WHAT DOES A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER DO?
Updated: May 28, 2025 - The Construction Project Manager ensures projects are completed on time and within budget, aligning with contractual plans and specifications. This responsibility includes evaluating contractor suggestions, reviewing progress schedules, and ensuring compliance with operation and maintenance standards. The manager has a thorough understanding of engineering principles to make informed decisions on contract documents, resolve discrepancies, and oversee all project-related administrative duties.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Construction Project Manager
1. Construction Project Manager Duties
- Project Lifecycle Oversight: Oversee all stages of project life cycle and manage project budget.
- Stakeholder Reporting: Provide timely status reports to stakeholders.
- Schedule and Budget Management: Manage and coordinate with the selected Construction Manager/General Contractor to keep the project within the established schedule and budget constraints.
- Leasing Support: Significant interaction and support of the leasing department reviewing LOIs/work letters and creating budgets/schedules that are utilized to underwrite deals.
- Procurement Management: Manage the procurement of design and construction consultant services.
- Schedule Maintenance: Prepare, maintain and monitor design deliverable schedules.
- Insurance Coordination: Define Insurance Requirements in conjunction with Risk Management team for individual projects.
- Claims Resolution: Assist in claims mitigation and dispute resolution.
- Documentation Management: Manage and prepare high quality project documentation including detailed monthly reports, minutes, issues logs, budgets, approvals to assure accurate and quality information.
- Financial Review Contribution: Contribute to the monthly/quarterly financial review processes as it relates to capital projects, construction and renovations activity.
2. Construction Project Manager Details
- Construction Risk Management: Effectively manage construction risk on behalf of the Company.
- Project Planning Assistance: Assist in the planning, development, and execution of capital projects.
- Budget Development: Develop project budgets and negotiate contracts/bids to acquire necessary resources to ensure project completion.
- Cost and Schedule Control: Track and control project costs and schedules.
- Contractor Coordination: Screen, select, and coordinate contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, and suppliers.
- Contract Administration: Responsive management and administration of contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, and suppliers including preparation of scopes, drafting of agreements, preparing budgets, analyzing proposals, negotiating fees, and negotiating change orders.
- Budget Management: Manage the project’s budget through diligent cost control management including budget updates, cash flows, invoice approval, change order tracking, contingency tracking and billing, accounting for contingency resources, and finalizing all monthly financial reports.
- System Improvements Assistance: Assist in identifying and implementing system and/or capital improvements that either ensure superior property conditions or create operational cost savings.
- Asset Strategy Collaboration: Work closely with the asset management team to understand asset strategy and develop capital projects and renovation plans to maximize stated objectives.
3. Construction Project Manager Responsibilities
- Opportunity Identification: Manages industry contacts, Data Mining, and Sales Team to locate bid opportunities.
- Project Supervision: Assists Supervisors in the supervision and responsibility of the total construction effort in accordance with design, budget, quality, and schedule.
- Project Direction: Directs Supervisors and Foremen to achieve completion of the project on schedule, within budget, with quality workmanship that conforms to original plans and specifications.
- Contract Familiarity: Become familiar with Prime Contractors Subcontract documents, and understand the process for reporting Change Orders and progress delays.
- Report Preparation: Prepare and/or review project Daily Reports to document weather and field conditions, manpower and equipment, progress and conditions impacting the project, as well as Accident Reports, Quality Reports, etc.
- Schedule Management: Maintains construction schedule, identifies and solves problems.
- Specification Understanding: Understands the project plans and specifications.
- Relationship Maintenance: Maintain positive relationships with customers, contractors, suppliers, and other employees.
- Inspection Coordination: Coordinate site testing and other inspection services.
- Punch List Supervision: Prepares, schedules, and supervises completion of a final punch list.
4. Construction Project Manager Accountabilities
- Design Oversight: Oversee design and office services during construction, monitor contractor progress, activities, use of approved materials, equipment, and scheduling materials testing.
- Submittal Review: Review and respond to contractor submittals, RFIs, letters.
- Contract Adaptation: Evaluate contractor suggestions for minor changes to contract requirements.
- Schedule and Document Review: Review contractor progress schedules, certificates, and operations and maintenance manuals.
- Recommendation Provision: Review NOPCs and provide recommendations.
- Project Management: Ensure the project is constructed on time and within budget per contract plans and specifications.
- Contract Interpretation: Understand, interpret, and make sound engineering determinations regarding the contract documents, including Contract Change Orders, project specifications, and claims.
