Assistant Project Leader Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Assistant Project Manager - Ultra-Luxury Residential Construction

Company Name: Seiler Consulting
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Project Locations: Chicago, IL and Miami, FL
Project Focus: Owner's Representation, Ultra-Luxury Residential Construction, Custom Estates, Architecturally Significant New Construction, Major Renovations, and High-End Condominium and Penthouse Projects
Work Setting: Full-Time | On-Site Collaboration Required
Base Salary: Up to $125,000 annually, based on experience
Total Compensation Package: Annual performance bonus of up to 7.5%, employer-paid health insurance, and paid time off
Represented By: Luxus Group

Position Overview

Seiler Consulting is seeking an experienced and highly organized Assistant Project Manager to support the planning and execution of exceptional ultra-luxury residential construction projects in Chicago and Miami.

These are not conventional residential projects. Seiler Consulting represents discerning private owners in the development of architecturally significant residences featuring custom finishes, specialized building systems, premium materials, and an extraordinary level of craftsmanship. Projects vary in overall size and scope, with construction values typically ranging from approximately $2,000 to $4,000 per square foot.

The Assistant Project Manager will work closely with senior project leadership, property owners, architects, interior designers, general contractors, consultants, specialty trades, vendors, and craftspeople. This individual will help protect the owner's interests by supporting project coordination, documentation, financial oversight, schedule management, quality control, and communication throughout the complete project lifecycle.

As part of the owner's representation team, the Assistant Project Manager will help ensure that project decisions align with the owner's expectations for design, quality, budget, schedule, privacy, and long-term value. This is an excellent opportunity for a construction professional who wants to advance from a Project Engineer or Assistant Project Manager position into a more comprehensive owner-side project management role.

Core Responsibilities

Owner's Representation and Project Leadership

• Support the Project Manager and senior leadership in representing the owner throughout planning, design, preconstruction, construction, commissioning, and closeout, ensuring the owner's priorities, design objectives, financial interests, and quality expectations are reflected in project decisions
• Maintain a clear understanding of project scope, budget, schedule, contractual requirements, design intent, and major project risks
• Serve as a reliable point of coordination among the owner, design team, consultants, general contractor, subcontractors, vendors, and specialty trades
• Prepare concise project updates, executive summaries, action lists, and decision documents, handling confidential project, client, property, and financial information with exceptional discretion

Design and Preconstruction Coordination

• Coordinate architects, interior designers, engineers, landscape architects, lighting designers, technology consultants, security specialists, audiovisual consultants, and other project professionals
• Review drawings, specifications, finish schedules, consultant documents, and design-development packages for completeness and coordination, and track design decisions, outstanding information, owner approvals, and consultant deliverables
• Participate in constructability reviews, value analysis, budgeting, estimating, and preconstruction planning, identifying conflicts, gaps, long-lead items, scope overlaps, and potential cost or schedule impacts before construction
• Support contractor and vendor prequalification, bid solicitation, proposal evaluation, and leveling, confirming that bids accurately reflect design intent, required quality standards, and complete project scope

Construction Administration

• Participate in owner, architect, contractor, and consultant meetings, preparing agendas, documenting minutes, assigning action items, and following up with responsible parties
• Track requests for information, submittals, shop drawings, samples, mockups, substitutions, and design clarifications, and maintain accurate logs for RFIs, submittals, change requests, procurement items, approvals, and open decisions
• Review contractor applications for payment, supporting documentation, lien releases, allowances, and stored-material requests
• Evaluate proposed change orders for scope, pricing, labor, materials, schedule implications, and contractual validity, and coordinate owner-purchased materials, specialty equipment, custom furnishings, appliances, fixtures, and other direct-purchase items

Schedule and Procurement Management

• Develop, review, and maintain the overall project schedule, monitoring design milestones, permitting, procurement, fabrication, installation, testing, and closeout activities
• Track long-lead and custom-manufactured materials, including specialty stone, millwork, glazing, plumbing fixtures, lighting, appliances, hardware, furnishings, and technology systems, and coordinate deliveries, storage, installation sequencing, inspections, and vendor access
• Identify potential schedule delays, develop practical recovery strategies, maintain short-term look-ahead schedules and critical-action lists, and hold contractors and consultants to established commitments

Cost and Budget Control

• Maintain the project budget, commitment log, forecast, contingency, allowances, and anticipated-cost reports
• Review estimates, bids, proposals, change-order requests, and payment applications for accuracy, comparing proposed costs against contracts, approved scopes, allowances, and project budgets
• Identify cost trends, potential overruns, and opportunities to manage expenditures without compromising the owner's design or quality expectations, and support monthly financial reporting, reconciliation, and organized records of contracts, purchase orders, invoices, and approvals

Quality Assurance and Field Oversight

• Conduct regular site walks to observe progress, workmanship, sequencing, coordination, cleanliness, and compliance with project documents
• Monitor the quality of high-end finishes, specialty installations, custom fabrication, and architectural details, verifying that completed work aligns with approved drawings, specifications, samples, mockups, and design intent
• Document field observations using photographs, written reports, issue logs, and follow-up assignments, and coordinate with the design team and contractor to resolve deficiencies, conflicts, and quality concerns
• Support the review and approval of mockups, control samples, finish samples, and first installations, confirming corrective work is completed promptly so issues are identified before they affect subsequent work

Project Closeout and Turnover

• Prepare and manage punch lists, deficiency logs, completion schedules, and final inspections, tracking outstanding corrections to confirm that closeout requirements are completed
• Coordinate the collection and organization of warranties, operating manuals, attic stock, spare materials, as-built drawings, permits, inspection records, and training documentation, and coordinate testing, commissioning, owner training, and turnover of building systems
• Support final financial reconciliation, completion documentation, contract closeout, and post-occupancy follow-up and warranty-related coordination when required

Required Qualifications

• Experience: Approximately 2-10 years of relevant construction or project management experience
• Role Background: Experience working as an Assistant Project Manager, Project Manager, Project Engineer, or similar construction professional
• Market Experience: Demonstrated experience with luxury or ultra-luxury residential construction
• Employer Type: Experience gained with a general contractor, construction manager, developer, or owner's representative
• Process Knowledge: Understanding of the complete construction process, including design coordination, preconstruction, procurement, construction administration, financial management, and closeout
• Document Fluency: Ability to read and interpret architectural drawings, engineering documents, specifications, finish schedules, shop drawings, and contracts
• Project Controls: Experience tracking RFIs, submittals, change orders, payment applications, budgets, schedules, and project documentation
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Organization: Excellent organization, follow-through, and attention to detail
• Workload: Ability to manage numerous priorities and deadlines in a demanding project environment
• Professional Judgment: Ability to communicate effectively with owners, architects, designers, contractors, consultants, and vendors
• Field Presence: Ability to work on-site and travel between project locations as required
• Geography: Willingness and ability to support projects in both Chicago and Miami
• Confidentiality: Ability to maintain strict confidentiality regarding private clients, residences, financial information, and project details

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, Real Estate Development, or a related field
• Client Experience: Experience working directly with private homeowners or family representatives on high-value residential projects
• Contract Types: Familiarity with cost-plus, guaranteed maximum price, and stipulated-sum construction agreements
• Cost Review: Experience reviewing contractor estimates, bid packages, payment applications, and change orders
• Materials Knowledge: Knowledge of custom residential materials, high-end finishes, millwork, stone, lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances, audiovisual systems, security systems, and building automation
• Software: Experience with Procore, Bluebeam, Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Smartsheet, or similar project-management platforms
• Certifications: OSHA 30 certification or other construction-related credentials
• Project Scale: Experience supporting projects with construction costs exceeding $2,000 per square foot

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Exceptionally organized and attentive to detail
• Comfortable working in a highly collaborative, on-site environment
• Proactive about identifying and resolving issues
• Financially aware and capable of evaluating project costs
• Skilled at holding team members accountable in a professional manner
• Diplomatic when navigating competing priorities
• Comfortable interacting with sophisticated owners and nationally recognized design professionals
• Passionate about architecture, construction quality, craftsmanship, and design
• Able to anticipate what project leadership and the owner will need before being asked
• Interested in developing into a trusted owner's representative and project leader

Project Environment

Seiler Consulting's assignments may include custom urban residences and luxury estates, architecturally significant new construction, major residential renovations and additions, high-end condominium and penthouse projects, custom interiors and specialty finish packages, complex structural, mechanical, electrical, lighting, technology, security, and audiovisual systems, imported materials and custom-fabricated architectural elements, and extensive landscape, pool, exterior living, and site-improvement programs.

Projects vary in size, but their complexity and finish quality place them among the most sophisticated residential construction assignments in the market. Each assignment requires careful coordination among architects, designers, consultants, contractors, specialty fabricators, and international or custom-product vendors.

Work Location and Travel

This is a full-time position based in Chicago, Illinois, with on-site collaboration required. Candidates must be prepared to work from active project locations and attend in-person meetings with owners, consultants, contractors, and vendors.

Seiler Consulting manages ultra-luxury residential projects in both Chicago and Miami, and periodic travel to Miami may be required depending on project assignments and business needs.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary up to $125,000, depending on relevant experience and qualifications
• Annual performance bonus of up to 7.5%
• Employer-paid health insurance
• Paid time off
• Exposure to highly sophisticated residential projects
• Direct collaboration with respected architects, designers, contractors, consultants, and craftspeople
• Meaningful professional-development and career-growth opportunities

About Luxus Group

Luxus Group is a specialized recruiting and talent advisory firm serving the architecture, engineering, construction, and related professional-services industries. As an AEC-focused recruiting partner, Luxus Group helps engineering and design firms identify, engage, evaluate, and hire difficult-to-find professionals. Its recruiting team understands the technical differences between owner's representatives, project engineers, project managers, technical leads, discipline leaders, and principal-level professionals. Luxus Group is representing Seiler Consulting in identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for this opportunity. Interested professionals may contact Luxus Group for a confidential discussion regarding the positi...