Machine Shop Project Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL

Annual salary range noted above based on experience and qualifications. Employees in this role are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, up to 13% of their base salary, dependent on both individual performance and company financial results.

Hey! We’re Skender, nice to meet you.

At our core, we are builders — of communities, relationships, dreams, and careers. If you asked us to describe Skender, we’d say we’re ambitious, humble, and compassionate. We’re focused on building lasting partnerships with the right people. Our success starts and ends with our people. That’s why we seek out dynamic, high-energy teammates who are eager to learn, ready to take ownership of their careers, and excited to have fun along the way.

Who is Skender?

About 70 years ago, Skender got its start in the basement of our founder’s family home. Now, Skender has two locations, our Chicago headquarters and our Indianapolis office, with nearly 400 employees helping us raise the bar year after year.

From humble beginnings to now, Skender has become one of the nation’s top 100 construction firms building dream spaces for many of the world’s leading brands. In more recent history, we’ve won 30 best-place-to-work awards from three different organizations, each based on comprehensive workplace evaluations and employee input.

Our team is driven by three core values:

• Proactive: You take initiative, stay curious, and aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves to get the job done.
• Refreshing: You celebrate team wins, show appreciation freely, and always give credit where it's earned.
• True Partner: You thrive on collaboration, ask thoughtful questions, and are fully present and engaged with your team.

If our values align with yours, this could be a great match. We love meeting new people, so we can’t wait to hear about you!

Who are you?

We’re looking for a Project Manager who is ready to take their career to the next level. Do you know about project management best practices, establishing budgets, and innovating through construction technology? Great. Are you someone with a go-getter attitude who can assume responsibility and communicate effectively with your team, partners, and clients? Even better.

What will you do as a Project Manager?

Our Project Managers are the foundation of our Operations team, driving projects forward and ensuring they're completed safely, on time, on budget, and with exceptional quality. Working closely with Senior Project Managers and Project Executives, you’ll take ownership of your projects from preconstruction through closeout, partnering with owners, architects, trade partners, and your internal teams every step of the way.

In this role, you will:

• Provide guidance and ensure compliance for your team’s project documentation, carefully review contract documents and shop drawings, oversee document control entities, lead preconstruction efforts, and track + communicate milestones throughout the project life cycle
• Partner with field staff to plan and budget for project phasing, logistics, and safety
• Develop and maintain the project master schedule in collaboration with field teams
• Review and submit project budgets, bids, and change orders promptly, ensuring proper documentation and alignment with client expectations
• Build and nurture strong relationships with clients, architects, engineers, and trade partners to ensure clear communication and collaboration through the project lifecycle
• Mentor and guide Assistant Project Managers and Project Engineers, fostering their growth and ensuring expectations are met for both clients and internal stakeholders
• Track and communicate key project milestones, keeping all stakeholders informed, engaged, and confident in project progress

What education and experience are required?

• 4 year degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or another construction-related field
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working in the built construction world

What skills will we require?

• Proactive and pleasant communication habits with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong documentation tendencies – organized, prompt, and meticulously detailed
• Understanding of contract language as it relates to construction activities and planning
• Advanced knowledge of project management and scheduling software for estimating and project management
• Proficient in building construction components and systems for conceptual budgets
• Fluency in the bidding process based on contract documents
• Strong understanding of quantity take-offs, qualification of subcontractor bids, scheduling, general conditions, and any project constraints or coordination issues
• Uses production management principles based on Lean philosophies, and coaches team members on best practices of Lean philosophy
• Possesses a fundamental understanding of planning phase schedules, lookahead schedules, and the key concepts of the last planner system
• Understands planned percent complete (PPC) to track daily tasks

What's included in our Employee-First Benefits package?

• Skender pays 100% of the premium for health insurance (medical, dental, & vision)
• Annual deposit into health savings account
• Retirement plan with 100% match up to 5% of gross earnings
• Tuition reimbursement for continued learning opportunities
• Employee referral program
• Wellness incentives
• Paid time off
• Parental leave for mothers and fathers
• Free employee assistance program services
• Free short- & long-term disability insurance
• Community involvement

EEO

At Skender, our values guide our behavior and shape our actions. Our promise is an authentic commitment to equality, opportunity, and a respectful work environment for all. We embrace individuality and listen to diverse voices. We believe that hiring those with different experiences and backgrounds, ultimately enhances our expertise as an organization. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This statement applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.