Construction Project Manager

Minnesota Cannabis Services•Edina, MN

15d•$100,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are opening stores. The Construction Project Manager is the person who gets them open — on schedule, on budget, and through inspection. You'll run our projects from preconstruction through turnover: scope and drawings, permitting and plan review, bidding and contracting, budget and change orders, schedule, field coordination, punch list, and closeout. Retail buildouts are the core of the work. Beyond that, you'll take on special projects across cultivation, manufacturing, wholesale, transport, and delivery locations — each with its own code path and its own way of going sideways if nobody is paying attention. You'll manage general contractors, architects, engineers, and trades rather than swing a hammer yourself. But you'll be on site often enough to know the real condition of every project, not the one in the weekly report. Cannabis construction is not general commercial work. Occupancy classification, hazardous-location design for solvent extraction, the electrical and environmental loads a grow demands, and state and local licensing conditions all drive decisions that are expensive to fix late. The best people in this role catch those things in design, not in the field. If you are organized, direct, good with inspectors, and you'd rather deliver bad news early than explain it late — we should talk. You will report to the Director of Construction and Facilities.

Requirements

5+ years of experience as a construction project manager, with demonstrated ownership of budget, schedule, permitting, and contractor management on completed projects
A track record delivering commercial ground-up or tenant-improvement projects from preconstruction through certificate of occupancy
Ability to read and interpret construction documents, specifications, shop drawings, and submittals, and solid working knowledge of commercial means and methods
Experience owning project budgets and managing change orders, pay applications, lien waivers, and contracts
Experience managing permitting, plan review, and inspections with local authorities having jurisdiction
Proficiency with project scheduling and construction management software
Ability to communicate directly and in writing with contractors, consultants, inspectors, and executive leadership — including delivering schedule or cost problems early
Physically capable of walking active construction sites, climbing ladders and stairs, standing for extended periods, and working in incomplete and unconditioned buildings
Valid Minnesota driver's license, clean driving record, and reliable transportation
Must be at least 21 years of age
Ability to pass a pre-employment background check and meet all state requirements for employment at a licensed cannabis facility in Minnesota

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, architecture, or a related field — equivalent experience will be considered
Experience in cannabis, pharmaceutical, food and beverage manufacturing, controlled environment agriculture, or another regulated build environment
Experience with high-hazard or hazardous-location design and approval, including solvent extraction spaces
Experience with cultivation-scale environmental systems and high electrical load facilities, including utility service coordination
Experience managing multi-site retail rollout or repeatable prototype programs
Experience with landlord and tenant coordination, lease work letters, and TI allowances
OSHA 30, PMP, CCM, or a related construction management credential

Responsibilities

Participate in due diligence on prospective sites — site walks, existing conditions, utility capacity, zoning and setbacks, and anything that will drive cost or schedule
Coordinate with city, county, state, and OCM officials to confirm a site can actually meet the requirements of a licensed cannabis location
Build preliminary budgets, schedules, and scope documents to support go/no-go decisions
Manage architects, engineers, and consultants through design development and construction documents
Lock down occupancy classification and code path with the design team and the authority having jurisdiction before drawings are issued
Own the master schedule, including long-lead equipment, permit durations, licensing milestones, and the opening date
Run the full permitting process — building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire, signage, and any conditional use or zoning approvals
Prepare submittmits, respond to reviewer comments, and drive approvals to issuance
Own the relationship with code officials, fire marshals, and inspectors, and resolve corrections fast
Schedule and attend inspections through certificate of occupancy
Line construction milestones up against licensing requirements and any facility approval required before a location can operate
Own the project budget from preliminary estimate through final cost — hard costs, soft costs, equipment, FF&E, technology, contingency
Track committed, incurred, and forecast cost continuously, and report variance as it happens
Review, validate, negotiate, and document every change order, and reject the ones that don't hold up
Coordinate all changes with the Director of Construction and Facilities and upper management, and get full approval before anything is implemented
Review pay applications against actual progress, verify lien waivers, and pay only for work performed
Prepare bid packages, level bids, and make award recommendations backed by scope-complete comparison
Qualify GCs and trades on licensing, bonding, insurance, capacity, and relevant experience
Confirm certificates of insurance, licensing, and required documentation are in hand before work starts, and current throughout construction
Hold contractors to schedule and quality, and document performance issues in writing when they happen
Run OAC meetings, issue minutes, and drive open items to closure
Visit active sites regularly to verify progress, workmanship, and conformance to the drawings
Catch deviations and require correction before the work gets covered
Manage RFIs, submittmittals, shop drawings, and material approvals
Sequence trades, technology installation, fixture delivery, and commissioning so nobody has to redo anything
Enforce site safety and stop unsafe work
Document progress with photos, field reports, and written direction
Deliver stores from lease execution through grand opening, to our retail design and brand standards
Coordinate storefront, millwork, display fixtures, casework, flooring, lighting, and finishes
Get the security and technology scope right with IT and Facilities — camera and access control rough-in, network and POS infrastructure, secure storage and limited-access areas — before finishes close the walls
Manage signage design, permitting, and installation within local sign ordinances and cannabis advertising restrictions
Coordinate the opening sequence with Retail and Operations to hit the committed date
Close each store out with all documentation received and filed — GC warranties, lien waivers, certificate of occupancy, and anything project-specific
Deliver all non-retail construction across cultivation, manufacturing, wholesale, transport, and delivery locations
Coordinate security, surveillance, and limited-access construction to meet OCM requirements for each license type
Manage commissioning and verify systems perform to design criteria before turnover
Drive the punch list to completion and hold retainage until the work is accepted
Deliver complete closeout documentation — CO, permits, as-builts, warranties, O&M manuals, panel schedules, equipment serials, lien waivers
Execute a documented turnover to Facilities so assets, warranties, PM schedules, and vendor coverage are live before the site opens
Run a post-project review on final cost, schedule performance, and what to do differently next time