Project Manager – Lead Program

Job Description

Position Purpose: 

Under the direction of the Program Manager, the Project Manager will develop, implement and manage capital improvement projects for the Water Utilities and/or Network Engineering Projects, including sources of supply, treatment plants, pumping stations, water quality Improvements projects and transmission mains and collection/distribution systems.   Project Manager will be primarily responsible for independently managing the Lead Service Line Replacement Program (LSLRP), along with other small and mid-size Capital projects. Project total capex budget can range from $5M per year up to $10M per year.

Responsibilities will include capital project delivery from inception to completion, including preliminary conceptual development, detailed engineering design with support of external engineering consultants; construction cost estimation, procurement, construction administration, supervision and inspection, startup and commissioning, and project closeout documentation delivery, including as-built plans, O&M manuals, and SOPs. Project Manager will mainly manage the Lead Service Line Replacement Program and assist operations for the Hackensack system and/or T&D department and other departments. This position will work on both water, wastewater infrastructure and network engineering projects.

Project Manager will work with contractors, property owners, municipal officials, engineers, and administrators to plan and deliver the LSLRP.

Project Manager will be responsible for work order log and work order management, data compilation, analyzing data to generate metrics on a weekly basis, and will assist in response to field-related matters including materials releases, acquisition of information from GIS, and payment application review to ensure appropriate billing. 

Project Manager will be responsible for managing the Lead Steering Committee including development of and leading the monthly Lead Steering Committee meetings.  In addition, Project Manager will be responsible for filing the necessary regulatory reports to the NJDEP including Annual Inventory Submissions, Replacement Plans, and Progress Reporting.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Prepare preliminary, engineering, and detailed cost estimates.
• Project budget development and cost tracking and expenditure forecasting. Track and report on project expenditures to ensure they are aligned with budget and prioritize projects based on available funding and risk assessment.
• Manage external contractors and engineering consultants to ensure accurate and complete delivery of the Lead Service Line Replacement Program and other small and mid-size capital projects.
• Respond to field-related matters including materials releases, GIS information acquisition, and invoice review and approval to ensure appropriate billing.
• Assist in managing and mentoring associate engineers and summer interns who will support data compilation, weekly metric generation, and work order management aspects of the Lead Service Line Replacement Program and other small and mid-size capital projects.
• Field and address customer concerns and issues and coordinate with external contractors to achieve a satisfactory resolution.
• Prepare bid documents and coordinate procurement with supply chain management (SCM) department.
• Provide engineering support (on and off-site) during emergencies and large main breaks and other Hackensack system emergencies.
• Provide engineering support to Corporate and other Engineering BUs.
• Participate in master planning effort of existing systems and new acquisitions (water and wastewater).
• Prepare short term and long-term capital improvement plans for new acquisitions and prepare valuations of systems based on due diligence site visits and condition assessment for the purpose of formulating bids for acquisitions.
• Communicate regularly in written form (email, memoranda, reports, status updates, etc.) and verbally (group meetings, virtual meetings, internal presentations, external presentations).
• Project Manager will be primarily responsible for independently managing the Lead Service Line Replacement program, along with other small and mid-size Capital projects. Project total capex budget can range from $5M per year up to $10M per year.  
• Work independently to manage all capital programs and specific projects for mainly water systems and network engineering as needed.  Work directly with the Operations and T&D group to understand their needs in meeting operational, compliance, and health & safety goals.
• Coordinate with Veolia master planning department to assure the focus of capital project planning meets medium and long-term needs of the operations.
• Manage the design (either internal or external) and construction of small and large projects.
• Assist in providing support to the Director of Engineering & Assistant Director of Engineering and the Rates Department as needed during the preparation of the rate case filling, DSIC filing as well as responding to the rate case and DSIC interrogatories.
• Assist the Director of Engineering & Assistant Director of Engineering in developing analysis and reports to be provided to regulators, internal or external customers as required.

Work Environment:

• The work environment is typically in an office/field environment but requires periodic inspection of the facilities where the employee will also be occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions and an industrial plant environment which involves moderate exposure to unusual elements, such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises.
• Work environment also involves some exposure to hazards or physical risks, which require following industry safety procedures.
• Certain projects may also require for construction to take place off hours (overnight/weekends). 
• The duties of this position will require occasional travel to sites in Bergen/Hudson counties and infrequent travel to sites in Passaic and Sussex Counties, in New Jersey.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background: 

• Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering and/or MBA degree.
• Experience in managing Water, Wastewater infrastructure, and/or Engineering Network projects.
• Experience in managing and adhering to project budgets and schedules.
• 5+ years of engineering experience in related field for Engineers.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Possesses broad knowledge of multiple processes and/or engineering and construction disciplines, augmented with good experience and seasoning, to the point where he/she can address complex projects or address complex challenges, such as leading a response to an emergency. Must be able to propose capital projects or identify other work that will benefit Company and/or its customers, based on their expertise in one or more areas.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, computer and interpersonal skills.
• Exercise discretion and independent judgment.
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google applications. Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel, AutoCAD, ESRI/GIS, PowerPlan, and INFOR.
• High attention to detail & critical thinking.
• Hydraulic Modeling background is a plus.
• Experience in managing and adhering to project budgets and schedules.

Required Certification/Licenses/Training: 

• Engineering in Training Certificate is required.
• Professional Engineer’s License is preferred or ability to obtain within one (1) year is required.
• PMP certification is a plus.
• Water / Wastewater Operator and T&D Licenses are a plus.