Senior Construction Manager - Midwest

Design-and-Development-1; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Bonus & incentives

Unlimited PTO

Health/Dental/Vision

401k with company match

Free CAVA meals

Casual work environment

Job summary

CAVA is seeking a Senior Construction Manager to lead multi‑site restaurant development across the national expansion. You will coordinate pre‑lease, design, and construction efforts with real estate, design, operations, and external partners to deliver projects on time and within budget.

You will manage budgets, schedules, and contractor relationships while ensuring compliance with CAVA standards. Experience in restaurant construction and strong cross‑functional collaboration are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of post‑collegiate experience in a relevant construction field.
• Minimum 5 years in a project management role overseeing retail rollout construction projects, with at least 3 years in the restaurant/foodservice industry
• Ability to read/interpret construction drawings, specifications and other technical documents.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage general contractors, specialty vendors, and other professionals providing services for construction projects.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with cross‑functional partners during pre‑lease and design phases to ensure site feasibility and compliance.
• Oversee daily project management activities during construction and close‑out for national expansion of CAVA restaurants and production facilities.
• Assist Real Estate and Design teams in evaluating prospective locations and provide feedback on draft LOIs and Landlord Work Letters.
• Prepare schedules for review/approval by corporate leadership and manage budgets during project execution.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and third‑party consultants to ensure thorough due diligence and constructability feedback.
• Review design documents and specifications for constructability, budget, and schedule impacts; manage GC bid process and contract awards.
• Coordinate with Design, Architects of Record, and Expediters to secure permits; manage transfer/installation of utilities as needed.
• Drive regular progress meetings and site visits, ensuring quality, cost, and schedule goals are met; report status to leadership.

Skills

Multi-project mgmt

Cross-functional collaboration

Budget management

Read/interpret drawings

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Construction Management

PMP Certification preferred

Tools

Procore

Tririga

Lucernex

AutoCAD/REVIT

Bluebeam

MS Project

Job description

At CAVA we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good every day. We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage that’s been perfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritize authenticity, curiosity and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We are working towards something big, together.

We foster a culture built on five core values:

Generosity First, :

We lead with kindness. Our best work happens when we act in of others.

Constant Curiosity:

We are eager to learn, grow, and explore beyond the obvious.

Act with Agility:

We welcome change; it’s the only constant. We embrace, adjust, adapt.

Passion for Positivity:

We greet each day with warmth and possibility.

Collective Ambition:

We have high aspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose.

Senior Construction Manager:

Do you have high standards for executing projects? Are you an organized self-starter, capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously? Do you excel at collaborating with cross‑functional partners? If this is you, we want you to join our team. CAVA is a rapidly expanding fast‑casual restaurant and CPG brand focusing on fresh, Mediterranean‑inspired, better‑for‑you cuisine. Born from our full‑service restaurants, our chef‑driven fast‑casual format is currently in four states with further expansion ahead. We are looking for a Development Manager to join the Development Group at CAVA, helping us reach new communities with each new location Example: Summarizes cases and prepares reports for the Manager.

What You’ll Do:

