Construction Manager - Owner's Construction Representative
- Atwell
- Full-time
- Posted
Job description
Who We Are
Atwell, LLC is a bold leader in the consulting, engineering, and construction services industry, delivering a broad range of creative solutions to clients in the real estate & land development, and energy markets. We have a strong national presence and a diverse, award-winning project portfolio. Atwell is a privately owned company, with 2,000+ passionate team members across 75+ locations and growing!
Atwell, LLC is a proud recipient of the following 2025 awards:
•Ten consecutive years in a row as a “Best Place to Work” by Zweig Group (#11)
•Recognized as #70 in the ENR Top 500 Design Firms, ranked in every region
•Recognized in Crain's “Fast 50” as one of the fastest-growing companies (#14)
•Recognized as the 2025 ENR Design Firm of the year for the Southeastern US
JOB SUMMARY
The Construction Manager serves as Atwell's Owner's Construction Representative for client development projects, supporting pre-construction, procurement, construction-phase coordination, budget and schedule oversight, reporting, closeout, and warranty-phase services. This role reviews project plans, budgets, and schedules with Owner, design, and construction teams to identify constructability, delivery, budget, and schedule concerns and develops mitigation strategies to reduce project risk.
The Construction Manager coordinates horizontal and vertical construction activities with design consultants, general and specialty contractors, municipalities, governmental agencies, suppliers, vendors, utility providers, and Owner stakeholders to maintain project schedules, control budgets, resolve issues, and support successful project delivery consistent with approved plans, specifications, contracts, and Owner expectations.
This position provides advisory construction management services on behalf of the Owner. Atwell does not act as the Contractor or Constructor and does not supervise, direct, or control contractor means, methods, techniques, sequences, procedures, site safety programs, site security, or contractor personnel.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Owner Representation and Project Leadership
•Serve as Atwell's client-facing Owner's Construction Representative for assigned development and construction management projects.
•Represent Owner priorities during pre-construction, procurement, construction, closeout, and warranty phases.
•Coordinate communication among Owner stakeholders, design consultants, contractors, specialty contractors, suppliers, vendors, utility providers, municipalities, governmental agencies, and internal Atwell resources.
•Lead multidisciplinary project coordination to support delivery consistent with approved plans, specifications, budgets, schedules, contracts, and Owner expectations.
•Maintain positive professional relationships with clients and project participants while identifying risks, resolving issues, and escalating items requiring Owner direction or approval.
Pre-Construction, Procurement, and Contracting
•Review project plans, budgets, schedules, reports, and available project data to identify constructability, delivery, regulatory, geotechnical, environmental, budget, and schedule risks.
•Analyze the probability and impact of identified risks, establish mitigation strategies, and recommend project allowances or contingencies for Owner review.
•Assist with contractor vetting and prequalification, including evaluation of qualifications, relevant project experience, staffing plans, safety history, financial capacity, bonding, and insurance capabilities.
•Manage or support the competitive procurement process, including bid solicitation, bidder coordination, RFI management, bid clarifications, and coordination of design-team addenda.
•Receive, organize, and review submitted bids and proposals for completeness, responsiveness, scope alignment, and consistency with project objectives.
•Perform bid leveling to identify scope gaps, exclusions, qualifications, assumptions, alternates, allowances, unit pricing differences, general conditions, fees, contingencies, and schedule-related costs.
•Prepare comparative bid summaries and written recommendations to the Owner identifying preferred contractors and vendors based on cost, scope alignment, risk profile, schedule, and overall value.
•Solicit, evaluate, and recommend value engineering and cost-saving alternatives to improve constructability, budget alignment, schedule performance, and project value while maintaining Owner objectives.
•Support contract readiness by coordinating legal agreement requirements, insurance documentation, payee information, proforma assumptions, Owner review of contract documents, and final construction budget confirmation.
•Confirm construction readiness based on required permits and approvals, finalized bids, selected contractors, established budgets, phasing requirements, and known long-lead or Owner-procured materials.
Construction Management and Coordination
•Schedule and facilitate pre-construction kickoff meetings with Owner stakeholders, contractors, utility providers, design teams, municipalities, governmental agencies, and other project participants.
•Monitor construction progress, quality, schedule performance, budget status, open issues, project risks, and items requiring Owner decision or direction.
•Conduct site visits, milestone reviews, and Owner-Architect-Contractor meetings to observe progress, document project status, and support timely issue resolution.
•Identify deficiencies, nonconforming work, coordination issues, and corrective actions; coordinate with the Owner and project team to track resolution through completion.
•Coordinate required inspections, reports, approvals, permit conditions, and agency requirements with regulatory authorities and project stakeholders.
