Capital Projects Manager

About Community Food Works

Community Food Works exists to make local food accessible for everyone. We're building a place where as many people as possible eat, enjoy, and ask for more of the food that's good for them and good for our community. We produce and distribute delicious, affordable local food that reaches community members in schools and food pantries - places typically left out of the local food picture. We're funded by the NoVo Foundation and rooted in Kingston, NY.

The Role

The Capital Projects Manager is a member of Community Food Works' Capital Projects team, responsible for owner-side delivery of assigned projects from early development through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup, and closeout. Reporting to the Capital Projects Portfolio Manager, this role serves as the day-to-day owner representative, coordinating design teams, contractors, vendors, and internal stakeholders to move projects from concept through execution.

Much of Community Food Works' capital portfolio supports food-processing and CPG manufacturing operations. Projects may include production facilities, process and packaging lines, warehouses, cold and ambient storage, utilities, laboratories, offices, and other investments supporting manufacturing growth.

The ideal candidate has a background in architecture, engineering, construction management, or a related field, with experience in food and beverage, CPG, manufacturing, industrial, distribution, or similarly complex environments. Experience integrating building design and construction with process equipment, utilities, production requirements, and startup is particularly valuable. The successful candidate will be comfortable developing projects, working with operations, reviewing designs and proposals, managing construction in the field, and communicating project risks and recommendations clearly.

Key Responsibilities

Project Development & Planning

• Manage assigned capital projects from initial need through design, construction, commissioning, startup, and closeout
• Partner with internal stakeholders and the Capital Projects Portfolio Manager to develop project objectives, requirements, budgets, schedules, and success criteria
• Translate business, production, operational, and technical requirements into clear project requirements
• Manage feasibility studies, site investigations, and existing-condition assessments
• Evaluate and recommend project delivery, contracting, procurement, and construction approaches

Design Management

• Manage projects through programming, schematic design, design development, final design, and construction documentation
• Manage architects, engineers, process engineers, consultants, and other design partners
• Coordinate stakeholder input and translate operational and manufacturing requirements into clear design direction
• Lead project-level design reviews and resolve scope, cost, constructability, operability, maintainability, and food-safety considerations
• Coordinate permitting, regulatory approvals, utility requirements, and other preconstruction activities

Procurement & Preconstruction

• Develop scopes of work and coordinate procurement of designers, contractors, construction managers, consultants, vendors, and trades
• Manage RFQ/RFPs including evaluations, interviews, bid leveling, and selection recommendations
• Review estimates and proposals, challenging scope, assumptions, exclusions, allowances, and pricing where appropriate
• Lead value engineering and cost-management while protecting critical operational, quality, and project requirements

Construction Management

• Serve as Community Food Works' day-to-day Owner’s Representative for assigned projects
• Lead Owner/Architect/Contractor meetings and coordinate internal stakeholders
• Monitor construction progress, schedule, quality, cost, safety, and compliance with project requirements, including conducting regular site visits
• Review RFIs, submittals, change orders, payment applications, schedules, and other construction documentation, within Delegation of Authority limits
• Manage project changes and reporting across scope, budget, schedule, and decision impacts, elevating significant changes or risks to project delivery
• Coordinate owner-furnished equipment, utility connections, and activities outside the contractor's scope
• Coordinate construction with ongoing operations where projects occur within active facilities

Commissioning, Startup & Closeout

• Manage commissioning, punch list, turnover, startup, closeout, and handover
• Coordinate building and utility commissioning with process equipment installation, testing, and startup
• Partner with Operations and other internal stakeholders to ensure readiness for handover
• Ensure delivery of warranties, O&M manuals, commissioning records, and other closeout materials
• Confirm completion of contractual, financial, and administrative closeout requirements

Project Controls & Financial Management

• Manage project budgets, commitments, forecasts, contingencies, and cash-flow projections, within Delegation of Authority limits
• Maintain integrated project schedules and track schedule dependencies and critical-path risks
• Conduct project retrospectives and share lessons learned to improve future project delivery
• Follow and help with continuous improvement of Capital Projects standards

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field
• 5 years of relevant experience in architecture, engineering, construction, development, or owner-side project management, with demonstrated responsibility for delivering capital projects
• Experience managing multiple parallel projects across multiple phases, ideally including project development, design, preconstruction, construction, commissioning, and startup
• Strong understanding of architectural and engineering drawings, specifications, construction methods, and building systems
• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets, schedules, contracts, consultants, contractors, and vendors
• Experience reviewing estimates, proposals, change orders, payment applications, and other construction-related commercial documentation
• Strong communication, project-management, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to spend significant time in the field and at active project sites
• Alignment with the mission, values, and guiding principles of Community Food Works and NoVo

Experience delivering capital projects in one or more of the following environments is strongly preferred:

• Food-processing, food and beverage, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing
• Warehousing, distribution, cold storage, or logistics facilities
• Pharmaceutical, life sciences, or other regulated manufacturing environments
• Other facilities where construction must be closely coordinated with process equipment, production operations, utilities, sanitation, quality, or regulatory requirements

Additional relevant experience may include:

• Understanding of hygienic or sanitary design, GMP, food safety, sanitation, or regulated manufacturing requirements as they relate to capital projects
• AIA contracts and common design and construction contracting structures
• Project-management and construction tools such as Procore, Bluebeam, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, AutoCAD, Revit, or similar platforms
• Professional licensure or certification such as RA, PE, CCM, or PMP is valued but not required

Location & Compensation

This role is based in Kingston, NY. The Capital Projects Manager will work across Community Food Works' project sites and should expect regular field presence throughout planning, design, construction, commissioning, and startup.

The compensation available for the role considers a variety of factors including individual skill set, previous and applicable experience, professional qualifications, and organizational needs. Estimated annual salary range: $100k-$130k, commensurate with relative experience, with competitive benefits.

To Apply

Please send your resume, cover letter, and favorite vegetable to the Capital Projects Portfolio Manager, Christina Salchow: csalchow@communityfoodworks.org with “Application for Capital Projects Manager” as the subject line.

Community Food Works is committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Kingston, NY 12401