Job Description
On-Site Mechanical Project Manager – Federal HVAC Project
Location: Melvin Price Federal Courthouse (East St. Louis, IL) and Peoria Courthouse, Illinois
Salary: $125,000–$160,000 annually, based on experience
Company: Dynaire, a Crete United Company
About the Role
Dynaire is seeking an experienced On-Site Mechanical Project Manager to lead the completion and construction of a major HVAC and central plant modernization project at the Melvin Price Federal Courthouse and Peoria Courthouse. This is a hands-on, site-based leadership role for a mechanical construction professional capable of managing a complex, multi-trade project involving replacement of air-handling equipment, air-cooled condensing units, cooling towers, boilers, pumps, chiller equipment, hydronic piping, refrigerant piping, natural gas systems, controls, electrical coordination, structural supports, testing, and commissioning.
The successful candidate will serve as Dynaire's primary day-to-day project representative and general on-site leader at the site, driving the project from the remaining design and procurement phase through construction, startup, commissioning, and final turnover. Because both courthouses will remain occupied and operational throughout construction, portions of the work will be required to take place during nights, weekends, scheduled shutdowns, and other off-hours, in accordance with project requirements for continuity of building operations.
Dynaire's corporate office is located in Long Island, NY, so the Project Manager must be comfortable working independently on site in Illinois while communicating regularly with Dynaire's corporate and executive leadership through Microsoft Teams and other project-management platforms.
Following completion of these projects, there may be an opportunity to continue supporting future projects in the Illinois market or transition into a traveling Project Manager role, based on business needs, project availability, individual performance, and mutual interest.
What You'll Be Doing
Project Leadership and Planning
- Provide full-time, on-site management of the mechanical construction project, serving as the primary on-site project leader.
- Review project scope, budget, deliverables, and client expectations with sales, estimating, and engineering teams.
- Maintain and update the overall project schedule, including equipment procurement, demolition, shutdowns, installation, startup, TAB, commissioning, and turnover.
- Develop short-term look-ahead schedules and actively manage subcontractors against required dates.
- Identify potential risks, scope gaps, or differing conditions before they affect project performance, and notify Dynaire management before proceeding.
Contractor and Trade Coordination
- Coordinate Dynaire's subcontractors, vendors, equipment manufacturers, engineers, controls contractors, electrical contractors, commissioning personnel, Ameresco, and Government representatives.
- Coordinate mechanical, electrical, controls, and other associated trades and disciplines.
- Lead regular coordination meetings and maintain meeting minutes, open-item lists, RFI logs, submittal logs, procurement logs, and schedule updates.
- Manage trade sequencing, site logistics, access, material deliveries, inspections, and workforce coordination.
- Resolve conflicts between trades and address field conditions affecting safety, quality, cost, or schedule.
Field and Technical Oversight
- Review drawings, specifications, equipment schedules, field conditions, and scope requirements, identifying conflicts or missing information before work proceeds.
- Coordinate field verification of existing conditions, dimensions, equipment access, rigging routes, piping routes, duct transitions, equipment supports, pads, penetrations, and service clearances.
- Coordinate installation and replacement of AHUs, ACCUs, boilers, chiller equipment, pumps, VFDs, piping systems, controls, and associated electrical work.
- Plan and manage building shutdowns, temporary services, phasing, and sequencing required to maintain operation of the occupied courthouses.
- Coordinate and supervise work that must be completed during nights, weekends, and other approved off-hours.
- Coordinate factory startup, TAB, controls checkout, point-to-point testing, functional testing, commissioning, training, and final turnover.
- Review subcontractor work for compliance with contract documents and approved submittals.
Budget, Procurement, and Closeout
- Manage RFIs, submittals, shop drawings, equipment selections, procurement logs, and long-lead material releases.
- Monitor project costs, labor, procurement, subcontractor performance, and overall financial progress.
- Review contractor proposals, change-order requests, invoices, and schedule impacts; create and track change-order work with appropriate field documentation.
- Manage punch-list completion, O&M manuals, warranties, record drawings, training documentation, and final closeout.
Communication and Reporting
- Work closely with the engineering team to resolve outstanding design issues while maintaining clear responsibility between construction management and the Engineer of Record.
- Serve as the primary point of coordination between the client, contractors, design partners, and Dynaire leadership.
- Provide regular project updates covering schedule, budget, safety, quality, risks, and outstanding decisions.
- Escalate issues early and present practical, well-reasoned solutions to keep the project moving forward.
Required Experience and Qualifications
- Minimum 7–10 years of commercial or institutional mechanical construction experience, preferably as a Project Manager, Mechanical Superintendent, or in a combination of project-management and field-supervision roles.
- Strong working knowledge of HVAC and mechanical systems, including AHUs, DX/refrigerant systems, chillers, boilers, hydronic piping, pumps, VFDs, natural gas, boiler venting, DDC/BAS controls, and mechanical/electrical coordination.
- Experience managing mechanical construction within an occupied facility.
- Ability to read and understand mechanical, electrical, structural, and architectural drawings and specifications.
- Strong understanding of RFIs, submittals, procurement, change orders, scheduling, commissioning, and construction closeout.
- Experience coordinating multiple subcontractors and disciplines.
- Strong field problem-solving skills and the ability to recognize incomplete or conflicting design information before it becomes a construction issue.
- Ability to communicate effectively with engineers, subcontractors, vendors, owners, and Government representatives.
- Ability to obtain and maintain required GSA security clearance/badging and site access.
- Ability and willingness to work nights, weekends, and other off-hours when required by project phasing, shutdowns, or courthouse operating requirements.
- Proficiency with standard project-management software, construction-document platforms, Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and scheduling tools.
- Valid driver's license and ability to travel to the project sites and other local job sites as needed.
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety certification required.
- OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety certification required.
- Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, or a related field preferred but not required.
- PMP, PMI, or comparable project-management training preferred but not required.
Preferred Experience
Experience with federal or GSA construction projects, Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), courthouses, hospitals, or other continuously occupied institutional facilities, major mechanical equipment replacement, BAS/DDC controls, TAB, commissioning, and federal project documentation is highly desirable.
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for someone who owns the project in the field. This position requires a Project Manager who will walk the job, understand the drawings, stay ahead of subcontractors and equipment deliveries, identify problems before they affect the schedule, and drive open items to resolution. The successful candidate should be comfortable working independently on site while communicating regularly with Dynaire's project and executive management team.
Benefits
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with Company Match
- Paid Time Off and paid holidays
- Company-paid Life Insurance
- Short and Long-Term Disability
- Career growth opportunities with Dynaire Corporation and across the Crete United network
Dynaire Corporation, a Crete United Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.