- Discrepancy Resolution: Resolve or facilitate the resolution of all discrepancies or problems with the contract documents and issues arising from field operations.
- Contract Decision Making: Determine all significant and final decisions regarding contract administration.
- Supervisory Leadership: Supervise all subordinates and sub-consultants.
5. Construction Project Manager Functions
- Site Safety: Promotes job site safety, encourages safe work practices, and rectifies site hazards immediately.
- Safety Meetings: Ensures that daily safety meetings and “Toolbox Talks” are conducted and that all company employees and contractors adhere to the company safety policy.
- Site Organization: Helps to maintain an organized job site, including the construction office.
- Relationship Management: Maintains constructive working relationships with the contractor and client.
- Safety Program Monitoring: Monitors the contractor's safety program.
- Claims Mitigation: Assists in claims mitigation and dispute resolution.
- Project Documentation: Manages and prepares high-quality project documentation, including detailed monthly reports, minutes, issue logs, budgets, and approvals, to ensure accurate and quality information.
- Financial Review: Contributes to the monthly/quarterly financial review processes as it relates to capital projects, construction, and renovation activity.
- Asset Evaluation: Evaluates the physical condition of assets and recommends value-add renovation scopes to enhance the form and function of physical space.
6. Construction Project Manager Role Purpose
- Leadership: Provide leadership for multiple aspects of controls, including costs, planning, scheduling, engineering, supervision, and management of personnel
- Project Management: Project start-up, project completion, and the entire close-out process
- Personnel Development: Develop a strategy for personnel development and recruiting
- Contract Management: Responsible for managing contractual issues
- Customer Relations: Establish and maintain customer relationships
- Cost Forecasting: Accurately forecast costs for job completion
- Team Leadership: Provide leadership and development to the project team
- Problem Solving: Final say in the resolution of problems
- Quality Control: Take responsibility for Quality Assurance and Quality Control plans
- Issue Identification: Identify issues to the Program Manager to ensure the success of the project
- Schedule and Budget Review: Review and approve preliminary schedules, financial projections, and cost to complete
- Site Compliance: Ensure construction site rules and procedures are implemented and followed
- Safety Coordination: Coordinate with the Safety Manager to ensure projects are completed following safety goals
7. Store Construction Project Manager Roles
- Project Execution: Manage project execution through all phases, from giving inputs on projects’ feasibility through handover to the store management team
- Budgeting and Scheduling: Create a budget and schedule for the project in the development phase
- Scope Definition: Support the Design and Store Development teams to identify the scope of work and handover conditions
- Code Compliance: Support the design team to identify the necessary local code requirements and documents for permitting
- Contractor Management: Lead bidding process, selection, and management of general contractors and suppliers
- Procurement: Select, propose, qualify, and procure all design elements and owner-furnished materials of the store design concept
- Supplier Management: Develop a mix of suppliers that allow for the optimal tradeoffs among costs, installation, and durability of materials
- Site Coordination: Regularly visit store sites and work together with the Store Design team and local architects to solve issues
- Process Improvement: Lead post-project analyses and discussions, identify opportunities, and strive for continual process improvement
- CAPEX Planning: Develop and submit CAPEX budget proposals for all new stores and improvements of existing stores
- Invoice Management: Ensure timely approval and payment of all invoices in partnership with the Accounting department
8. Construction Project Manager Overview
- Team Management: Manage a multi-disciplinary team of individuals specialising in engineering, construction, planning/scheduling, commercial, risk, quality, health and safety, land and wayleaves, legal, communications and engagement, environment, and administration/document control
- Site Supervision: Ensure a high level of site presence from the project teams during the construction phase, and work to ensure all project team members (including contractors) are supported and developed to safely, sustainably, and efficiently deliver projects
- Stakeholder Engagement: Represent the Transmission business and projects across the SSE business and externally to a wide range of stakeholders
- Relationship Building: Build and maintain productive and enduring relationships with Contractors, Stakeholders, Communities, and the public to support the sustainable delivery of the projects that you are responsible for
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with all legal, regulatory, and internal regulations, processes, and governance
- Business Improvement: Identify business improvements and support colleagues and the business to develop, test, implement, and verify business improvements
- Scope Management: Manage the scope of work that fully encompasses a full design and/or construction team as directed by the supervisor
- Project Complexity Management: Responsible for varied levels of project complexity and project valuation limits (multidisciplinary, full lifecycle development management)
