Contract Science Project Management Jobs in Cheney, WA

Crux Subsurface, a subsidiary of Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE: PWR), is a geotechnical drilling company merging innovation with experience to consistently provide accurate data and efficient, constructible solutions to projects of any size.

Our multidisciplinary team combines the expertise of structural and geotechnical engineers with experienced drillers, construction managers, geologists, and quality management specialists.

The Director of Project Management is a senior leadership role responsible for the performance, development, and consistency of Crux Subsurface's project management function. Reporting to VP Projects, this position owns the PM team as an organizational capability — not just a collection of individual project assignments. The Director ensures that every Project Manager on the Crux roster has the tools, training, accountability structures, and leadership support to deliver cost, schedule, and client commitments at the standard Crux's reputation demands. Crux executes complex geotechnical construction work — drilled shafts, micropiles, ground anchors, soil nailing, and specialty foundation systems — across North America. Projects are technically demanding, geographically dispersed, and often contracted on terms that require precise change order management and client interface discipline. Weak project management is a direct path to margin erosion and client relationship damage. Strong project management is a competitive advantage. The Director of Project Management is accountable for building and running the PM function as a high-performance system, not a loose collection of independent operators.

Salary: $185,000+ DOE

Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Coverage, HSA/FSA, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Basic Life Insurance, EAP, Voluntary Benefits, and Identity Theft Protection. Benefits are offered with a shared premium cost between employer and employee.

401k and Roth contribution with company match eligibility.

Vacation and Sick Leave accrue in accordance with company policies.

PM Team Leadership & Development

• Own the direct leadership and professional development of all Project Managers at Crux — establish clear performance expectations, conduct structured performance reviews, and build individual development plans
• Assess PM competency across the team — cost management, schedule development, change order execution, client interface, and field coordination — and build structured improvement plans where gaps exist
• Drive consistent adoption of Crux PM standards across all Project Managers; eliminate independent operating styles that make portfolio oversight impossible
• Serve as a day-to-day resource and escalation point for Project Managers who encounter scope disputes, client conflict, cost overruns, or execution challenges requiring senior judgment
• Ensure PM workload distribution is balanced and that project complexity is matched to PM capability

Project Controls & Portfolio Visibility

• Own the project controls framework for the Crux PM function — ensure all PMs maintain accurate cost-to-complete, earned value tracking, schedule updates, and change order logs on a consistent cadence
• Establish and enforce data integrity standards between HeavyJob and EcoSys; resolve the persistent reconciliation gap between these systems and maintain discipline going forward
• Provide leadership with clear, accurate portfolio cost and schedule intelligence — no surprises on late-stage job overruns; catch deteriorating cost performance early and drive corrective action
• Build a portfolio dashboard or reporting cadence that gives leadership a real-time view of job health across cost, schedule, and client relationship status without requiring executive-level data excavation
• Lead the bi-weekly portfolio review cadence in coordination with VP Projects — ensure meetings drive decisions, not just status updates

Client Interface & Relationship Management

• Set the standard for professional client interface across the PM team — PM communication, responsiveness, and change order documentation must reinforce Crux's premium positioning
• Engage directly with key client contacts on scope disputes, major change events, and relationship risks that exceed individual PM authority
• Support business development by contributing to pre-bid client strategy, scope analysis, and risk identification on major pursuits
• Track contract compliance, notice requirements, and claim preservation obligations across the portfolio; ensure PMs are protecting Crux's contractual position on every job
• Serves as escalation point for client disputes, contract interpretation disagreements, and sensitive commercial negotiations
• Monitors receivables and coordinates with Finance on invoice status and collection issues
• Interfaces with legal and VP Projects on contract claims, litigation exposure, and risk mitigation strategies

Estimating & Bid Transition

• Own the handoff from Estimating to Project Management — ensure every awarded project transitions to a PM with a complete, reviewed budget baseline, risk register, and scope understanding before mobilization
• Participate in bid reviews for major pursuits, providing PM-level perspective on execution strategy, schedule risk, and change order potential
• Coordinate with the Director of Estimating to ensure estimating assumptions are grounded in current field productivity data and that lessons learned from project execution feed back into future bids
• Reviews and advises on bid strategy and contract terms for major pursuits

Operational Systems & Process Discipline

• Build and maintain Crux's project management standard operating procedures — from project setup through closeout — so the PM function runs consistently regardless of who is in which role
• Drive adoption of HCSS HeavyJob and EcoSys across the PM team; every PM must be using these systems correctly, entering data on schedule, and producing reports that reflect actual job conditions
• Identify and eliminate the structural conditions that allow individual PMs to drift from standards — inconsistent reporting, delayed change order submissions, missed cost signals — before they become portfolio-wide problems
• Reviews lessons learned from completed projects and integrates findings into delivery standards
• Tracks and reports portfolio-level delivery KPIs to VP Projects: schedule variance, change order volume, claim exposure, and client satisfaction scores

Talent Development

• Recruits, onboards, and develops Project Managers in partnership with HR and VP Projects
• Identifies high-potential CMs and Field Engineers for transition into PM roles; creates development plans
• Build the PM function as a talent pipeline — identify and develop candidates for future PM roles from within the CM and Superintendent ranks, in partnership with VP Field Operations and HR
• Administers PM performance reviews; recommends compensation actions aligned with Quanta AIP/LTIP framework
• Partners with HR on CORE Leadership Program for emerging PM and CM talent
• Provides structured coaching and mentoring to PMs on commercial management, client communication, and risk identification

Qualifications & Requirements

• Minimum 10 years in heavy civil, specialty, or geotechnical construction, with at least 5 years in project management and at least 3 years in a PM leadership or supervisory capacity
• Direct experience managing or overseeing a portfolio of concurrent projects ranging from $5M to $50M+ in contract value
• Demonstrated track record improving PM team performance — building the systems and accountability structures that make a PM function run at a higher level
• Experience with HCSS HeavyJob and EcoSys, or comparable construction cost management and project controls platforms, strongly preferred
• Deep familiarity with construction contract management, change order documentation, claim preservation, and client interface in a specialty subcontractor environment
• Experience in geotechnical construction, foundation work, or transmission and energy project delivery is a meaningful advantage
• PMP or equivalent preferred; Bachelor Degree in Civil, Construction Management or related field required OR equivalent experience

Working Conditions

Office-based at Crux headquarters in Spokane Valley, WA. Travel approximately 30% to project sites, client offices, and regional operations. Periodic presence at Quanta corporate for reporting and strategic reviews.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity), age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and/or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.
We prohibit all types of discrimination and are committed to providing access and equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities. For additional information or if reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application, interview, or hiring processes or to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact us the Company’s Human Resources department.