Senior Mechanical Project Manager

Job description

Senior Mechanical Project Manager Creature is a vertically integrated Design–Manufacture–Construct (DMC) company headquartered in Birmingham, AL. We replace the century-old, siloed model of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry with one disciplined system — design, manufacturing, and field execution operating as a single team, not a chain of handoffs. Our in-house Mechanical, Plumbing, and Carpentry trades are the backbone of that system, and the reason Creature delivers medical and commercial facilities faster, safer, and to a higher standard than a traditional general contractor. Purpose of the Role Own the mechanical value stream — P&L, schedule, labor, and quality — for Creature’s HVAC and plumbing self-perform work across the medical and commercial portfolio. This is not a coordination role. The Senior Mechanical Project Manager is the final word on how mechanical work gets planned, staffed, priced, and delivered, and is accountable for the outcome from precon through closeout. Core Accountability Deliver every HVAC and plumbing project on schedule, on budget, and to Creature’s quality standard — while building the labor planning, estimating, and field leadership systems that let the mechanical trade scale without losing discipline. Key Accountabilities 1) P&L Ownership of Mechanical & Plumbing Self-Perform Work Own the P&L for all mechanical and plumbing self-perform work across the active portfolio. Build and defend budgets from precon through closeout, track cost against forecast in real time, and protect margin by catching problems before they surface in a monthly report. When a job is bleeding money, this is the person who already knows why — and has a plan to stop it. 2) Portfolio-Level Schedule & Delivery Command Lead HVAC and plumbing delivery across multiple concurrent medical and commercial projects. Set the standard the HVAC and Plumbing Field Leaders execute against — reviewing look-aheads, resolving field-level obstacles, and holding the line on schedule integrity. Serve as the escalation point when mechanical scope is at risk, with enough time in the field to know before it becomes a crisis. 3) Labor Strategy, Workforce Planning & Field Leadership Development Own short- and medium-term labor planning for the mechanical and plumbing trades. Partner with the Creature PM team to smooth labor loading for self-perform teams across the full project pipeline, so crews move from job to job without idle time or overtime surprises. Recruit new field talent and standardize the training pipeline that turns new hires into reliable tradespeople — and future field leaders. 4) Estimating, Takeoffs & Preconstruction Rigor Perform and validate material and labor takeoffs with the discipline that protects margin before a single piece of duct or pipe hits the field. Bring deep mechanical construction expertise to precon so bids reflect real field conditions, not optimistic assumptions. Build the estimating rigor that makes Creature’s numbers something the field can actually hit. 5) Systems, Standards & Continuous Improvement Become a hands-on expert in Creature’s operational model and run mechanical operations through MS Excel, Smartsheet, and Procore — not as reporting tools, but as the system of record for labor, cost, and schedule. Standardize what works, eliminate what doesn’t, and convert every project’s lessons into a repeatable playbook the next project manager can pick up on day one. What Exceptional Execution Looks Like Mechanical and plumbing projects hit budget because problems were caught in week three, not month three. Field Leaders trust this person’s judgment because it’s backed by time in the field, not just a spreadsheet. Labor is loaded so tightly across projects that crews are never idle and never scrambling. New field talent ramps faster because onboarding and training are standardized, not improvised. Executive leadership gets a straight answer on cost, schedule, and risk — before they have to ask. Traits That Define Success Ownership Mentality — Treats the P&L, the schedule, and the crew as personal responsibilities, not shared ones. Strategic Rigor — Thinks several moves ahead, challenges convention, and is willing to say a plan won’t work before it fails in the field. Compelling Conscientiousness — Tracks labor, cost, and schedule with the precision that prevents surprises. Mastery of Communication — Explains complex mechanical and financial tradeoffs clearly, in writing and in person, to field crews and executives alike. Accountability is Reliability — Does what was said would be done, on the timeline it was said it would happen. Qualifications Required 10–12+ years of Project Management experience in the mechanical contracting industry, with direct P&L ownership. Proven track record delivering HVAC and plumbing scope on medical and/or commercial projects. Demonstrated experience managing labor planning and field leaders across multiple concurrent projects. Strong proficiency in MS Excel, Smartsheet, and Procore. Based in Birmingham, AL, or willing to relocate. Able to travel up to 25% of the time (~1 week per month). Preferred BS in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited university. Experience in a self-perform, vertically integrated, or design-build environment. Experience building or standardizing a field training program. PE license or equivalent industry credential. Why Creature You won’t spend your time in this role managing subcontractors and chasing change orders. You’ll own the crew, the numbers, and the outcome — with the authority to make decisions and the systems to make them stick. Creature is building a company where mechanical work is engineered, staffed, and delivered as one disciplined system, not handed off between disconnected parties. If you’ve spent a decade in mechanical contracting wishing you had more control over the outcome, this is that role.