Rebuild Parks and Recreation Project Manager

  • Full-time

Company Description

With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and opportunities in more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in the United States and one of the largest employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania. As an employer, the City of Philadelphia operates through the guiding principles of service, integrity, respect, accountability, collaboration, diversity and inclusion. Through these principles, we strive to effectively deliver services, to resolve the challenges facing our city, and to make Philadelphia a place where all our residents have the opportunity to reach their potential. 

Agency Descriptions:

The Managing Director’s Office (MDO) manages and oversees the operations of the City.  Rebuilding Community Infrastructure (Rebuild) is an initiative of the City of Philadelphia (City) MDO to improve physical conditions in selected parks, recreation centers and libraries.  Rebuild is anticipated to be a $500 million initiative funded with bond proceeds, philanthropic funds, City capital funds, and state and federal grants. 

To implement Rebuild, a new office was created within MDO.  Rebuild is led by a senior management team comprised of an executive director and three deputy directors –design & construction, diversity & inclusion and community engagement & communications.  Each deputy director reports to the Rebuild executive director who, in turn, reports to the Deputy Managing Director for Community & Culture.  This position will report to the Parks and Recreation Deputy Commissioner and coordinate closely with the Rebuild Deputy Director of Design and Construction. This position is grant-funded and exempt from City Civil Service requirements.   

Job Description

Salary: 75,000 – 90,000 commensurate with experience

The Rebuild office works closely with the Departments of Parks and Recreation (PPR) to implement the Rebuild Initiative, and the Rebuild/Department of Parks and Recreation Design and Construction Project Manager will assist in overseeing the delivery of Rebuild park, recreation center and library projects. Many of Rebuild’s projects will be managed by pre-qualified non-profits, and part of the responsibility of this position will include ensuring that the work completed by those agencies is to Rebuild and Department of Parks and Recreation standards.

The Project Manager will both directly manage projects and work with the various entities completing Rebuild projects to ensure that projects are of high quality and delivered in the most expeditious, efficient manner possible.  Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, providing oversight and direction to enable projects to be completed on time and on budget; managing design and construction processes, reviewing plans and documents, and coordinating with various city departments to ensure smooth project delivery.  Contact with Rebuild staff, program management consultants, engineers, planners, architects, contractors and representatives of civic, community and governmental organizations is a significant aspect of the work. 

Position Requirements: the individual in this position will:

  • Act as a primary project manager and skilled staff person overseeing Rebuild projects that are part of the Department of Parks and Recreation inventory.
  • Coordinate with both Parks and Recreation staff as well as Rebuild staff and their consultants, and other partners who may be managing projects on behalf of Rebuild and PPR.
  • Be responsible for all phases of design and construction for projects of considerable diversity and complexity completed by PPR that are part of the Rebuild initiative.
  • Be responsible for design and construction project milestone approvals of considerable diversity and complexity completed by non-profits or the PRA completing projects on behalf of Rebuild.
  • Execute and administer professional services and construction contracts including the review, approval and tracking of all invoices and payments in coordination with the Rebuild office and through the City’s standard processing procedures.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, partners, contractors, other governmental agencies, other departments and the public.

Typical examples of work (illustrative only):

  • Oversee the design and construction phases of projects managed by outside partners as part of Rebuild; provide written feedback at milestone reviews and as to budget and timeline progress; comment on designs, plans, specifications, contracts and documents for project feasibility, adhere to departmental requirements and standards, and compliance with federal, state and local regulations and mandates;
  • Participate in the pre-programming and programming of design and construction projects.
  • Manage the design and construction phases of Rebuild projects managed directly by PPR;
  • Perform feasibility studies for certain projects to determine the practicality of major engineering and/or architectural projects; review preliminary cost estimates for materials, supplies and labor; report findings and make recommendations; prepare budget estimates and justifications for projects; review qualifications and experience of consultants and make recommendations; write requests for proposals for consultant services in accordance with public procurement policies; review proposals for consultant services for completeness and adequacy; review plans and specifications prepared by engineers and architects; approves revisions to plans and specifications;
  • Review and coordinate design and construction schedules of both in house projects and those performed by outside partners; coordinate design and construction activities with departmental personnel, public groups, and federal, state and local agencies to assure work progress as according to schedule, contract plans and specifications; confers with consultants and/or contractors on the interpretation of contract requirements; assist in resolving engineering and architectural scheduling problems; administer, review and approve changes during construction due to unforeseen problems;.  
  • Make on-site inspections of construction while in progress and upon completion; review reports on construction, make changes in contracts or plans to compensate for field conditions that do not affect engineering or design integrity of the project; prepare change orders and amendments.
  • For projects managed by non-profit partners, attend biweekly progress meetings as a representative of PPR and Rebuild and review reports on project progress prepared by the non-profits managing the project; provide feedback on design and field challenges; confer with design engineers and/or architects and outside consultants to understand changes involving engineering and/or architectural design and structural integrity of the project; provide written feedback on change order requests; participate and sign off on final inspections of construction projects.
  • Reply to a variety of correspondence from non-profit Project Users, contractors, consulting engineers and architects, governmental agencies and organizations and others regarding projects.
  • Review and check monthly estimates of work completed; examine estimates and reports to determine whether all facets of construction have been adhered to before authorizing payment; authorize final payment; work with the Rebuild office, PAID, and various city agencies to expedite payment processing.
  • Answer complaints by citizens pertaining to damage, inconvenience or nuisance created by construction work and attends community meetings.
  • Perform related work as required.

Qualifications

Qualifications: 

  • Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university with major coursework in engineering, architecture or architectural engineering
  • Eight to ten years of engineering or architectural experience in the design or construction phases of public works or other projects and/or five years of engineering or architectural experience, which has involved the design or construction, renovation and rehabilitation of large, multi-occupancy commercial buildings and related systems and equipment
  • Registration as a professional engineer and/or registered architect with the Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers or State Architects Licensure Board preferred
  • Fluency in Microsoft Office Suite, AutoCAD and project tracking systems such as e-builder or Primavera P6
  • PA Driver’s License required
Knowledge of: 
  • The theory, principles, practices and methods of architecture or engineering
  • Engineering or architectural methods and techniques as applied to project design, plans and specifications development, cost estimates, contract and budget preparation, construction implementation and inspection, and materials testing for projects
  • Construction contract administration and compliance as applied to the construction phase of projects
  • State, federal and local laws and regulations, including environmental impact considerations as they relate to new construction, rehabilitation, and modification of structures and installations in the designated specialty area
  • Municipal procurement and contracting practices and procedures
  • Project management and scheduling methods and techniques, such as Critical Path method
  • Literacy in project tracking systems and Autocad

Additional Information

The successful candidate must reside in the City of Philadelphia or establish primary residence in the City of Philadelphia within six months of employment.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@ phila.gov. For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx