Associate Project Manager
At Salas O’Brien we tell our clients that we’re engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That’s why we’re committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future.
Building for the long-term means that all of our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career—and they’ll receive great total rewards along the way.
Job Summary:
The Associate Project Manager serves as a tactical execution lead responsible for advancing Department of the Navy partnership initiatives from concept through agreement development and implementation. This role operates at the working level of project delivery, translating strategy into coordinated actions, draft agreements, and completed deliverables.
The Associate Project Manager works directly with Navy clients, installation stakeholders, and external partners to structure, develop, and mature Public-Public and Public-Private partnership agreements under Title 10 authorities. This includes organizing stakeholder inputs, managing documentation, and driving progress across legal, financial, real estate, and operational components required to bring a partnership to execution.
On a day-to-day basis, the role is responsible for maintaining project momentum. That includes coordinating working groups, tracking decisions and action items, managing timelines, and ensuring all parties are aligned on requirements, risks, and next steps. The Associate Project Manager plays a central role in keeping efforts organized, responsive, and moving forward in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
The position requires strong coordination and communication skills, as well as the ability to break down complex efforts into manageable tasks and deliverables. The Associate Project Manager develops draft agreements, briefing materials, and supporting documentation, ensuring that inputs from diverse stakeholders are captured, reconciled, and translated into clear, actionable products.
This role operates under the guidance of the Project Manager and Program Manager, but is expected to take ownership of day-to-day execution, client engagement at the working level, and delivery of high-quality outputs. Success in this role requires attention to detail, consistent follow-through, and the ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments while supporting broader strategic objectives.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Client Engagement & Coordination
- Support day-to-day interaction with Navy clients and stakeholder organizations
- Build and maintain working-level relationships across installation leadership, staff, and partners
- Coordinate and facilitate recurring meetings, working groups, and stakeholder engagements
- Track client requirements, action items, and decisions
Partnership Development (Core Focus)
- Support development of Public-Public and Public-Private partnership agreements
- Coordinate inputs across legal, financial, real estate, and operational stakeholders
- Assist in drafting agreements, MOUs, term sheets, and supporting documentation
- Track approvals, milestones, and document versions throughout agreement lifecycle
Project Execution
- Execute projects against defined scope, schedule, and quality expectations
- Maintain detailed project trackers, schedules, and deliverable timelines
- Identify and communicate risks, issues, and dependencies
- Ensure tasks are progressing and aligned with client expectations
Analytical & Deliverable Support
- Conduct research, data collection, and basic analysis to support project workstreams
- Support development of course of action (COA) materials, feasibility inputs, and business case elements
- Produce draft deliverables including briefings, memos, and reports
- Translate technical or policy inputs into clear, structured formats
Internal Team Support
- Work under guidance of the Project Manager to prioritize and execute tasks
- Coordinate across SMEs and functional contributors
- Support preparation of monthly reports, financial tracking, and status updates
- Contribute to continuous improvement of workflows, templates, and tools
Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree (BA/BS) from an accredited college or university, or equivalent
- 3-5 years of relevant work experience
- Must be a US Citizen
- Strong organizational and coordination skills in a project-based environment
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines simultaneously
- Clear and concise written and verbal communication skills
- Experience supporting government, consulting, or infrastructure-related work (preferred)
- Interest in real estate, infrastructure, partnerships, or federal programs
- Other skills required:
- Excellent formal writing skills
- Excellent planning and organizational skills
- Exceptional time management skills
- Executes assignments with attention to detail
- Experience facilitating meetings, workgroups, and workshops
- Knowledge of local government, economic development, and community planning
Skills/Abilities:
- Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; collects and researches data; uses intuition and experience to complement data; designs workflows and procedures
- Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings and appointments on time
- Business Acumen - Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals
- Cost Consciousness - Works within approved budget; develops and implements cost saving measures; contributes to profits and revenue; conserves organizational resources
- Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; responds promptly to customer needs; solicits customer feedback to improve service; responds to requests for service and assistance; meets commitments
- Design - Generates creative solutions; uses feedback to modify designs; demonstrates attention to detail
- Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with challenging topics
- Project Management - Coordinates projects; communicates changes and progress; completes projects on time and budget
- Safety and Security- Observes safety and security procedures; determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; reports potentially unsafe conditions; uses equipment and materials properly
- Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; pursues training and development opportunities; strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; shares expertise with others
You will love it here if you:
- Enjoy working through details and executing complex projects
- Thrive in a client-facing, fast-paced delivery environment
- Prefer building relationships through consistent, day-to-day engagement
- Enjoy working with community and military leadership
- Desire a performance-based culture and semi-annual bonus structure
- Desire a high growth potential
Location: Baltimore, MD or Remote
Travel: Approximately 10 days of travel per quarter
Compensation:
The expected base salary range for this role is $75,000-$85,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and location.
This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive U.S. based benefits package, including:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off and company holidays
- Wellness programs and employee assistance resources
- Professional development support
For more information, visit our full benefits overview here (https://salasobrien.com/benefits/).
About Us:
Founded in 1975, Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow’s requirements are today’s opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges.
We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more.
Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day.
Third-Party Agency Notice
Salas O’Brien does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies. We only work with approved partners engaged directly by our Talent Acquisition team for specific searches. Unsolicited submissions will not be eligible for placement fees.
Equal Opportunity Employment Statement
Salas O’Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, 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/provincial, or local laws. Salas O’Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.
Preferred
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3 - 5 years: 3-5 years of relevant work experience
Preferred
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