- Field Issue Resolution: Review, analyze, and resolve field construction problems, discrepancies, and interference within the area of discipline with A/E supervision, client, and contractors, and report to the supervisor
- Multi-Project Handling: Manage multiple projects at one time
- Procedure Development: Develop/update field work procedure documents, and involve research and interpretation of Codes, technical manuals, journals, etc
- Technical Supervision: Provide technical direction and supervision to contracting personnel
- Design Review: Provide review of A/E design documents for completion, coordination, schedule, and constructability
9. Construction Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities
- Team Communication: Maintain daily communication with the Supervisor and project team on the progress of areas of responsibility
- Payment Review: Thoroughly review the progress payment applications and obtain appropriate approvals
- Field Work Approval: Approve the Time and Material field work with the Contractor
- Professional Correspondence: Correspond with Owner/Architect/Contractor and Subcontractors in a timely and professional manner
- Reporting Oversight: Monitor Client/Owner required reports and schedules (prepared by the Contractor or Subcontractors)
- Budget Development: Develop (with review of Supervisor) full development budgets and project commitment reports, and maintain accurate budget and activity reports for Owner reporting
- Client Reporting: Review with Supervisor and transmit field updates and photo reporting to clients weekly
- Work Assignment: Make work assignments for employees to continue to be challenged and productive (if applicable and as directed by the Supervisor)
- Schedule Monitoring: Monitor the schedule of areas of responsibility and participate in all scheduled meetings
- Change Management: Review PCO/CCD quotes, negotiate changes, and claims protection with review by the Supervisor
- Schedule Development: Create full development schedules for review with review of Supervisor and delivery to the Clients
- Mentorship: Provide mentorship to Assistant Project Managers or Project Coordinators as required or directed by the Supervisor
- Project Management: Manage some aspects of projects, including regulatory submissions, budgets, schedules, the design process, construction process, quality control, and adherence to project specifications and drawings under the direction of the Senior Director
- Budget Maintenance: Maintain budget reports
- Purchasing Management: Manage the purchasing process, including construction services, materials purchasing, and reviewing and approving invoices
- Record Maintenance: Maintain project records, including design drawings, submittals, as-builts, correspondence, regulatory submissions, financial statements, and all other project information
10. Construction Project Manager Roles and Details
- Design Coordination: Assists the Senior Director by directly overseeing design meetings with facility employees and design consultants
- Equipment Coordination: Maintains the project equipment lists and requirements by coordinating design meetings between facility employees, design consultants and Supply Chain personnel
- Budget Management: Manages project budgets to be presented to the Facility administration and regulatory agencies, to be used for overall project design parameters
- Regulatory Support: Assists the Senior Director in managing regulatory review packages
- Vendor Support: Provides direct support to design consultants and vendors
- Design Review: Reviews design documents for compliance with end user programs, facility standards and needs, regulatory agency requirements and codes under the guidance of the Senior Director
- Construction Supervision: Provides direct supervision of contractors or CM staff working on facility grounds, including scheduling, adherence to job specifications, quality of workplace, safety, and regulatory compliance
- Facility Collaboration: Works with the facility staff on facility construction projects
- Project Completion Oversight: Monitors the oversight of project completion and occupancy with emphasis on construction closeout, commissioning of mechanical equipment and systems, scheduling of equipment deliveries and startups
- Regulatory Coordination: Coordinates with all regulatory agencies, development and implementation of staff orientation and education, and financial closeout
- Reporting: Submits all other work reports as required/requested by the Senior Director, and reports
- Continuous Education: Attends and participates in continuing educational programs and seminars to increase/maintain current level of knowledge of health care facility design and operation
- Performance Improvement: Participates and assures the department’s involvement in the ongoing Performance Improvement initiative
- Information Communication: Utilizes multiple methodologies to communicate information
- Safety Compliance: Ensures adherence to safety standards for employees and patients
- Committee Participation: Participates in committees, task forces, projects, etc.
- Staff Supervision: Provides direct supervision of additional department staff for tasks such as scheduling, specifications review, quality of workplace issues, safety, and regulatory compliance
- Project Documentation: Writes Project Worksheets (PWs) to determine project eligibility, scopes of work, and estimating review for repairs and/or replacements of a facility or structure
- Technical Support: Provides technical, cost estimating, disaster recovery, and/or management review and services while supporting technical professionals