Real Estate Project Manager

Skeleton Technologies • San Jose, CA

5d

About The Position

Skeleton Technologies is seeking a Real Estate Project Manager to deliver a production-ready site for a new cell production line in California. The role owns the project from site selection and acquisition through design, permitting, construction, commissioning, and handover. As the owner’s representative, the project manager is accountable for delivering the site on time, within budget, and aligned with production requirements while coordinating brokers, landlords, utilities, authorities, designers, contractors, and internal teams.

The position leads the definition and design of the facility’s utilities and infrastructure, including electrical supply and interconnection, HVAC and controlled environments, process utilities, water and wastewater systems, fire protection, hazardous-material systems, and IT/OT and building management systems. It also selects and manages design consultants, establishes the delivery strategy, tenders and awards contractor work, and oversees construction, safety, quality, schedule, changes, claims, commissioning, documentation, and operator training.

The role develops and manages the permitting roadmap, securing applicable entitlements and permits for construction and operation in California. It owns the capital budget, schedule, and risk register, reports status and decisions to management, coordinates across production, engineering, EHS, procurement, finance, legal, and HR, and manages consultant and contractor contracts and audit-ready project documentation.

Skeleton Technologies describes itself as a global leader in critical power infrastructure for AI data centers, electrical grids, defense systems, and other critical infrastructure. Founded in 2009, the company develops power systems intended to protect operations from power instability and failure.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of experience in industrial facility development or construction project management.
• Delivered at least one manufacturing plant end to end, from design through commissioning.
• Proven delivery experience with heavy industrial utilities, such as high-capacity power, HVAC, process water, gases, and dry rooms or clean rooms.
• Hands-on California permitting experience involving CEQA, planning departments, air districts, CUPA, and fire authorities.
• Experience managing capital expenditure budgets above $50 million with multiple contractors and consultants.
• Project management skills across budget, schedule, risk, and change control.
• Experience with contract management and tendering, including design-build, EPCM, or GMP.
• Technical understanding of MEP systems, process utilities, and building codes, including CBC, Title 24, and fire code.
• Negotiation skills with contractors, utilities, and authorities.
• Strong reporting and presentation skills and fluent English.
• Proficiency with MS Project, Primavera, Procore, or similar tools.
• Bachelor’s degree in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering, construction management, architecture, or a related field.
• Self-driven and comfortable being the first person on the ground.
• Structured and decisive under time pressure.
• Ability to build trust quickly with authorities, partners, and internal teams.
• Ability to communicate clearly across cultures and organizational levels.

Nice To Haves

• Background in battery, semiconductor, chemical, pharmaceutical, or other high-tech manufacturing.
• Master’s degree or MBA.
• Certifications such as PMP, PE, LEED AP, or CCM.

Responsibilities

• Own delivery of the California cell production site from site search through production-ready building handover.
• Find and secure an appropriate site and lead design and construction of utilities and infrastructure.
• Represent the owner with brokers, landlords, utilities, authorities, designers, and contractors, with accountability for schedule, budget, and production fit.
• Define the cell line utility concept with process engineering and equipment suppliers.
• Lead design of electrical supply, including utility interconnection, substation, distribution, backup power, and UPS.
• Lead design of HVAC systems, including dry rooms or clean rooms with controlled humidity and temperature.
• Lead design of chilled water, cooling towers, compressed air, vacuum, nitrogen, and other process gases.
• Lead design of process and purified water, wastewater pre-treatment, solvent recovery, and exhaust treatment.
• Lead design of fire protection, gas detection, hazardous-material storage, IT/OT, and building management systems.
• Select and manage architects, engineers of record, and specialist consultants through all design phases.
• Set the project delivery strategy and lead contractor tendering and award.
• Manage contractors through site works, shell construction, fit-out, utility installation, and tie-ins to production equipment.
• Enforce Cal/OSHA safety, quality, and schedule requirements; manage change control and claims.
• Lead commissioning and handover, including as-built documentation and operator training.
• Develop and manage the permitting roadmap and obtain applicable entitlements and permits for construction and operation.
• Build constructive relationships with planning departments, fire marshals, air districts, water boards, and utilities.
• Own the capital expenditure budget, schedule, and risk register, and report status and decisions to management.
• Coordinate with production, engineering, EHS, procurement, finance, legal, and HR.
• Manage consultant and contractor contracts and maintain audit-ready documentation.

Benefits

• An extra day of holiday for the employee’s birthday.
• Opportunity to help build and scale an international deep-tech energy-storage company with a strong startup mindset.
• Opportunity to support an ambitious mission alongside globally recognized customers such as Volvo, Škoda, General Electric, and Hitachi Energy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior