Project Coordinator → Assistant Project Manager
A.G. O’Brien Plumbing & Heating
Location: Duluth, MN (Training approximately 6 months), then Lake Nebagamon, WI
Position: Full-Time - In Person
Salary: $55,000–$65,000 annually
Build a Career. Not Just Fill a Position.
Right now, one person carries our residential and light commercial projects across our territory.
Our Territory Manager estimates the work, sells it, pulls permits, coordinates technicians, orders materials, communicates with customers, schedules inspections, and ensures projects get billed accurately.
He does it exceptionally well.
He also can’t do all of it forever.
Every hour he spends buried in paperwork is an hour he isn’t building customer relationships or growing the business.
That’s where you come in.
This isn’t an administrative assistant role.
This isn’t a filing position.
You are the person who will become the operational backbone of our projects.
Within your first year, you’ll know the status of every active project, every permit, every inspection, every material order, and every project waiting to be invoiced. Eventually, when the Territory Manager is on vacation, projects won’t stop because you’ll know exactly what needs to happen next.
Since 1934, A.G. O’Brien Plumbing & Heating has built a reputation for quality craftsmanship, integrity, and long-term relationships. As we continue expanding throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, we’re investing in developing our next generation of Project Managers from within.
What You’ll Actually Do
This position blends project coordination, customer service, operations, estimating, and field experience. No two days look the same.
Permitting & Municipal Coordination
You’ll become the expert on permitting.
You’ll learn:
· Municipality requirements
· Permit applications
· Inspection scheduling
· Approval timelines
· Inspection coordination
· Resolving permit issues before they delay projects
If a permit stalls, you don’t wait, you find out why and solve the problem.
Billing & Project Closeout
Completed work doesn’t generate revenue until it’s billed.
You’ll:
· Track completed jobs
· Collect technician paperwork
· Organize change orders
· Verify documentation
· Coordinate with accounting
· Help invoices move from weeks to days
This work rarely gets noticed by customers, but it’s one of the most valuable contributions you’ll make.
Project Tracking
You’ll become the person everyone calls because you know:
· Where materials are
· Whether orders shipped
· Which inspections are scheduled
· What customers were promised
· Which projects need attention
· What’s waiting to be billed
You’ll build and continuously improve the tracking systems that keep projects moving.
Field Experience
You won’t learn this business sitting behind a desk.
You’ll regularly:
· Visit jobsites
· Take measurements
· Document progress
· Walk projects with the Territory Manager
· Attend customer meetings
· Learn how plumbing, HVAC, and septic projects actually operate
Estimating & Project Management
As your experience grows, so will your responsibilities.
You’ll begin learning:
· Material takeoffs
· Supplier pricing
· Scope development
· Estimate preparation
· Plumbing estimates
· HVAC estimates
· Septic estimates
Over time, your role naturally evolves from coordination into true project management.
Team Support
Sometimes the office needs everyone.
You’ll answer phones.
You’ll assist scheduling.
You’ll jump wherever the business needs help.
Titles don’t matter here.
Helping each other does.
The Hard Parts (Honestly)
We believe in setting realistic expectations.
You’ll Learn Two Jobs at Once
If you’ve never worked in plumbing or HVAC, you’ll be learning:
· Construction terminology
· Mechanical systems
· Municipal processes
· Software
· Customers
· Internal procedures
…all while doing the actual job.
The people who succeed ask a tremendous number of questions during their first 90 days.
Priorities Change Constantly
Before 10:00 AM you might have:
· A permit issue
· A technician waiting on an answer
· A customer requesting an update
· Four completed jobs waiting on paperwork
You’ll learn how to determine what truly matters first.
Sometimes you’ll choose wrong.
That’s okay.
We’d rather see initiative than hesitation.
Details Matter
Small mistakes become expensive.
A missing signature can delay a $40,000 invoice.
One incorrect permit date can delay an entire project.
This isn’t a role where “close enough” works.
You’ll Build Systems
Some of our best processes currently live inside one person’s head.
Part of your job is helping document, improve, and organize those systems so the business continues to grow.
You’ll be building the road while you’re driving on it.
You’ll Relocate Offices
Training begins in Duluth.
After approximately six months, you’ll transition to our Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin office.
Please make sure that commute works for your long term plans before applying.
Who Thrives Here
Our company values aren’t framed on a wall for decoration.
They’re expectations.
Duty
Show up prepared.
Own your responsibilities.
When something gets dropped, we care more about who picks it up than who caused it.
Artisanship
Do things the right way.
Your project files, permit records, documentation, and tracking systems should be organized well enough that someone could understand them years later.
Honor
Tell the truth.
Especially when it’s uncomfortable.
Bad news delivered early can be solved.
Surprises cannot.
