Senior Construction Manager

Description

JOB OVERVIEW

Prospect Park Alliance’s Design & Construction (D+C) department is responsible for Capital Projects throughout Prospect Park, leading capital planning, design, procurement, and construction. The team’s $130M+ portfolio includes upgrades to essential infrastructure such as paths and stormwater drainage; restoration of historic buildings, structures, and landscapes; and revitalization of vital community spaces including playgrounds, entrances and plazas. The team includes licensed architects, landscape architects, construction managers, and a historian/archivist, who together steward the historic Olmsted and Vaux landscape as a thriving, welcoming, and resilient 21st-century community asset.

The Senior Construction Manager leads the construction phase of PPA capital projects and supports projects from constructability review through procurement and construction. Collaborating closely with internal PPA design and operations teams, NYC Parks, regulatory bodies, utility partners, and contractors, the Senior Construction Manager leads construction oversight, contract administration, schedule and cost management, quality control, resolution of field issues, and proactive risk mitigation.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS / KEY JOB OUTCOMES

Pre-Construction & Procurement

• Lead comprehensive constructability reviews during design phases, collaborating with PPA designers, architects, and external consultants to resolve potential constructability, phasing, sequencing, and material sourcing challenges early.
• Direct construction procurement processes for capital projects, overseeing the preparation of Bid Documents, managing RFI responses, and conducting thorough bid evaluations, negotiations, and contract award recommendations.
• Coordinate with regulatory bodies, NYC Parks, utility partners, and third-party inspection firms to secure required approvals, permits, and pre-construction clearances.

Construction Project Management & Field Oversight

• Serve as PPA’s on-site construction representative by inspecting work for materials, workmanship, and compliance with the contract requirements; maintaining detailed job site records including daily field notes and daily and weekly construction reports; and reporting on progress.
• Oversee quality assurance, project tracking, and risk mitigation across active job sites, ensuring work meets high standards of historic preservation and ecological restoration.
• Manage project schedules and critical path milestones, proactively identifying risks or delays and partnering with contractors to implement mitigation and recovery strategies.
• Oversee project budgets and financial administration, reviewing and processing payment requisitions, change orders, potential cost overruns, and Change Order Directives.
• Lead and participate in regular construction status meetings and coordinate with contractors, internal design and operations teams, NYC Parks, agencies with jurisdiction, and other external stakeholders.
• Manage all project records, ensuring submittals, drawings, and other pertinent project information are submitted in an accurate and timely manner, and keeping records well-organized and up-to-date.

Team Leadership & Portfolio Governance

• Manage, mentor, and supervise reporting Construction Managers, fostering professional development and establishing performance expectations across the team.
• Optimize resource allocation and assignment of construction management staff across the capital project portfolio to maximize efficiency and coverage.
• Develop and promote consistent standard operating procedures for field documentation, submittal workflows, contract administration, billing reviews, construction quality, and project closeout.

                                                                           Perform other job-related duties and functions as assigned

Requirements

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or other relevant discipline.
• 7-10 years of experience managing construction projects of comparable scale and complexity, including projects in the $1M-$50M+ range, including at least two (2) years with primary responsibility for projects exceeding $5M. 
• Experience with public-sector capital delivery, historic and/or landmark buildings, and complex urban site construction is strongly preferred. 
• Certifications: OSHA 30-Hour Construction Outreach Training required or to be obtained within six months of hire. 
• Professional construction-management certification (CACM/CCM) and relevant stormwater or erosion-and-sediment-control training strongly preferred. 
• Proficiency working with Google Workspace, MS Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, and Bluebeam; experience with AutoCAD preferred
• A valid Driver’s license is required

COMPETENCIES (Knowledge, Skills & Personal Attributes)

Passion for the Alliance Mission & Core Values: A passion for public parks and environmental conservation combined with a commitment to treating others with respect, appreciating individual differences and embracing the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Ethics & Integrity: Earns the trust and respect of others through a consistent commitment to integrity, honesty, and professionalism in all interactions.

Job Knowledge:

• Construction Knowledge & Technical Judgment: Strong knowledge of building and site construction, including civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical and specialty systems. Able to read and interpret contract drawings and specifications, evaluate construction means and methods, identify constructability issues, and exercise sound technical judgment in the field. Experience with historic and landmark structures is preferred.
• Construction & Contract Administration: Knowledge of construction delivery and contracting, including design-bid-build and construction management delivery; contractor procurement; submittals and RFIs; payment requisitions; change orders; and construction documentation. Familiarity with New York City public construction requirements, approvals and agency coordination is strongly preferred.
• Cost, Schedule & Risk Management: Able to assess construction costs and schedules, evaluate contractor progress, anticipate potential impacts to project delivery, identify risks and recommend practical corrective action.
• Stormwater Management & Environmental Compliance: Knowledge of erosion and sediment control practices and construction-phase stormwater requirements. Familiarity with NYC DEP stormwater permitting, SWPPP implementation and compliance, inspection and documentation requirements, and coordination of corrective actions is strongly preferred. 
• Health & Safety: Strong understanding of job-site health and safety requirements and practices. Proactively identifies hazards and risks and works with contractors and project stakeholders to ensure appropriate corrective measures are implemented.
• Project Management: Contributes to setting work priorities and direction. Recommends additional resources that would improve effectiveness and helps others access required resources.

 Staff Management + Coaching: Ability to lead, supervise, and coach members of the department. Has the authority to hire, discipline, appraise performance, or strongly recommend such actions 

Planning, Organizing + Problem-Solving: Able to manage multiple projects and competing priorities; establish and meet deadlines; maintain accurate and well-organized project records; and consistently produce timely, thorough, and high-quality work with appropriate independence.

Decision-Making & Judgment: Proactively identifies issues, gathers and evaluates relevant information, develops practical solutions and exercises sound judgment. Understands when issues require escalation and communicates potential impacts and recommended courses of action clearly..

Communication: The ability to understand and analyze projects and communication, whether written, verbal, or graphic representations, for user groups, contractors, administrators, consultants, engineers, and a variety of non-professional stakeholders

Relationship Building:  Builds constructive working relationships with contractors, designers, operations staff, agency partners, and other stakeholders

Collaboration & Teamwork: Committed to working in collaboration with others, promoting cooperation and commitment to others and being a positive team contributor

Technology: Technically proficient with industry-standard software programs for construction and project management, including AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Adobe Creative Suite and SketchUp. Knowledge of project management software is a plus. Fluency with Google Workspace applications is essential

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Work is normally performed both in a typical interior office setting, which does not subject the employee to any hazardous or unusual elements, and in the field, which subjects the employee to various external elements, including potentially adverse weather conditions.
• Requires operating a motor vehicle; standing for extended periods of time; use of a desktop, laptop or video display terminal; and identifying and distinguishing colors and shades of color.
• Requires minor physical exertion - lifting, pushing, and carrying, etc. up to 25 lbs.
• Requires communicating information with co-workers, stakeholders and/or the public; reading correspondence, instructions and/or technical documents; writing correspondence and/or reports and filling in forms. 

TOTAL COMPENSATION (Compensation + Benefits)

• Job Grade: 3 (Mid-Level Managerial)  
• Annual Salary: $92,000 - 96,000 (annual gross earnings) 
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• 20 Vacation Days
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Comprehensive Health Benefits offered, including: 
  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Supplemental Benefits including: HSA, FSA, Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Benefits, AFLAC & Pet Insurance
  • 403b Contributions + 2% Employer Contribution

Diversity Makes Us Stronger Together: Prospect Park Alliance serves park users of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and strives to reflect this diversity throughout our operations and in our leadership, staff, stakeholders, and supporters. We know that by creating an equitable and inclusive workplace built on mutual respect and the appreciation of difference, our employees will feel safe to express themselves, voice their opinions, and work together to find common ground and solutions. Integral to this vision is our longstanding commitment to provide equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment.