Geotechnical Project Manager Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

Position Overview:

Atlas Foundation Company is seeking an experienced Deep Foundation Estimator / Project Manager to join our team. Atlas self-performs a variety of specialty geotechnical construction services, including driven piling, helical piers, micropiles, drilled piers, earth retention systems, and ground improvement systems.

This position is responsible for identifying and pursuing project opportunities, developing accurate and competitive estimates, preparing clear scopes and proposals, and managing awarded projects from award through final completion.

The successful candidate will combine deep foundation construction knowledge, estimating ability, commercial judgment, project management skills, and strong communication with a willingness to take ownership of both estimating and project performance.

The Estimator / Project Manager will work closely with customers, engineers, general contractors, vendors, field supervisors, and Atlas team members to identify constructability challenges, manage project risk, coordinate resources, and deliver successful projects.

A key part of this position is developing and maintaining strong customer relationships. Timely communication, responsiveness, technical competence, and successful project execution should reinforce Atlas as a customer's preferred resource for deep foundations, earth retention, ground improvement, and other specialty foundation solutions.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Business Development & Customer Relationships

• Identify and pursue prospective project opportunities within Atlas's scope of services.
• Develop and maintain relationships with general contractors, owners, engineers, developers, vendors, and industry partners.
• Follow up on bids, understand competitive position, and help convert opportunities into awarded work.
• Maintain strong relationships with existing customers to encourage repeat business and long-term partnerships.
• Represent Atlas professionally at customer meetings, project meetings, pre-bids, and industry events.

Estimating & Preconstruction

• Review plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, addenda, bid requirements, and other project documents.
• Perform accurate quantity takeoffs and develop production-based labor, equipment, material, and subcontractor costs.
• Evaluate soil conditions, groundwater, site access, existing structures, utilities, sequencing, schedule, logistics, and other factors affecting means, methods, production, equipment selection, and cost.
• Coordinate with internal and external engineering resources regarding design requirements, foundation alternatives, preliminary sizing, constructability, testing requirements, and value-engineering opportunities.
• Identify scope gaps, constructability concerns, project risks, and opportunities for alternative solutions.
• Develop clear proposals defining Atlas's scope, pricing, assumptions, qualifications, exclusions, unit rates, and schedule considerations.
• Participate in bid reviews and ensure significant project risks are understood before proposal submission.
• Consider crew and equipment availability, backlog, project schedules, geographic requirements, and operational capacity when pursuing and pricing work.

Project Management

• Manage awarded projects from award through completion and closeout.
• Review estimates, proposals, plans, specifications, geotechnical information, subcontracts, and other contract documents prior to construction.
• Develop and manage project budgets based on the production, quantity, labor, equipment, and material assumptions used in the estimate.
• Coordinate manpower, equipment, materials, subcontractors, engineering, submittals, testing, and schedules with Atlas field and operations personnel.
• Maintain regular communication with customers and field supervision regarding schedule, access, production, site conditions, changes, and upcoming requirements.
• Monitor project costs, production, quantities, committed costs, and overall financial performance.
• Forecast project performance and identify potential cost or schedule impacts early enough to take corrective action.
• Conduct periodic project reviews and communicate project status to Atlas management.
• Travel to project sites, customer meetings, pre-bid meetings, and industry events as required. Occasional overnight travel may be necessary.

Contract & Change Management

• Review subcontracts, purchase orders, and customer agreements for scope, commercial, schedule, and risk-related concerns.
• Confirm Atlas's proposal, assumptions, exclusions, and agreed revisions are incorporated into final contract documents.
• Identify changed conditions, additional work, quantity overruns/underruns, delays, differing site conditions, and other events affecting cost or schedule.
• Provide timely written notice and prepare pricing for change requests and change orders.
• Maintain documentation supporting additional compensation or schedule adjustments and track commercial issues through resolution.

Technical & Field Coordination

• Develop and maintain a strong working understanding of Atlas's deep foundation, earth retention, and ground improvement systems, including equipment, materials, installation methods, production considerations, and associated risks.
• Understand how geotechnical conditions and design requirements affect constructability, production, foundation depths, material quantities, equipment selection, and project risk.
• Coordinate with engineers, customers, and field personnel when actual conditions differ from bid assumptions.
• Assist in resolving field issues while considering safety, quality, schedule, cost, and contractual requirements.
• Visit project sites as necessary to support estimating, understand existing conditions, review progress, and maintain effective communication between field and office personnel.

Teamwork, Safety & Continuous Improvement

• Support Atlas's safety culture throughout estimating, planning, and project execution.
• Work with field supervision to ensure projects are properly planned and executed.
• Support other Estimators and Project Managers as workload and project needs require.
• Review completed project performance against estimated labor, equipment, material, production, and quantity assumptions and incorporate lessons learned into future estimates.
• Share production knowledge, pricing information, lessons learned, and best practices across the team.
• Stay current with industry developments, equipment, materials, construction methods, and technologies relevant to Atlas's work.
• Identify new applications, methods, or services that may create value for Atlas and its customers.

Skills & Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years of construction estimating and/or project management experience. Direct experience with deep foundations, earth retention, ground improvement, geotechnical construction, or closely related specialty foundation work is strongly preferred.
• Deep Foundation Knowledge: Experience with one or more of the following is highly desirable: driven piling, micropiles, helical piles, drilled foundations, sheet piling, H-pile and lagging, earth retention, or ground improvement.
• Estimating: Ability to interpret plans and specifications, perform takeoffs, develop production-based costs, obtain vendor pricing, identify project risk, and prepare complete estimates and proposals.
• Geotechnical Understanding: Ability to review soil borings and geotechnical reports and recognize conditions affecting installation methods, production, foundation depths, drivability, groundwater, equipment selection, or project risk.
• Project Management: Experience managing budgets, schedules, procurement, submittals, engineering coordination, documentation, change management, billing, and customer communication.
• Construction & Commercial Knowledge: Strong understanding of construction means and methods, equipment, labor, materials, field production, contract risk, changed conditions, quantity variations, and project cost/schedule exposure.
• Financial Management: Ability to develop and manage project budgets, monitor actual costs and production, forecast project performance, and take corrective action when necessary.
• Communication & Organization: Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to manage multiple estimates and active projects while maintaining attention to detail.
• Technology: Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Bluebeam, and construction estimating/project management software.
• Education: Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, or a related field preferred. Relevant industry experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Initiative & Accountability: Self-motivated, organized, responsive, and capable of independently taking ownership of estimates and projects while contributing to the overall team.

Why Atlas Foundation Company?

Atlas offers the opportunity to work in a specialized segment of construction where technical knowledge, practical problem-solving, and strong customer relationships directly influence project success.

Our Estimator / Project Managers have meaningful responsibility throughout the entire project lifecycle—from identifying opportunities and developing estimates through planning, construction, financial management, and closeout.

The position offers exposure to challenging projects, varied subsurface conditions, specialty construction methods, and a team-oriented environment focused on delivering successful solutions for our customers.

Atlas values employees who take ownership, communicate effectively, support their teammates, continue learning, and look for better ways to serve our customers and execute our work.