No recruiting agencies or staffing firms, please. Direct applicants only. PROJECT MANAGER, DEVELOPMENTOwner Side Construction and Real Estate DevelopmentBUILD IT RIGHT. OWN THE DETAILS.Fleet Hero is looking for a Project Manager, Development to help lead a growing pipeline of large industrial and commercial development projects throughout Chicagoland. This is an owner side role for someone who wants real responsibility. You will be involved from preconstruction through project completion, working directly with civil engineers, architects, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, municipalities, and ownership. Our projects include ground up industrial and commercial buildings along with significant site development, including mass earthwork, stormwater detention, underground utilities, retaining walls, grading, and large scale paving. During preconstruction, you will split your time between the office and project sites. Once construction begins, you will be based on site and responsible for keeping the project moving, protecting the budget, verifying the work, and making sure what gets built matches what was approved. This is not a position where you simply forward emails and attend meetings. We need someone who checks the numbers, questions inconsistencies, solves problems, and takes ownership. WHAT YOU WILL OWNBIDS, COSTS, AND CONTRACTSReview contractor and subcontractor bids line by line against plans, specifications, and project scope. Identify missing scope, duplicate charges, inflated quantities, exclusions, and unnecessary costs before contracts are awarded. Perform and verify quantity takeoffs for earthwork, utilities, paving, drainage, and other major site components. Compare proposals and help ownership make informed contractor and supplier selections. Verify invoices, change orders, payment applications, and supporting documentation before payment is approved. Hold contractors accountable to their original scope, pricing, and commitments. PROJECT MANAGEMENTManage projects from preconstruction through completion from the owner perspective. Coordinate civil engineers, architects, consultants, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and inspectors. Maintain project schedules and identify issues before they become delays. Track open items, decisions, approvals, inspections, and contractor commitments. Push projects forward when something is stalled instead of waiting for someone else to solve it. Manage multiple active projects without losing control of the details. SITE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTIONPerform regular site walks during planning and preconstruction. Transition to full time site involvement once construction begins. Monitor daily contractor activity, manpower, equipment, quantities, and progress. Verify field conditions against approved plans and specifications. Coordinate required inspections and municipal requirements. Identify field conflicts early and work with the appropriate parties to resolve them. Track installed quantities and compare actual progress against contractor billing. Make sure construction stays aligned with the plans, schedule, budget, and ownership expectations. MUNICIPAL COORDINATION AND BUDGET CONTROLWork directly with city, village, county, and other governmental agencies. Track permit applications, plan reviews, comments, revisions, and approvals. Coordinate with engineers and consultants to resolve municipal comments quickly. Maintain detailed project budgets across multiple developments. Track committed costs, actual costs, pending changes, and remaining exposure. Review change orders critically before recommending approval. Identify budget risks early and communicate them clearly to ownership. Provide accurate reporting on where project dollars are going and where costs may be trending above plan.
WHO WE ARE:
LOOKING FORWe are looking for someone who thinks like an owner. You do not automatically assume the bid, invoice, drawing, or quantity in front of you is correct. You check it. You are comfortable asking why, challenging assumptions, and holding contractors accountable for what they agreed to deliver. You can walk a construction site, understand what is happening, compare it against the plans, and recognize when something does not look right. You also understand that construction rarely goes exactly according to plan. When problems come up, you focus on finding the solution and keeping the project moving.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Construction experience required. Experience with civil construction, site development, excavation, utilities, earthwork, or commercial construction is strongly preferred. Ability to read and understand civil plans, including grading, drainage, utilities, paving, and site layouts. Ability to perform and verify construction quantity takeoffs. Strong understanding of contractor bids, scopes, invoices, payment applications, and change orders. Strong Excel skills. Bluebeam experience is preferred. AutoCAD or Civil 3D experience is a plus. Strong organization and attention to detail. Comfortable managing contractors and having difficult conversations when necessary. Able to manage several projects, deadlines, and priorities at the same time. Based in the Chicagoland area with a valid driver license and ability to travel between project sites throughout the region. We are open to different experience levels for the right person. What matters most is your ability to understand the work, learn quickly, take ownership, and protect the project.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:
You catch problems before they become expensive. You know what contractors are supposed to be doing and whether they are actually doing it. You understand where the project stands financially. You know what is holding up the schedule and what needs to happen next. You verify the numbers instead of simply accepting them. When ownership asks what is happening on a project, you know the answer. WHY FLEET HEROAt Fleet Hero, we believe in work that performs under real conditions, not just on paper. We value people who are prepared, focused, reliable, and willing to take responsibility for the result. This position offers the opportunity to work directly with ownership, take responsibility for meaningful development projects, and grow alongside an expanding project pipeline throughout Chicagoland. For someone who wants to own projects instead of simply participate in them, this is that opportunity. No recruiting agencies or staffing firms, please. Direct applicants only.
