MalaceHR is seeking a Senior Project Manager to support capital construction and facility improvement projects at a commercial and industrial campus in San Diego, CA. This is a fully onsite, site-based position supporting projects ranging from approximately $500,000 to $1 million, as well as larger capital redevelopment initiatives that may reach $30–$40 million and involve broader project teams.

The ideal candidate will bring significant experience in both Owner’s Representative project management and general contracting, with a strong understanding of commercial construction, MEP systems, and complex facility environments. Experience supporting laboratories, mechanical systems, electrical infrastructure, HVAC, BMS, and related building systems is highly preferred.

This individual will be responsible for full lifecycle project management, including planning, budgeting, design coordination, procurement, construction oversight, stakeholder communication, financial management, commissioning, and project closeout.

Key Responsibilities

Manage capital and facility projects from initial planning through design, construction, commissioning, and closeout.
Provide end-to-end lifecycle management for assigned projects and project portfolios.
Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, execution plans, and overall delivery strategies.
Coordinate and oversee construction managers, general contractors, equipment suppliers, architects, engineers, commissioning providers, and other professional service firms.
Lead project planning and execution while maintaining accountability for safety, quality, schedule, budget, cash flow, and project closeout.
Develop and submit Capital Appropriation Requests and purchase orders through established client systems.
Prepare business cases and supporting documentation for capital investment decisions.
Lead capital approval discussions with stakeholders to support go/no-go decisions.
Identify opportunities for value engineering and cost savings without compromising project quality or operational requirements.
Review and approve vendor invoices and monitor project expenditures against approved budgets.
Maintain project cost forecasts, cash flow projections, and long-range financial plans for the campus.
Coordinate with facility management teams, end users, engineering teams, and other stakeholders to incorporate requirements involving:
- Mechanical systems
- Electrical systems
- HVAC
- Building Management Systems (BMS)
- Security systems
- Laboratory equipment
- Other critical facility infrastructure
Conduct regular site and field visits to evaluate construction progress, safety, workmanship, and overall project quality.
Organize and lead project meetings with project teams, core teams, steering committees, contractors, and client stakeholders.
Maintain strong communication between all project participants and ensure decisions, risks, and action items are clearly documented.
Identify and mitigate project risks, delays, construction issues, and disputes.
Perform project scoping and oversee estimating and scheduling activities for future capital projects.
Manage project documentation, change controls, contracts, schedules, budgets, and progress reporting.
Support contract administration, procurement, tendering, and vendor selection activities.
Ensure projects comply with applicable safety, quality, regulatory, and client requirements.
Support commissioning, operational turnover, and final project closeout.
Attend required client training and become proficient with internal project management and financial systems.

Required Qualifications

U.S. Citizenship required.
10+ years of Owner’s Representative project management experience.
5–10+ years of experience working for or closely with a general contractor.
Strong construction contractor background with demonstrated experience managing complex commercial or industrial projects.
Experience managing capital construction projects through the full project lifecycle.
Strong background in commercial construction, industrial facilities, or similar technically complex environments.
Experience managing projects involving MEP systems.
Strong mechanical construction knowledge; electrical and broader MEP experience is highly valued.
Experience with project planning, construction execution, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, and cost management.
Strong understanding of general contractor, architect, engineering, commissioning, and specialty vendor coordination.
Proven ability to manage multiple contractors and professional service providers simultaneously.
Strong financial management skills including estimating, budgeting, forecasting, invoice review, and change management.
Excellent stakeholder management and client-facing communication skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with executives, facility teams, contractors, engineers, and end users.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and project management software.
Ability to work independently in a site-based Owner’s Representative capacity.
Ability to work onsite full time in San Diego, CA. Remote work is not available for this position.

Preferred Qualifications

Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, or related technical background.
Experience supporting laboratory environments.
Experience managing HVAC, BMS, mechanical, electrical, security, or specialized laboratory infrastructure projects.
Experience managing both smaller capital projects and larger multi-million-dollar construction programs.
Strong background in commercial MEP construction.
Experience with campus master planning and long-range capital planning.

Core Competencies

Successful candidates should demonstrate proficiency in:

Master Planning
Feasibility Studies
Business Case Development
Capital Appropriation Requests
Project Planning
Design Development Coordination
Value Engineering
Cost Estimating & Budgeting
Procurement & Tendering
Project Scheduling
Stakeholder Communication
Construction Coordination
Quality Control
Document Control
Cost Management
Change Management
Progress Tracking & Reporting
Contract Administration
Dispute Resolution
Safety & Compliance Management
Operations Coordination
Commissioning
Project Closeout

Senior Project Manager