Job Description

Project Manager

Location: Newport Beach, CA
Schedule: Full-Time | Hybrid after Training / Probation
Industry: Public Works | General Contractor | Water + Civil Infrastructure
Presented by: Peak Experience

About the Opportunity

Peak Experience is representing an opportunity for a Project Manager with a Southern California general contractor focused on public works, water infrastructure, civil construction, utility, rehabilitation, and municipal projects.

This role is built for someone who can own the administrative, financial, and operational control of assigned projects from turnover through closeout.

The Project Manager will work closely with Superintendents, Project Engineers, ownership representatives, subcontractors, inspectors, and leadership to keep projects moving, manage risk, protect margin, and drive successful outcomes.

The Role

The Project Manager is responsible for keeping assigned construction projects on schedule, on budget, properly documented, and moving forward with urgency.

This person is expected to think like an owner of the job: proactive, accountable, cost-aware, and fully engaged in what it takes to make the project successful.

The right candidate brings strong documentation discipline, practical construction judgment, owner-facing communication skills, and the ability to manage cost, scope, schedule, and field coordination without needing constant direction.

What You’ll Do

• Take full ownership of assigned projects from handoff through closeout.

• Lead project startup activities, including:

  • CPM schedule development

  • Procurement planning

  • Subcontract planning

  • Submittal register setup

  • Closeout planning

  • Cost code confirmation

  • Schedule of values support

  • Pay request preparation structure

• Review contract documents, reporting requirements, and compliance needs for each project.

• Build and manage project budgets, cost tracking, billing support, and self-perform labor planning.

• Issue and manage RFIs, submittals, purchase orders, subcontracts, change orders, and RFCOs.

• Maintain current project logs, documentation, and internal tracking tools.

• Review and approve meeting minutes, billing support, and cost coding.

• Monitor pending items daily and stay ahead of issues that could impact cost, schedule, or execution.

• Coordinate with the Superintendent to align administrative planning with field production.

• Prepare for owner meetings with updated logs, pending items, and current schedule status.

• Support monthly pay applications and required backup documentation, including schedule updates, photos, and reports.

• Stay fully aware of project status, financial health, risk points, client expectations, and team needs throughout the life of the project.

• Work across owners, inspectors, subcontractors, field teams, and internal leadership to remove barriers and drive project outcomes.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• Engineering background preferred, though related degrees may be considered with strong project experience.

• 2–3+ years of project management or project engineering experience in construction.

• Public works experience required or strongly preferred.

• Water, stormwater, utility, rehabilitation, or similar infrastructure experience highly valued.

• Comfortable managing documentation, cost controls, owner-facing communication, and coordination with field leadership.

• Able to move projects forward without constant direction.

• Strong cost-awareness and a mindset geared toward protecting contingency, managing scope, and supporting profitable delivery.

• Positive, practical, team-oriented communication style.

• Interest in long-term growth, not a short-term stop.

Preferred Experience

• General contractor experience within public agency or municipal work.

• Experience with active civil or public works projects in Southern California.

• Ability to work across owners, inspectors, subcontractors, internal leadership, and field teams.

• Experience supporting or leading water infrastructure projects.

• Background managing documentation-heavy projects with clear schedule, cost, and compliance requirements.

Software + Tools

• Microsoft Office Suite

• Outlook

• Bluebeam

• Procore

• Internal project management and filing systems

Work Environment

This role is based out of the Newport Beach office.

New Project Managers are generally expected to be onsite full-time during training and early ramp-up. After training, Project Managers may have one remote day per week. More senior PMs may have additional hybrid flexibility.

Project visits are expected as needed based on project phase, complexity, and location.

Compensation + Benefits

Compensation will be based on experience, background, and overall alignment with the role.

Benefits may include:

• Full benefits for eligible non-union employees

• Bonus potential tied to project performance and company profitability

• FastTrack toll road support

• Team events and networking opportunities

• Long-term growth into larger project and leadership responsibilities

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to step into a project leadership role with a stable, growing contractor managing complex public works projects across Southern California.

The role offers broad exposure to infrastructure work, close partnership with experienced leadership, and room to grow into larger project responsibility over time.