Senior Project Manager
Posted Updated
Summary
A Senior Project Manager at a Colorado underground utility contractor who directly runs complex municipal water, sewer, storm, bore, and lift-station projects end to end — scheduling, budgets, change orders, and field QC — while mentoring the PM team and reporting to the COO. Core tools: HCSS HeavyBid/HeavyJob, Microsoft Project, Procore.
Why We Need You
Apex Underground continues to grow its municipal and commercial underground utility capabilities across Colorado, including waterlines, sanitary sewer, storm drainage, force mains, bores, and lift stations. We need a Senior Project Manager who can directly manage major, high-priority utility projects while helping lead the project management team, including PMs, APMs, and Project Coordinators.
As an employee-owned company through our ESOP program, your work directly contributes to the long-term success of Apex and to your own ownership stake. This is an opportunity to build critical infrastructure, shape a growing operations team, and be part of a company where every employee has a real financial and cultural investment in the future.
In this role, you will manage Apex’s most complex utility projects and support the COO by contributing to project reviews, coaching, and improving overall project-management consistency. You will help lead the team as the Senior PM, providing guidance, technical expertise, and strong project execution support.
Your Regular Responsibilities
Project Delivery
- Directly manage Apex’s major or most complex utility projects from planning through closeout.
- Develop schedules, look-ahead plans, and execution strategies for water, sewer, storm, structures, bores, and lift station work.
- Use HCSS for production tracking, daily quantities, labor hours, forecasting, and comparing actuals to the estimate.
- Provide guidance and leadership to PMs, APMs, and Coordinators on sequencing, QC, documentation, safety, and communication.
- Review schedules, submittals, QC/testing plans, sequencing, and daily production data to ensure consistent standards across the PM group.
- Conduct regular field visits to major projects and support other PM-led projects as needed, evaluating trench safety, QC, production, depth and grade, material installation, and client and inspector coordination.
- Collaborate with municipalities, engineers, subcontractors, suppliers, and testing agencies to proactively resolve issues.
- Ensure projects conform to municipal specifications, AWWA, ASTM, and project-specific QC requirements.
Financial Performance
- Manage the financial performance of major projects, including budgets, WIP, CTC, cost control, and billing accuracy.
- Use HCSS HeavyJob and HeavyBid reports to monitor production, cost trends, and job performance.
- Support PMs and APMs by reviewing financial data from their projects and identifying areas for improvement or correction.
- Review and approve subcontractor invoices related to boring, paving, testing, trucking, and specialty services.
- Lead and document change orders for depth changes, unknown utilities, unsuitable materials, groundwater challenges, or field-directed revisions.
- Provide profitability updates to the COO and participate in project performance reviews.
Leadership and Oversight
- Provide leadership, oversight, mentorship, and technical support to Project Managers, Assistant Project Managers, and Project Coordinators.
- Help lead the project management team as the Senior PM, working closely with the COO to align standards, expectations, and performance.
- Provide input into performance evaluations, staffing decisions, and project assignments in collaboration with the COO.
- Help align the PM, APM, and Coordinator team with Apex standards for planning, QC/testing, communication, documentation, and use of HCSS.
- Partner with Estimating and Get Work on bid reviews, constructability, value engineering, and smooth handoff from estimate to field.
- Support field operations by coordinating with Superintendents and Field Supervisors on manpower, equipment, material logistics, and sequencing.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or related field preferred.
- 5+ years managing underground utility projects including water, sewer, storm, and lift stations.
- Experience managing major or complex utility projects with multiple phases, shutdowns, and municipal coordination.
- Strong understanding of pipe including HDPE, PVC, DIP, and RCP, fittings, valves, structures, manholes, bores, and utility installation practices.
- Experience with bypass pumping, shutdown coordination, groundwater or dewatering management, bore and jack operations, and deep trenching.
- Strong financial and project controls experience including scheduling, budgets, WIP/CTC, and unit-price billing.
- HCSS HeavyBid and HeavyJob experience required for estimating, project setup, cost codes, production tracking, and reporting.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Project, Procore, and similar platforms.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Spanish proficiency highly preferred.
- Valid driver's license required.
Your Team for Collaboration and Support
You will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer.
You will help lead:
- Project Managers
- Assistant Project Managers
- Project Coordinators
Your role is to support, guide, review, and elevate their work while participating with the COO in performance evaluations, project reviews, and project staffing decisions.
You will collaborate daily with:
- Superintendents and Field Supervisors
- Safety Department
- Accounting and Finance
- Estimating and Procurement
- Yard and Logistics Operations
Expectations and Outcomes of Your Work
- Successful delivery of Apex’s most complex utility projects.
- Improved consistency and quality across PM, APM, and Coordinator-led projects.
- Clear, accurate financial reporting supported by HCSS.
- Strong planning, documentation, and communication practices across the project-management team.
- Strong technical leadership and elevated field and office alignment.
- Safe, compliant, high-quality utility installations meeting Apex standards.
- Collaboration with the COO on reviews, team development, and project assignments.
This position is for you if
- You thrive managing complex, high-visibility utility projects.
- You enjoy helping to lead and elevate a project management group.
- You excel at planning and sequencing trench work, framing, drilling, shutdown, bypass operations, and testing.
- You use HCSS to improve forecasting, production tracking, and financial accuracy.
- You maintain high standards of safety, quality, documentation and professionalism.
Compensation
$120,000 - $165,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications. Eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
What this position offers
- Competitive salary
- Employee ownership through Apex ESOP
- Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, retirement, and vacation days
- Weekly Wage
- A strong career growth path within a growing utility organization
- A collaborative culture based on accountability, ownership, and operational excellence
- The opportunity to lead large utility projects and help elevate the entire Apex project delivery team alongside the COO