Design Project Manager – Food & Beverage
The Opportunity
StaffRight Associates is recruiting for a Design Project Manager – Food & Beverage to help build a newly launched food and beverage division at a major national design-build engineering firm. This ground-floor role sits within the design department but is fully dedicated to the food and beverage group. The Design Project Manager – Food & Beverage will direct multidisciplinary engineering teams, drawing on both in-house and outside resources, to deliver integrated design packages for design-build projects and support operations through construction. Partnering with the division director, preconstruction, and operations, this leader acts as the central link between owners, designers, the contractor, and subcontractors, keeping design and construction priorities in balance while tracking client satisfaction, team performance, risk, financial targets, quality, and schedule. The position is hybrid (partially remote), primarily office-based in Gainesville, GA, with oversight of multiple projects and periodic jobsite visits.
What You'll Do
- Drive project pursuits by defining scope, preparing proposal materials, and taking part in client presentations and interviews.
- Manage the flow of project information across design and construction, staying accountable to the full project team.
- Coordinate communication among team members, hold the design within budget, and advance design progress to protect the construction schedule.
- Build labor-hour estimates and project budgets for capital projects.
- Partner with the operations team lead, preconstruction, and design to establish budgets, run required design and preconstruction meetings, and evaluate alternative design options.
- Align the team around the owner's objectives and translate them into clear design parameters.
- Unite designers, preconstruction, construction, owners, and external consultants into one cohesive project team.
- Engage needed consultants in coordination with legal counsel, and identify required third-party studies such as geotechnical, Phase I environmental, and hazardous materials reports.
- Set the overall design schedule to support construction start, define decision-making authority, and secure critical owner information.
- Guide a seamless handoff from the design phase into construction.
- Support leadership by resolving issues, mitigating risks, and leading re-planning efforts.
What You Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a related field.
- 10+ years in the A/E building design and construction industry.
- 5+ years of Design-Build experience leading teams through Design Integration to start of construction.
- Proven command of Design-Build and Progressive Design-Build best practices.
- Cross-disciplinary fluency in Architectural Design, engineering, Preconstruction, and construction processes.
- Experience with Project Budgeting, Labor-Hour Estimating, and Risk Management.
- Polished Professional Writing, Presentation Skills, and Client Relationship Management.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.
- A detail-oriented, thorough approach with strong follow-through.
- Ability to handle jobsite conditions and travel overnight to client locations when needed.
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.
Preferred:
- Experience on food and beverage, freezer/cooler, or controlled-environment facility projects.
Compensation & Total Rewards
- Salary: $150,000 – $180,000
- Bonus: 20%
- Engagement: Full-time, direct hire; hybrid (partially remote) in Gainesville, GA
- Benefits: Company car and gas cards
- Relocation: Relocation assistance provided
Joining StaffRight Associates
When you partner with StaffRight Associates in your search for your next role, you're doing more than pursuing a job, you're aligning yourself with a team of experts committed to placing top-tier talent in truly impactful positions. We take pride in fostering professional growth and connecting forward-thinking individuals with organizations that value innovation and excellence. We look forward to showcasing your expertise in a way that resonates with our clients and opens the door to meaningful opportunities.
