:

• Own project financial performance from award through closeout.
• Monitor project profitability and flag financial risks early.
• Prepare pricing and documentation for change orders.
• Collaborate with Finance to maintain accurate forecasting and billing.

Risk Management:

• Identify technical, financial, operational, and schedule risks.
• Evaluate tradeoffs between cost, quality, and schedule.
• Escalate significant issues with recommended solutions.
• Maintain project stability through proactive planning and decision-making.

Quality & Delivery:

• Coordinate project reviews throughout fabrication and assembly.
• Verify deliverables meet LifeFormations' quality expectations.
• Support Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and client reviews.
• Coordinate installation logistics and project turnover.
• Lead project closeout and lessons-learned reviews.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Five or more years of project management experience in custom manufacturing, fabrication, themed entertainment, construction, museum exhibits, scenic fabrication, or a related industry.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting and forecasting.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project management software.
• Ability to travel as required for client meetings and project installations.

Preferred:

• Experience managing highly customized or engineered products.
• Familiarity managing themed entertainment projects.
• Understanding of engineering drawings and production workflows.
• PMP certification or equivalent project management training.

Success Measures:

• Delivers projects on schedule and maintains project profitability.
• Builds long-term client relationships and earns repeat business.
• Communicates proactively with clients and internal teams.
• Anticipates and resolves problems before they become critical.
• Maintains organized, accurate project documentation.
• Builds collaborative, accountable multidisciplinary teams.

Why LifeFormations?

At LifeFormations, no two projects are alike.

One day you may be helping create a life-sized animatronic dinosaur. The next, you could be leading development of an immersive museum exhibit, a traveling experience, or a themed attraction visited by millions of guests. You'll work alongside artists, engineers, sculptors, fabricators, programmers, designers, and storytellers who are passionate about creating extraordinary experiences.

If you enjoy solving complex problems, collaborating with talented people, and bringing ambitious creative visions to life, we'd love to hear from you.