Construction Manager (Greenfield Pharmaceutical Projects)

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience managing major construction projects valued between $500 million and $2 billion, ideally within pharmaceutical, life sciences, or process industries.
• Proven experience working in a client-side leadership capacity on large, technically complex programs in a dynamic and high-pressure environment.
• Deep understanding of construction management systems, progress measurement, and reporting frameworks.
• Strong familiarity with mechanical completion, system turnover, and GMP documentation requirements.
• Demonstrated expertise in construction methodologies for construction sequencing, process equipment, piping systems, HVAC, electrical, and instrumentation installations.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and stakeholder management skills.
• Recognized professional certification (CEng, PMP, MCIOB, or equivalent)

Job Description:

The Construction Lead will provide independent construction quality and compliance oversight and ensure alignment between engineering, construction, and C & Q teams, and reinforces standard work practices across the Project. The Construction Lead will be the point of contact for construction on the project and will report to the Project Director. This position provides oversight of the Construction Management (CM) partner, ensuring disciplined execution, coordination across contractors, and strong field performance from mobilization and early site works through mechanical completion, commissioning support, Qualification and Turnover. This is a 12-month contingent worker role with chance for renewal. The role will act on behalf of the client, ensuring adherence to scope, managing interface issues, and providing early identification of risks and deviations to the Project Manager and Project Director while promoting a culture of safety, quality, collaboration, and performance. The role will ensure the Construction Management (CM) partner have all the necessary input, approvals, and support to enable them to perform their role effectively, efficiently and deliver the project on time and within budget

Responsibilities:

• Review construction plans, schedules, and cost forecasts to confirm alignment with project objectives and delivery milestones.
• Monitor construction cost trends, invoices, and potential change drivers to provide early visibility of risks or deviations.
• Identify construction risks (schedule, cost, quality, safety) and collaborate with Construction Management Partner to develop and implement mitigation strategies.
• Implement and enforce quality standards, ensuring all construction activities are Right First Time, meet design specifications and contractual requirements.
• Lead the team that witness, inspect and verify the quality and compliance of construction work completed.
• Lead site safety performance ensuring safety plans are implemented, conducting inspections, and monitoring compliance with regulatory and OSHA requirements.
• Proactively address non-compliance, performing regular safety walkdowns and quality audits.
• Verify construction completeness and coordinate turnover logistics to support early system completion, documentation readiness, and phased handover in alignment with C&Q-defined readiness criteria.
• Coordinate turnover logistics to support early system completion, documentation readiness, and phased handover, without directing or altering construction sequencing, which remains the responsibility of Construction Management Partner under EPCM execution.
• Coordinate punch list identification and tracking, and escalate unresolved construction and quality deficiencies to the Project Manager.
• Foster a collaborative “one team” culture between Client, Construction Management Partner, subcontractors, and stakeholders.
• Lead Client construction personnel overseeing daily construction activities.
• Act as the primary construction liaison, providing clear, regular progress updates to the Project Manager and PMO Construction Lead and System Owner.