Levity
We’re serious about our work.
We’re not serious about ourselves.
Expect a locker-room culture with humor, teasing, and people who genuinely enjoy working together.
Valiance
You’ll regularly receive work you’ve never done before.
That’s expected.
Try.
Learn.
Improve.
Repeat.
Emotional Intelligence
The strongest employees here:
· Admit mistakes
· Ask questions
· Accept feedback
· Have difficult conversations
· Leave their ego at the door
Working this closely with one leader requires trust, humility, and communication.
Career Growth
This isn’t a dead end coordinator position.
It’s a designed career path.
You’ll progress through:
· Project Coordination
· Billing & Operations
· Estimating
· Process Improvement
· Assistant Project Management
· Full Project Management
You’ll receive direct, side-by-side mentoring from our Territory Manager, not online videos or generic onboarding.
You’ll gain exposure to:
· Estimating
· Permitting
· Municipal relationships
· Field operations
· Customer management
· Billing
· Scheduling
· Mechanical construction
Few roles offer this level of business exposure this early in your career.
With nearly 100 employees and continued expansion into Wisconsin, we’re building leaders, not simply filling seats.
Success PlanFirst 30 Days -Learn the Business
By the end of your first month, you’ll:
· Confidently answer and route incoming phone calls.
· Accurately enter scheduling information.
· Understand and explain our permitting process from start to finish.
· Shadow a complete project billing cycle.
· Submit permit applications for at least three active projects with guidance.
· Visit active jobsites and begin understanding project workflows.
· Build relationships with technicians, suppliers, inspectors, and office staff.
· Ask lots of questions and develop confidence navigating daily operations.
By 60 Days - Operate Independently
You’ll begin taking ownership by:
· Independently submitting permit applications.
· Scheduling inspections without prompting.
· Following up on permit approvals.
· Resolving routine permit issues.
· Chasing down technician paperwork to close uninvoiced projects.
· Handling routine customer, supplier, and municipal communications.
· Serving as dependable backup for phones and scheduling.
· Assisting with estimating and material takeoffs.
· Demonstrating consistent organization across multiple active projects.
By 90 Days - Own Core Operations
Success means:
· Owning permitting, inspection scheduling, and billing documentation with minimal oversight.
· Improving billing turnaround times through complete documentation.
· Maintaining organized tracking systems for permits, inspections, project status, and invoicing.
· Keeping projects moving smoothly during manager absences.
· Demonstrating sound judgment while balancing competing priorities.
· Beginning to contribute meaningfully to estimating and project planning.
By 6 Months
You’ll be:
· Independently managing permitting and inspection coordination.
· Driving the billing documentation process.
· Serving as the primary coordinator for residential and light commercial projects.
· Anticipating project needs before issues arise.
· Becoming a trusted resource for technicians, customers, suppliers, and municipalities.
By 12 Months
You’ll be:
· Performing material takeoffs independently.
· Obtaining supplier pricing.
· Building complete estimates for review.
· Coordinating projects with minimal oversight.
· Improving operational systems and workflows.
· Confidently running day-to-day department operations when the Territory Manager is out.
· Positioned to continue growing into a full Project Manager role.
What You Need to Bring
Read this section last, on purpose.
If you connected with everything you’ve read above but only meet some of these qualifications, apply anyway. We’re looking for the right person as much as the right résumé.
Preferred Qualifications
· Previous experience in plumbing, HVAC, construction, project coordination, estimating, or a related industry is preferred but not required.
· Strong computer skills with Microsoft Office, especially Excel and Outlook.
· Comfortable learning new technology and software.
· Able to write professional emails to customers, suppliers, and municipal inspectors.
· Comfortable splitting time between the office and active jobsites.
· Strong organization and problem-solving skills.
· Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
· Valid driver’s license.
Benefits
· Competitive Salary
· Health Insurance
· Dental Insurance
· Vision Insurance
· 401(k) with Company Match
· Paid Time Off
· Direct Mentorship
· Career Advancement Opportunities
· Defined Growth Path into Project Management
How to Apply
When you apply, we’d love to learn a little more about how you think.
Tell us about a time you inherited a mess and organized it, at work, at school, or anywhere else.
That’s a big part of what this role is all about.
Equal Opportunity Employer
A.G. O’Brien Plumbing & Heating is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where every employee is treated with respect and has the opportunity to succeed based on their skills, performance, and potential.
Ready to Build Something Bigger?
If you’re looking for a career where you’ll learn a trade, build systems, solve problems, and grow into project management while working alongside experienced professionals who genuinely invest in your development, we’d love to meet you.
A.G. O’Brien Plumbing & Heating has been building trust since 1934.
Now we’re building the next generation of leaders.
Pay: $55,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
