Adu Architect Jobs (NOW HIRING)

About the job

Field Project Manager

Los Angeles (On-Site, In-Person)

About Client

We're a Los Angeles real estate development and construction company focused on heavy value-add multifamily renovation and ADU development across NELA / Eastside LA (Highland Park, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Glassell Park, Eagle Rock). We're an owner-operator: we acquire, design, build, and manage our own assets. Current portfolio: ~120 units across active renovation, ADU, and multifamily development projects. Current workload includes 3-4 active projects and a 30-unit ground-up project in predevelopment. We're lean, fast-moving, and systems-oriented. We don't operate like a large GC with deep bench support. We operate like a startup that builds buildings. Everyone here wears multiple hats, owns outcomes, and helps build the systems the company runs on - not just execute inside them.

The Role

The Field Project Manager owns the full lifecycle of our construction projects - from preconstruction coordination through punch list and closeout. This role sits at the intersection of field execution, subcontractor management, schedule control, and owner communication.

This is not a pure superintendent role, and it's not a desk PM role. It requires both. You need to be as comfortable reading structural drawings on a job site as you are writing a subcontractor scope, updating a schedule, or sending ownership a clean weekly report. You are the primary accountability holder for field execution, schedule, quality, subcontractor management, and project outcomes across approximately 3-4 active projects at any given time. You'll have offshore project-engineer support for paperwork-heavy work, so you can stay where you're most valuable: in the field, across our active projects.

The Profile We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is an experienced multifamily site superintendent / field PM who is equally strong on the other side of the job: technology, systems, organization, and communication. We're looking for someone who can run subs in the field at 6am and then write ownership a tight, organized status update by end of day - and build the checklist that makes the next job run smoother. If you're a great field operator but documentation and upward communication are an afterthought, this isn't the seat. If you're a sharp organizer who'd rather be at a desk than on a jobsite, it isn't either. We need both.

Core Responsibilities

Preconstruction

• Lead preconstruction meetings with architect, structural engineer, and key subs before breaking ground

• Confirm all plans align with existing site conditions - flag conflicts before construction begins

• Maintain a preconstruction checklist covering permits, inspections, certifications, and design-build confirmations

• Confirm all subcontractor contracts are executed with clear scope of work before mobilization

• Create preliminary schedule and budget with ownership approval

• Verify all materials and lead times - confirm nothing has been discontinued or is at risk of delay

Field Execution & Quality Control

• This is a field-first role. Expect to spend the majority of your working hours on active jobsites. Site visits should occur as often as necessary to maintain schedule, quality, and subcontractor accountability, with a minimum of three times weekly per active project.

• Walk the site against approved plans on every visit - verify work is built per drawings and specs

• Stop work immediately when it's non-compliant - document, notify all parties, and drive resolution

• Maintain consistent photo documentation of active work and key milestones, organized by trade and uploaded to CompanyCam or a shared folder

• Verify all structural, MEP, and framing scope is complete before work is concealed

• Confirm current work doesn't conflict with future work - prevent change orders before they happen

• Manage inspection scheduling, prep, and correction tracking through to close

Subcontractor Management

• Manage all subcontractors - set expectations, enforce scope, hold them accountable to schedule and quality

• Bring legacy and small subs onto written scopes. Some of our trusted subs are one-person operations who bid by text; part of the job is getting them onto clear written scopes and making sure they understand what they're signing

• Issue written deficiency notices when work is non-compliant - don't manage verbally only

• Coordinate next-trade mobilization at least two weeks in advance - confirm materials, access, and readiness

• Vet and onboard new subcontractors using a defined qualification process

• Reduce dependency on single-source subs - build a reliable, qualified vendor pool

Schedule & Budget Management

• Own the project schedule - update weekly and communicate changes proactively

• Produce consistent two-week look-ahead schedules

• Track material deliveries and flag procurement risks before they hit the timeline

• Monitor budget against actuals - flag variances immediately, not after the fact

• Submit RFIs and submittals on time and track responses to resolution

Documentation, Systems & Technology

• Maintain a complete, organized project file - contracts, plans, RFIs, submittals, inspection reports, photos

• Document all site observations, deficiencies, corrections, and decisions in writing

• Build and maintain project checklists others can use - not personal notes

• Use company-designated tools consistently and learn new ones fast (Asana required; CompanyCam preferred; Google Suite)

• Contribute to building and refining company-wide SOPs for construction operations

Communication & Reporting

• Keep ownership informed proactively - no surprises, no late escalations

• Communicate clearly and concisely upward to ownership, not just down to subs - this is a core requirement, not a nice-to-have

• Daily quick check-in with ownership (text or in-person)

• Weekly written project status update covering schedule, budget, open issues, and the next two weeks

• Bi-weekly walk-through of each active project with ownership

• Manage relationships with city inspectors, utility companies, and design consultants

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years managing residential construction projects in Los Angeles

• Direct experience reading and verifying ADU plans, garage conversions, and small-lot multifamily

• Strong plan reading - architectural, structural, and MEP drawings

• Direct experience managing subcontractors and holding them accountable to scope and schedule

• Working knowledge of LA building codes, permit processes, and inspection requirements

• Bilingual English/Spanish, or fluent jobsite Spanish - you'll be directing Spanish-speaking subs daily

• Strong written and verbal communication - you'll document everything and report directly to ownership

• Proficiency in project management and documentation tools (Google Suite, Asana or equivalent, CompanyCam or equivalent), and the ability to pick up new tools quickly

• Ability to work independently and make field decisions without constant direction

Strongly Preferred

• ADU construction experience - detached, garage conversion, and ED1

• Both renovation/remodel and ground-up construction experience

• Experience with LA DBS, LADWP, and LA inspection workflows

• Experience building or improving systems and SOPs - not just executing within them

• Lean, owner-operator, or startup environment experience

• Familiarity with contract writing and scope-of-work documentation

This Is Not a Fit If You

• Want to manage from behind a desk

• Are looking for a large-GC environment with a project engineer, admin, and superintendent on every job

• Aren't comfortable being directly accountable for outcomes

• Prefer to wait for instructions rather than drive the work

• Treat documentation and reporting as an afterthought

What Success Looks Like - First 90 Days

• You understand every active project - schedule, budget, open issues, next steps

• A documented QC checklist exists and is used consistently on every project

• All subcontractors have written scopes of work before mobilizing

• Ownership receives a weekly written status update without having to ask

• You've proposed and begun implementing at least one SOP or system improvement from field observation

• Photo documentation happens daily on active jobs - organized and accessible