Project Manager | Senior Project Manager

Rieth Jones Advisors — Project Manager & Senior Project Manager, Design & Construction

Location: Detroit, Michigan

Reports to: Director, Design & Construction

Interested candidates should email their resume and cover letter to recruiting@riethjones.com. Please indicate in your email which role you are applying for. Full job descriptions are available at riethjones.com.

ABOUT RIETH JONES ADVISORS

RJA was founded with the intent to do things differently. We are a collective of individuals who are self-starting, motivated, energetic, entrepreneurial, and passionate about what we do. Our unwavering commitment to excellence is made possible by our robust team of subject matter experts in real estate, finance, operations, design, construction, and infrastructure, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to each project.

RJA provides a unique offering of strategic planning and advisory services to position higher education institutions to solve complex financial, operational, and real estate challenges. We embrace the opportunity to work with our institutional partners as one team to advance their goals through a customized hands-on process. We work with assets including student housing, athletics, recreation, dining, academics, parking, utility systems, administrative, and related facilities. Having served more than 200 clients nationwide, the RJA team has planned $14 billion in capital projects including $2.7 billion in P3 transactions. We provide value in every interaction, driving exceptional results for our institutional partners.

ABOUT THE ROLES

We are actively seeking candidates for both a Project Manager (PM) and a Senior Project Manager (SPM) on our Design & Construction team. Both positions are based in downtown Detroit and report directly to the Director of Design & Construction, focusing primarily on large-scale, complex capital projects.

The PM will coordinate internal and external project teams throughout the entire project life cycle. The SPM will lead those teams, providing vocal leadership and actively contributing to all aspects of successful capital project delivery. Excellent communication skills, strong personal drive, persistence, and a commitment to excellence are required for both roles.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities below apply to both roles. Where the roles differ, distinctions are noted in italics.

Collaborate with RJA Team Members

• Collaborate closely with RJA leadership and team members to gain a deep understanding of our existing advisory processes and implement best practices to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Become familiar with in-progress design and construction advisory projects by understanding project context, key personnel, organizational structure, timelines, and budgets.
• Support the Director on tasks associated with our design and construction projects and practice. SPM: includes business development, team management, and internal operations.
• Work closely with the RJA team to develop standards, processes, and procedures that can be implemented across all RJA capital projects to ensure productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Project Management

• Assume the responsibility of representing our partner’s best interests throughout the planning, procurement, design, and construction period.
• Participate in owner-architect-contractor and developer meetings during the design and construction phases. SPM: actively contribute, lead, and advocate for the Institutional Partner in these meetings.
• Support the RJA project team in reviewing proposals to ensure compliance with procurement instructions, including a succinct and impactful comparison of submissions for key stakeholders.
• Support decision-making to achieve on-time and on-budget delivery by introducing ideas and facilitating discussion amongst stakeholders. SPM: proactively lead the decision-making process. Efficient problem solving is critical.
• Develop communication and responses to deliverables supporting schedule and budget requirements.
• Lead RJA’s coordination with internal and external partners to ensure awareness and responsiveness to action items, including developing responsibility matrices and driving accountability throughout the project.
• Review drawings, reports, and other documentation to ensure that work product aligns with goals, objectives, schedule, and budget. Identify and work to solve any issues arising from the work product.
• Analyze monthly reporting documentation to perform active tracking and reconciliation of budgets, schedule compliance, submittals, ASI, RFI logs, discrepancy logs, and change orders. Review and approve all draw requests for the owner’s final approval.
• Ensure that owner review timelines are met. Assist in coordination of any ongoing owner functions and operations during the construction phase.
• Distill information and prepare bi-weekly and/or monthly summaries for our Institutional Partners.
• Contribute to the review and negotiation of legal documents and concepts to advocate for our Institutional Partner’s interests. SPM: lead the negotiation of design and construction terms.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Contribute to thought leadership by actively participating in shaping the firm’s short and long-term strategic direction.
• Participate in firm growth efforts, including recruiting, interviewing, and engaging with professional staff to expand our team.
• Support RJA staff development and marketing activities to promote firm growth.
• Support internal strategy development and preparation for assigned project work and RJA organizational initiatives. SPM: lead internal strategy development.
• Travel to different campuses, as needed, to support our Institutional Partners and lead in-person meetings.
• Fulfill any other duties assigned with the same level of dedication expected of all RJA team members.

The following responsibilities apply to the SPM only:

• Leverage existing industry relationships and contacts to build RJA’s market presence locally, regionally, and nationally.
•  Build new industry and Institutional Partner opportunities through business development activities.
• Mentor internal Design and Construction colleagues and cross-disciplinary project teams through planning and project execution.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• PM: Bachelor’s degree in real estate, construction management, engineering, architecture, or a related field
• SPM: Graduate/professional degree in real estate, construction management, engineering, architecture, or a related field

Experience

• PM: 5 years of design and/or construction experience, including projects exceeding $20M
• SPM: 10 years of design and/or construction experience, including projects exceeding $50M
• Both: Proven experience with complex development and capital project implementation is highly valuable

Skills and Attributes (both roles)

• Strong work ethic: dynamic, self-motivated, and committed to continually pursuing excellence
• Entrepreneurial spirit: ability to prioritize multiple tasks and manage time effectively
• Consultative skills: strong facilitation skills and experience working collaboratively with internal and external parties
• Team player: strong teamwork and collaboration skills, including virtual collaboration across locations
• Analytical skills: ability to distill research and analysis into clear, actionable recommendations with a focus on effective storytelling
• Communication skills: excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong interpersonal skills to interact with stakeholders at all levels of the organization. SPM: includes public groups, governing boards, architects, contractors, developers, regulatory agencies, and other advisors.
• Industry knowledge: previous design and construction experience required; advisory/consulting experience not required, but candidates should have a fundamental understanding of design and construction principles and the Program Manager role
• Travel flexibility: open to travel as needed to fulfill job requirements

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Both positions are located in downtown Detroit. The successful candidate will be expected to spend the majority of non-travel time in the Detroit office. Occasional automobile, air, and overnight travel is required.

WHY RJA

• Highly competitive pay based on experience and qualifications
• Quarterly performance-based bonuses totaling up to 20% of base salary annually, plus an additional annual bonus
• Employer-sponsored health, vision, and dental insurance with a 50% premium cost share
• 401(k) with company matching
• Generous PTO, holidays, and parental leave
• Flexible work environment
• Annual vacation stipend
• Biannual in-person team meetings and inter-office travel

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should email their resume and cover letter to recruiting@riethjones.com. Please indicate in your email which role you are applying for. Full job descriptions are available at riethjones.com.

At the end of your cover letter, please include a one-sentence statement describing how it was prepared (e.g., independently, with peer feedback, with AI assistance).