4D/5D Project Manager

VEC•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The 4D/5D Project Manager owns one or more client engagements end to end, including scope, schedule, budget, quality outcomes, and the client relationship. This role governs VEC's 4D Project Delivery System on the engagement, validates 4D and 5D scope, sets up budgets and technology, leads project discovery and information-exchange-requirements review, and serves as the primary point of accountability to the client. This is a client-facing leadership role, roughly 40% technical judgment and 60% leadership and communication, distinct from the internal production ownership held by the Production Manager. VEC delivers its 4D/5D work as a service to client planning engineers, project managers, and field superintendents, helping them test plan fidelity, surface sequencing problems early, and de-risk field operations. This front-end planning process spans project discovery and scope validation through model and schedule integration, animation production, 5D Power BI dashboards, client/trade/GC review meetings, 4D deliverables, and quality management. The Project Manager governs the engagement rather than executing it directly: defining the plan, commissioning the workflow, setting the cadence and governance, and translating technical findings into business terms for the client.

Requirements

8+ years of relevant experience, including 4D/5D VDC delivery (3+ years in 4D specifically) and project/client leadership.
Thorough understanding of the full 4D/5D process and the ability to scope, budget, and govern engagements.
Strategic fluency across the toolchain (Synchro/Fuzor, Navisworks, Revit, P6) and proficiency in Power BI for budget forecasting.
Proven client-relationship management and the ability to translate technical findings into business value.
Demonstrated leadership, including decision-making under uncertainty and managing engagement health and profitability.
Strong client leadership and executive-level communication; sets expectations in writing and under-promises/over-delivers.
Understands and manages the full stakeholder ecosystem, including owner/developer, government review boards, planning agencies, GC, trades, planning engineers, PMs, and field superintendents.
Comfortable delivering direct, honest feedback to clients with tact and clear options.
Effective team leadership, including mentoring and directing work through others.
In-depth knowledge of VDC tools, methods, and 4D/5D workflows.
Understanding of construction contracts, schedules, and project management principles.
Strong grasp of the financial aspects of projects, including budgeting, forecasting, and margin management.
Ability to develop and enforce SOPs for efficient project execution.
Working proficiency across Synchro 4D Pro/Fuzor, Navisworks, Revit, Autodesk Forma/ACC, Primavera P6, and Power BI (see Software & Technical Proficiency above).
Proficiency needed in the following tools: Synchro 4D Pro or Fuzor - strong, hands-on command; this is a core platform for the role.
Navisworks and Revit - solid working knowledge of models and coordination.
Autodesk Forma (formerly ACC) - working knowledge to oversee project setup and version control.
Primavera P6 - advanced ability to read and work with client schedules.
Power BI - proficient with dashboards for budget tracking and reporting.

Nice To Haves

Background as a Senior VDC Specialist, Team Leader, or Assistant Project Manager.
Familiarity with ISO 19650 (EIR, BEP, MIDP/TIDP) and Open BIM standards.
Experience leading hyperscale or multi-building campus programs and owner-rep engagements.
PMP or equivalent project-management credential; Lean / Last Planner experience.

Responsibilities

Lead project discovery and validate 4D and 5D scope against client objectives and information-exchange requirements.
Set up and own the 4D and 5D engagement budgets; manage to them and oversee budget review and forecasting.
Conduct the technology review and confirm the toolchain, worksharing, and collaboration setup for the engagement.
Define the deliverable plan, cadence, and quality standards for the engagement; govern 4D Quality Management on the client side.
Manage risk, scope changes, and overall engagement health and profitability.
Direct the engagement team via the Team Leader; set priorities and remove blockers, without owning the capacity model.
Request and forecast resource needs to the Production Manager.
Mentor the Assistant Project Manager.
Own the client relationship, including expectations, communication, reviews, and outcomes across client, trade, and PM meetings.
Govern audit and reporting, including constructability findings, RFIs, and monthly schedule-update meetings that feed client decisions.
Act as a fair witness: when a client plan is wrong, communicate that kindly, clearly, and with options.
Command the full delivery system and how each step creates value for the client's planning and field operations.
Validate scope and information-exchange requirements and structure the engagement around them.
Set quality and constructability standards and hold the team and deliverables to them.
Understand 5D cost integration and budget forecasting deeply enough to govern and defend them.
Design the right cadence and governance for each engagement and adjust as conditions change.