Burns & McDonnell

Project Manager - Construction Initiatives (Kansas City)

Burns & McDonnell • $95K — $115K *
Real Estate & Construction
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in engineering, construction management, or related field with 7 years of relevant experience.
  • Experience in construction management or program management across sectors like aviation, energy, and government is preferred.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with attention to detail.
  • Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments and willingness to work overtime as needed.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management software.
  • Collaborative mindset with experience in multi-disciplinary team environments.

Responsibilities

  • Identify operational needs and inefficiencies to create standardized work processes.
  • Support planning and execution of strategic initiatives, including managing roadmaps and deliverables.
  • Ensure alignment with corporate transformation goals through active participation in programs like the Blue Horizon Program.
  • Coordinate engagements with external consultants to oversee project execution and quality.
  • Develop unified standard operating procedures and workflows across global practices.
  • Facilitate committees for aligning departmental initiatives and tracking milestones.
  • Collaborate with internal technical resources to scope and deploy innovative solutions.

Benefits

  • Opportunity for significant professional development and career advancement.
  • Involvement in cutting-edge technology and innovative processes in construction.
  • Collaborative work environment with cross-functional teams.
  • Exposure to high-profile projects across various sectors.
  • Potential for travel, enhancing professional networks and experiences.
Full Job Description
Description

The Project Manager, Construction Initiatives leads strategic programs and initiatives that improve construction operations, project delivery, and business performance. This role oversees initiative planning, execution, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and change adoption while collaborating across multiple departments to implement innovative processes, systems, and solutions. The Project Manager drives continuous improvement efforts, ensures alignment with organizational objectives, and delivers measurable results that enhance efficiency, consistency, and project outcomes.

The Project Manager, Construction Initiatives supports the end-to-end innovation lifecycle-proactively identifying operational needs, ideating scalable solutions, and creating standardized operating procedures, work processes, and toolsets that unify execution across multiple global practices and business lines.

Central to this role is a strong passion for technology and innovation, paired with the practical insight required to translate emerging digital capabilities into measurable operational value. By collaborating with cross-functional teams, integrating enterprise systems, and orchestrating technology adoption, the Project Manager unlocks project efficiencies, enhances delivery quality, and establishes future readiness across the organization.

Initially joining the EPC Tools team, the Initiative Manager will support the development and deployment of EPC Tools 2.0 and 3.0 under the lead of the EPC Tools Program Manager, operating in strategic alignment with the Enterprise Transformation Office (EXO) and the Blue Horizon Program. The position will collaborate closely with the CPMD leadership, internal subject matter experts, IT, the Technical Services Group, and external consulting partners (e.g., Deloitte) to ensure smooth program execution and sustained change adoption. The position will coordinate with other initiatives being led by the CPMD group, EXO, as well as innovation teams across the company.

Essential Functions & Key Responsibilities

Strategic Ideation & Initiative Leadership
  • Opportunity & Need Identification: Proactively evaluate operational workflows across business lines to pinpoint inefficiencies, gaps, and high-impact opportunities for standard work creation.
  • Ideation & Strategy Execution: Support the conceptualization, planning, and execution of strategic EPC Tools and operational initiatives across CPMD, managing initiative roadmaps, scope, schedules, and deliverables.
  • Transformation Program Alignment: Maintain active alignment with the Enterprise Transformation Office and the Blue Horizon Program, ensuring CPMD initiatives support broader corporate transformation goals and performance metrics.
  • Consultant & Partner Coordination: Manage day-to-day engagements with external management consultants (e.g., Deloitte), overseeing task execution, progress check-ins, financial tracking, and deliverable quality.

Practice Unification & Standard Development
  • Global Practice Alignment: Unify SOPs, tools, and workflows across diverse global practices and business lines to create a cohesive, enterprise-wide EPC delivery standard.
  • Governance & Steering Committees: Facilitate initiative committees and task forces to align departmental leadership on initiative priorities, standards, and adoption milestones.
  • Work Instructions & Process Documentation: Serve as and coordinate with Process Owning Group Leads (POGLs) to author, review, and maintain clear Work Instructions (WIs) for core project functions (e.g., forecasted ROMs, change management, commitment reviews).

Cross-Functional Resource & Technology Integration
  • Internal Resource Management: Engage, direct, and collaborate with key internal technical groups-including the Technical Services Group, IT, software developers, and database leads-to scope, build, test, and deploy initiative tools and system integrations.
  • Technology Evaluation & Application: Evaluate enterprise construction technologies (e.g., Procore, Primavera P6, custom applications) and lead pilots to determine best-fit solutions that unlock operational efficiency and future readiness.
  • Systems Integration & Automation: Support technical syncs and workflow automation projects (e.g., bot integrations and automated data pipelines) in coordination with IT and Technical Services to streamline project controls and administrative workflows.
  • Training, Change Management & Continuous Improvement
  • Training Program Deployment: Plan, coordinate, and execute training programs for project managers, field staff, and regional divisions to ensure high adoption of new EPC tools and work instructions.
  • Feedback Loops & Iterative Improvement: Gather direct user feedback from project managers, field engineers, and practice leads to continuously refine tools, instructions, and operational workflows.
  • Career Development Support: Assist in evaluating and enhancing the Project Management Career Training Plan, fostering continuous professional development for CPMD staff.

Qualifications
  • Bachelor Degree in engineering, construction management or related degree from accredited program and 7 years applicable experience required.
  • Prior experience on construction project sites or executing program management in the industries of aviation, commercial, energy, government, manufacturing, oil & gas, process, transmission & distribution, or water is preferred.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, demanding work environment, ability to work overtime on short notice.
  • Excellent computer skills and proficiency using Microsoft Office.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with others (owners, contractors, engineers, designers) in a multi-disciplined project team environment to resolve design or drawing issues as appropriate and to accomplish objectives.
  • Strong experience with document control, scheduling, cost control and project management software.

This job posting will remain open a minimum of 72 hours and on an ongoing basis until filled.

Job Project Management

Primary Location US-MO-Kansas City

Schedule: Full-time

Travel: Yes, 5 % of the Time

Req ID: 264707

Job Hire Type Experienced #LI-MF #CDB

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a full-service engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting solutions firm. The company was founded in 1898 by Clinton Burns and Robert McDonnell and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Burns & McDonnell provides services to a wide range of industries, including aviation, defense, energy, environmental, healthcare, and transportation. The company has over 7,500 employees and operates in more than 50 countries around the world. Burns & McDonnell has been recognized as one of the best places to work in the United States by Fortune magazine.
Learn more about Burns & McDonnell
Size
7,500 employees
Industry
Founded
1898

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