•Manage or coordinate RFI, submittal, testing, inspection, as-built, and project documentation processes.
•Coordinate dry utility installation, SWPPP compliance items, jurisdictional requirements, and related issue resolution, as applicable to the project scope.
•Consult with design consultants, engineers, contractors, and Owner stakeholders to resolve conflicts, unforeseen conditions, and performance-related issues in a timely and economical manner.
Reporting, Documentation, and Meetings
•Prepare and deliver bi-monthly construction progress reports for Owner stakeholders, including updates on completed work, upcoming activities, schedule performance, budget considerations, open issues, project risks, contractor coordination items, jurisdictional coordination, and required Owner decisions.
•Review construction progress report findings with appropriate Owner stakeholders to maintain alignment, support timely decision-making, and identify corrective actions needed to keep projects on schedule and within budget.
•Coordinate, facilitate, and lead bi-monthly construction conference calls with the construction team and appropriate Owner stakeholders.
•Prepare meeting agendas, review project status, track action items, document decisions, address schedule and budget concerns, coordinate issue resolution, and follow up with responsible parties.
•Provide weekly site visit reports, monthly schedule updates, bi-monthly budget updates, and other project reporting required by the Owner or project scope.
•Maintain an accessible project documentation repository for reports, RFIs, submittals, change orders, payment documentation, inspection records, closeout materials, and Owner communications.
Budget, Change, and Payment Management
•Monitor project budgets, cost-to-complete forecasts, schedule variance, open commitments, allowances, contingencies, and potential cost exposure.
•Review, evaluate, and negotiate contractor change order requests; identify cost, schedule, scope, quality, and risk impacts for Owner review and approval.
•Track change order approvals, supporting documentation, thresholds, and related budget or schedule impacts.
•Review contractor payment applications, sworn statements, lien waivers, retainage, supporting cost documentation, and contractor performance.
•Recommend approval, withholding, or adjustment of contractor payments based on work status, documentation, contract requirements, and Owner approval thresholds.
•Prepare reconciled budget updates, cost-to-complete forecasts, final cost summaries, and payment recommendations as required by the project scope.
Quality Control, Closeout, and Warranty
•Conduct punch list walk-throughs with Owner stakeholders, contractors, consultants, and other project participants; track completion of punch list and corrective work items.
•Confirm completion of the testing and inspection matrix, inspection closeout, agency approvals, permit closures, and required project documentation.
•Coordinate delivery of O&M manuals, warranties, closeout binders, as-built documentation, test results, permit transfers, final reporting packages, and related turnover materials.
•Assist with final contractor payments, retainage release, bonding release, final cost summaries, and project closeout documentation.
•Conduct project retrospective and lessons-learned reviews to identify process improvements for future Owner and Atwell projects.
•Coordinate 11-month warranty inspections and follow-up correction items with the Owner, contractors, consultants, and project stakeholders.
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES
•Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to lead client-facing meetings and document decisions clearly.
•Knowledge of construction methods, technical drawings, contracts, specifications, schedules, budgets, RFIs, submittals, change orders, pay applications, and closeout documentation.
•Ability to manage budgets, schedules, risk items, action items, documentation, and multiple active projects with competing priorities.
•Collaborative leadership style with owners, consultants, contractors, governmental agencies, suppliers, vendors, and internal project teams.
•Sound judgment, professional accountability, follow-through, issue resolution skills, and the ability to escalate cost, schedule, scope, quality, or risk matters appropriately.
EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE
•Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent education and experience may be considered.
•Seven plus (7+) years of construction management, Owner's representative, construction administration, project management, or site development experience required; ten plus (10+) years preferred.
•Experience with horizontal and vertical construction, site development, civil/site improvements, residential development, commercial development, or multi-site programs preferred.
•Experience reviewing construction documents, budgets, schedules, contracts, change orders, payment applications, RFIs, submittals, inspection records, and closeout documentation.
•Experience coordinating with authorities having jurisdiction, municipalities, governmental agencies, utility providers, design consultants, contractors, suppliers, and vendors.
•Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project or similar scheduling tools, Bluebeam, Adobe Acrobat, and project documentation/reporting platforms.
•OSHA 30, construction safety training, project management training, or related construction certifications preferred.
SCOPE OF AUTHORITY
•Has authority to work independently as Atwell's Owner's Construction Representative within the assigned project scope and Owner-approved direction.
•Coordinates project stakeholders and Atwell resources to support Owner objectives, schedule performance, budget control, issue resolution, and project delivery.
•Makes recommendations to the Owner regarding contractor selection, bid evaluation, value engineering, project risks, change orders, payment applications, schedule impacts, budget impacts, and co