About the Project
Pennmark is delivering one of its largest and most complex developments — the adaptive reuse of a historic building in Harrisburg into 100 residential units. This is a multi-year project that combines historic preservation, structural rehabilitation, full MEP modernization, hazardous materials abatement, and high-volume residential build-out.
The Construction Manager owns the project. The Superintendent runs the daily field operations; the Construction Manager runs the overall project — budget, schedule, contracts, design coordination, owner reporting, and risk management. This is the senior on-the-ground leader for the development.
About Pennmark
Pennmark is a full-service commercial real estate development and management company headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, PA, with approximately 4 million square feet of retail and office space across PA, NJ, and OH. We perform development, construction, and property management in-house. This Construction Manager role reports directly to executive leadership and is the single point of accountability for the success of this flagship project.
Position Summary
The Construction Manager (CM) is the senior project leader responsible for delivering the entire historic residential conversion on schedule, on budget, and to the standards required by Pennmark, the SHPO, and the eventual tenants of 100 dwelling units.
Where the Superintendent owns the field, the CM owns the project:
- The contract — drafting, negotiating, and managing the GC/CM contract and all major subcontract agreements
- The budget — owning every dollar from pre-construction through closeout
- The schedule — building it, defending it, and reporting against it to ownership
- The design — coordinating architects, engineers, historic consultants, and specialty consultants
- The compliance — historic tax credits, code compliance, lender draws, owner approvals
- The people — leading the Superintendent and project staff, and interfacing with ownership
This is a role for someone who has run major historic and/or multifamily projects from pre-construction through certificate of occupancy — and can speak to ownership in plain language about risk, money, and time.
Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesProject Leadership & Ownership Interface
- Serve as the single point of accountability for project delivery — schedule, budget, quality, and compliance
- Report directly to Pennmark's executive leadership; present monthly project status, budget variance, schedule recovery plans, and risk register
- Build and lead the project team — Superintendent, Assistant PM, Project Coordinators — including hiring, mentoring, and performance management
- Make and defend executive-level decisions on scope changes, contract awards, design substitutions, and value engineering
- Be the face of the project to lenders, equity partners, historic preservation officials, and municipal authorities
Pre-Construction & Design Phase
- Lead pre-construction strategy: constructability reviews, value engineering, schedule modeling, and bid packaging
- Coordinate with the architect of record, structural engineer, MEP engineers, historic preservation architect, and specialty consultants
- Drive bid solicitation, subcontractor pre-qualification, scope leveling, and award recommendations for all major trades
- Develop the master GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) or cost-plus structure with ownership and present for approval
- Identify and resolve design conflicts before they reach the field
Contract & Financial Management
- Negotiate, execute, and administer the general contractor agreement, major subcontracts, and professional service agreements
- Own the project budget end-to-end: develop the original budget, manage contingency, track all change orders, approve pay applications, and report variance monthly
- Process and approve AIA G702/G703 pay applications from the GC and major subs
- Manage lender draw requests and coordinate with the construction lender's inspector
- Track historic tax credit qualified rehabilitation expenditures (QREs) with the project accountant and HTC consultant
- Approve all change orders before submission to ownership; protect contingency aggressively
Schedule Management
- Own the master schedule (Primavera P6, MS Project, or Smartsheet) and the critical path
- Run weekly schedule reviews with the Superintendent; coordinate look-aheads with the trades
- Identify schedule risks 60–90 days in advance and execute recovery plans
- Coordinate long-lead procurement (windows, elevators, mechanical equipment, specialty masonry restoration)
Design Coordination & RFIs
- Manage the RFI process — review, prioritize, and direct response timing
- Lead OAC (Owner / Architect / Contractor) meetings weekly
- Drive submittal and shop drawing approvals to keep the field unblocked
- Resolve scope gaps and design conflicts with authority — and protect the budget when doing so
Historic Preservation & Regulatory Compliance
- Serve as Pennmark's primary liaison with the PA Bureau for Historic Preservation (SHPO) and the National Park Service for federal historic tax credit compliance
- Ensure all work meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
- Oversee preparation of Part 2 amendments and Part 3 certifications with the HTC consultant
- Manage relationships with the City of Harrisburg Building Department, PA L&I, fire marshal, and zoning officials
- Coordinate environmental compliance — lead, asbestos, mold, stormwater, and historic site protection
Risk Management
- Maintain an active risk register reviewed monthly with ownership
- Manage insurance certificates, bonding, and contractual indemnification provisions
- Address claims, disputes, and potential litigation with counsel before escalation
- Ensure life-safety, jobsite security, and asset protection plans are in place and enforced
Closeout & Turnover
- Lead final inspections, punch list management, and certificate of occupancy coordination
- Manage warranty, O&M manual collection, and as-built drawing compilation
- Coordinate with Pennmark's property management team for turnover and tenant move-in readiness
- Capture and document lessons learned for the next adaptive reuse project
Required Qualifications
- Minimum 15 years of construction industry experience, with at least 7 years as a Construction Manager, Senior Project Manager, or Director of Construction on projects of comparable scale
- Proven delivery of at least two completed projects in one or more of the following:
- Historic adaptive reuse / rehabilitation ($20M+)
- Multifamily residential development of 75+ units
- Mixed-use development with significant rehabilitation scope
- Direct experience leading projects through federal historic tax credit certification (Parts 1, 2, and 3) is strongly preferred and may be required depending on the candidate pool
- Demonstrated ability to own a P&L on a project of $20M+ — budget development, change order management, contingency control, and variance reporting
- Strong working knowledge of AIA contracts (A102, A201), GMP and cost-plus structures, and lender draw requirements
- Expertise in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and historic tax credit documentation
- Deep working knowledge of IBC, IEBC, ADA, Fair Housing Act, and PA-specific building codes
- Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary teams — Superintendents, APMs, designers, consultants, and trade partners
- Proficiency in Procore, Primavera P6 or MS Project, Bluebeam, Smartsheet, and Microsoft Office
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field (or 20+ years of equivalent experience)
- OSHA 30-Hour certification (current)
Preferred Qualifications
- PMP, CCM, DBIA, or LEED AP professional certification
- Experience with Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program specifically
- Track record managing projects through construction lender draw cycles
- Prior experience in owner-rep or in-house developer construction management (vs. pure GC-side experience)
- Background in occupied or phased-turnover projects
- Network of trade partners and consultants in the Harrisburg / Central PA market
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $120,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
