Construction Project Manager/Senior Construction Project Manager
We are seeking a Construction Project Manager to lead the planning, execution, and close-out of facility construction projects supporting Colossal Biosciences’ de-extinction and conservation science mission. This role will serve as the primary owner’s representative on complex construction efforts — including specialized life sciences and animal facility builds — ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. The Senior Construction Project Manager will manage general contractors, design teams, and key stakeholders, acting as the central point of accountability from project inception through facility activation.
Key Responsibilities:
- Serve as the primary owner’s representative for construction projects, including specialized facilities such as avian, laboratory, and life sciences spaces.
- Manage all phases of the project lifecycle: programming and design coordination, construction oversight, close-out, commissioning, and facility activation.
- Coordinate and oversee general contractors, architects, engineers, IT/AV/security vendors, and equipment suppliers.
- Validate project scope, budget, and schedule at project initiation; monitor and report performance throughout the project lifecycle.
- Review contractor schedules, submittals, shop drawings, and RFIs to ensure compliance with contract documents, drawings, and specifications.
- Conduct regular jobsite visits and provide weekly construction review status reports and monthly progress updates to leadership.
- Receive, review, and process change order requests; evaluate unit prices, time and material charges, and obtain appropriate client approvals.
- Coordinate procurement of long-lead items and equipment to align with project schedule and commissioning milestones.
- Manage all legally required permits, licenses, and certificates in coordination with local municipal authorities, governmental agencies, and utility companies.
- Oversee punch list management, warranty coordination, and creation of owner’s manuals and training requirements to facility management teams.
- Manage lab and facility activation and commissioning processes; coordinate functional performance testing with landlords and contractors.
- Develop and maintain comprehensive project budgets, tracking expenditures against financial forecasts and reporting variances to leadership.
- Prepare detailed project reports documenting phases, milestones, risks, issues, and final outcomes for executive stakeholders.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors, contractors, and internal teams across scientific, operations, and finance functions.
- Support development of standard operating procedures, project management templates, RFP documents, budget trackers, and cost metrics.
Required Skills and Abilities:
- Proven experience as an owner’s representative or construction project manager on commercial, life sciences, laboratory, or specialty facility projects.
- Strong command of all construction project phases: design coordination, construction administration, close-out, and commissioning.
- Demonstrated ability to manage general contractors, and multidisciplinary design teams simultaneously.
- Proficiency in project scope, schedule, and cost management with experience overseeing multi-million-dollar project budgets.
- Skilled in reviewing construction documents, contracts, change orders, and pay applications.
- Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and competing priorities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to prepare clear status reports and present to executive leadership.
- Experience with risk identification, assessment, and mitigation strategies across complex construction projects.
- Ability to coordinate with authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) for permitting, inspections, and Certificate of Occupancy.
- Must be able to travel up to 25%.
Preferred Skills and Certifications:
- Experience managing avian, vivarium, laboratory, or other specialized animal or life sciences facilities strongly preferred.
- Background in life sciences, biotech, research institution, or mission-driven organization.
- Familiarity with facility commissioning and activation processes for laboratory and animal care environments.
- Experience working with landlords, municipal authorities, and utility providers on complex permitting and occupancy processes.
- Proficient in project management platforms such as Procore, Atlassian, or similar tools.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.
- Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) certification a plus.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, Biology, Business, or a related field preferred.
- Equivalent professional experience may substitute for formal education.
- 4 or more years of progressive experience in construction project management, with at least 2 years managing projects as an owner’s representative.
- Demonstrated track record of delivering complex, multi-phase construction projects on time and within budget.
- Experience managing specialty or technical facility builds — life sciences, laboratory, healthcare, industrial, or similar — highly preferred.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional project teams and manage relationships across contractors, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
What Colossal Offers Full-Time Employees:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Excellent paid time off and company holidays so you can rest and recharge
- Flexible spending accounts (FSA)
- Company matched 401k retirement plan
- Paid parental leave at 100% salary for up to 12 weeks
- Education reimbursement
- An opportunity to help us return the Earth to a healthier state
The team at Colossal is committed, colorful, passionate, intelligent, collaborative, creative, experienced, scientific and world-class. That sounds like a lot to fit into one building. That’s why we are spread out in several locations that include laboratories, test facilities, academic institutions, libraries and offices.
Through it all, however, we maintain a culture of positivity, hope, happiness and belief that we’re doing something big. Something Colossal.
Colossal is proud to be an equal employment opportunity workplace. We welcome people from all backgrounds as well as celebrate and support diversity. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment of mutual respect that is free from discrimination and harassment so everyone can thrive.
Search Firm Representatives: Colossal does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms. No fees will be paid for a hired candidate where no pre-existing agreement is in place. We handle most recruitment in-house.
Colossal is proud to be named a Best Place to Work by BuiltIn for 4 years in a row across multiple categories in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026:
- #1 on the 50 Best Startups to Work For in Dallas in 2023!
- 100 Best Midsize Places to Work in Dallas in 2024 & 2025
- 100 Best Places to Work in Dallas, TX (All Size Employers) in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Great Place to Work Certification Page
Most Loved Workplace Certification Page - Proud to be certified as a most loved workplace including: most loved CEO, most loved workplaces for LGBTQ+, most loved workplaces for women, and most loved workplaces for young professionals.
Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces 2024 Award List - Excited to be amongst the winners of Newsweek's 2024 Most Loved Workplaces!
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