Water Plant Construction Project Leader

Ruby-Collins Inc.; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family healthcare

Year-end rest PTO

Company-paid disability & life

401(k) with company match

Wellness program

Best Place to Work

Job summary

Ruby-Collins is seeking a Water Plant Construction Project Manager in Atlanta to lead complex water and wastewater plant projects from initiation through closeout. You will own the project P&L, manage budgets, schedules, and safety, and coordinate with owners, engineers, and field teams.

This role requires 5+ years in construction management for water/wastewater, a degree in construction management or civil engineering, and proficiency with Foundation ERP, P6, Bluebeam.

Qualifications

• Industry Experience: A minimum of 5+ years of progressive Project Management experience within water or wastewater treatment plant construction & Rehab.
• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred.
• Contractual Fluency: Demonstrated proficiency in managing water plant project contracts and delivery methods, including Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, and CMAR.
• Financial Acumen: Strong command of construction accounting principles, cost-to-complete (CTC) reporting, and schedule of values (SOV) management.
• Technical Proficiency: Experience with construction ERP and accounting systems (Foundation preferred), scheduling software (P6/MS Project), digital takeoff and markup tools (Bluebeam), and water plant project document controls.
• Leadership & Communication: Superior negotiation and communication skills with the ability to maintain professional authority when coordinating with owners, plant representatives, design engineers, subcontractors, field crews, and client executives.
• Compliance: Authorized to work in the US, valid driver’s license & clean driving record (MVR), ability to pass pre-employment drug screening/physical
• Mobility: Willingness to work at various project sites as required by the regional project portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Establish project budgets, manage initial cost adjustments, and oversee data integration into accounting system.
• Conduct comprehensive reviews of owner and General Contractor agreements, water plant scopes, and project requirements; negotiate terms to ensure operational and financial protections are in place.
• Execute the full procurement lifecycle, including subcontractor and vendor qualification, treatment process equipment and material submittal management, and issuance of accurate purchase orders and subcontracts.
• Facilitate internal hand-off meetings to ensure field leadership and project teams are aligned on plant scope, schedule, work sequencing, safety requirements, and operational constraints.
• Proactively identify value-engineering opportunities and manage the identification, documentation, and negotiation of design changes and change orders affecting plant structures, process systems, piping, and equipment.
• Oversee the complete billing cycle, including quantity verification, monthly billing production, and the review/approval of project-related invoices to ensure positive cash flow.
• Collaborate with Superintendents and Foremen to coordinate equipment logistics, labor productivity, subcontractor sequencing, plant access, and budget adherence.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for owners, plant representatives, and design teams while managing RFIs, submittals, and formal project correspondence.
• Drive the punch list, testing, startup, and commissioning support process to ensure timely project acceptance and minimize tail-end costs.
• Finalize project financials, ensuring all outstanding billings and change orders are documented and resolved.
• Manage the production of closeout documentation, including record drawings, operation and maintenance manuals, warranties, training records, and other items required for plant turnover and release of retainage.
• Conduct formal post-project reviews to analyze financial health, production variances, and lessons learned for future bids.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Leadership

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or related technical field

Tools

Foundation ERP

P6/MS Project

Bluebeam

MS Project

Job description

Ruby-Collins is seeking a Water Plant Construction Project Manager in Atlanta to lead complex water and wastewater plant projects from initiation through closeout. You will own the project P&L, manage budgets, schedules, and safety, and coordinate with owners, engineers, and field teams.

This role requires 5+ years in construction management for water/wastewater, a degree in construction management or civil engineering, and proficiency with Foundation ERP, P6, Bluebeam.