• Responsible for coordinating with multiple cross‑functional partners during pre‑lease and design phases, to ensure site feasibility and compliance with Cava standards. Perform preliminary site visits as needed.
• Responsible for performing, coordinating, and/or overseeing daily project management activities during construction and close‑out phases for the national expansion of CAVA restaurants, CAVA Products production facilities.
• Assist Real Estate and Design teams in the evaluation of prospective locations and provide feedback on draft Letter of Intent and/or Landlord Work Letter.
• Work with key internal stakeholders and manage the preparation of schedules for review/approval by corporate leadership.
• Prepare budgets for projects and manage progressive budgets during project execution. Partner with RE and Design team members to validate scope and input data into cost projections and pro‑formas.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and third‑party consultants to ensure thorough due diligence is performed for projects.
• Advise design team/consultants/vendors during design development phase, on matters related to constructability, means and methods, and cost. Bring in Contractors for additional input as needed.
• Review design documents and specifications, provide feedback relative to constructability, budget, and schedule impacts.
• Manage GC Bid process, from issuing Request for Quotes, through Validating/Negotiating Bids, obtain required department leadership approvals for final Contract Award.
• Assist Design team in obtaining Landlord approvals of CAVA’s design, as required.
• Partner with Design, Architects of Record, and Expediters to ensure building and other permits required for CAVA’s build out are obtained.
• Coordinate the transfer of existing utility accounts, and/or if required, installation of new utility services.
• Manage day‑to‑day site issues as they occur during construction phase.
• Moderate regular progress meetings and perform routine site visits to ensure CAVA project goals are achieved (standard branding, quality, schedule, cost, etc), provide high‑level status updates to Department and Company leadership.
• Coordinate with Marketing/Operations on any pre‑opening efforts, as required.
• Ensure openings are successfully executed with minimal outstanding items and oversee high‑quality Turnovers to Operations Team.
• Ensure all OSI items are priced and procured accordingly for individual restaurant projects, manage Vendors for project‑specific needs.
• Coordinate with Operations team in scheduling delivery of loose equipment and/or goods required to commence staff training and open for operations.
• Support Operations/Facilities teams post‑occupancy on significant repairs and/or renovations and ensure all construction warranty items are addressed and closed out in a timely manner.
• Review, negotiate and administer contractor and vendor contracts for projects.
• Maintain detailed files for all projects in accordance with CAVA filing standards.
• Perform project close‑out administration, including but not limited to ensuring Entitlements for individual projects are obtained and all permits are fully closed‑out, obtain a complete and accurate set of as‑built drawings, with appropriate documentation in CAVA files and/or on site as applicable.
• Work with Department Lead and Finance for Capital Planning at a regular cadence.
• Partner with Accounting to reconcile invoices at a regular cadence.
• Evaluate cross‑functional and vendor deliverables and collaborate with teams to develop improved process, planning/tracking documents and communication protocols.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, evaluating successes and opportunities of each project. Turn information gathered into results that influence current processes or recommend new/improved initiatives that drive results.
• Ensure construction industry best practices are being applied for all projects.
• Assist with the onboarding and training of new team members. Strengthen existing contractor/vendor partnerships by providing ongoing performance feedback and identify opportunities for improvement and increased efficiency. Cultivate new contractor/vendor partnerships and assist in their onboarding/training.

The Qualifications:

• Professional college degree (engineering or construction management preferred)
• Project Management Certification (PMP) Preferred
• Minimum 8 years of post‑collegiate experience in a relevant construction field.
• Minimum 5 years in a project management role overseeing retail roll‑out construction projects, with at least 3 years in the restaurant/foodservice industry
• Ability to read/interpret construction drawings, specifications and other technical documents.
• Experience in managing multiple construction projects simultaneously
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage general contractors, specialty vendors, and other professionals providing services for construction projects.
• Knowledge of all project documents, including but not limited to construction documents, specifications, GC contracts, purchase orders, standard daily correspondence forms, submittals, RFI’s.
• Understanding of basic Lease terms.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Project and Excel
• Experience using cloud‑based Project Management Platforms (such as Procore, Tririga, Lucernex)
• Proficiency with AutoCAD/REVIT, Bluebeam a plus
• Ability to travel up to 50%

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to maintain stationary position to be able to operate a computer and other office equipment
• Must be able to identify, analyze and assess details
• For certain positions, must be able to occasionally move or transport items up to 50 pounds
• Ability to communicate with others and exchange information accurately and effectively
• Constantly positions self and move about to support ordinary restaurant or food production support or office operations, as applicable
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner

What we offer:

• Competitive salary, plus bonus and long‑term incentives*
• Early Wage Access!
• Unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, plus paid opportunities to give back to the community
• Health, Dental, Vision, Telemedicine, Pet Insurance plus more!
• 401k enrollment with CAVA contribution
• Company‑paid STD, LTD, Life and AD&D coverage for salaried positions*
• Free CAVA food
• Casual work environment
• The opportunity to be on the ground floor of a rapidly growing brand

*Indicates qualifying eligible positions only

*Posted salary range is total cash range

CAVA – Joining “A culture, not a concept”

As an equal opportunity employer, CAVA considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, height, weight, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or any other characteristic or protected classes as defined by federal, state, or local law.