Senior Field Construction Manager

Hughes Marino•Columbus, OH

11d•$150,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

Hughes Marino is seeking a Senior Field Construction Manager with a strong MEP focus to join its Columbus team, supporting a confidential, high-growth defense technology client across advanced manufacturing, R&D, and office facilities. The role serves as Hughes Marino’s owner’s representative in the field and as an extension of the client’s internal team, providing daily on-site construction oversight and representing the client’s interests exclusively. It is an owner-side position, not a general contractor or developer role, with direct exposure to client executives and accountability for project outcomes. The manager oversees multiple concurrent commercial and industrial construction projects, spending at least 50% of their time in the field. The position focuses on active construction, with periodic involvement in programming and design to advise on schedule optimization, constructability, cost reduction, and coordination of upcoming work. The role is based at the client’s facility in Columbus, Ohio, with occasional travel to other project sites or Hughes Marino offices in Southern California.

Requirements

10 or more years of field construction management experience; owner’s representative, third-party construction management, or MEP superintendent experience is ideal.
A bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field is preferred; equivalent field construction experience may be considered.
Candidates from general contractor or subcontractor backgrounds must demonstrate a genuine shift to owner-side advocacy and perspective.
Ability to read, interpret, and challenge drawings and specifications at various levels of completion, with demonstrated MEP fluency across mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and controls.
Ability to identify drawing and specification issues before they become field problems and verify installed work against them.
Working knowledge of constructability across trades, including foundations and structural steel, in addition to MEP expertise.
Experience navigating new and upgraded utility services; strong electrical experience from utility-level transmission through 480V building distribution is prioritized.
Working knowledge of heavy electrical infrastructure and long-lead MEP procurement, including switchgear, transformers, generators, UPS, and distribution equipment, as well as early-release and expediting strategies.
Experience representing an owner at factory acceptance testing and vendor facility visits for critical electrical and mechanical equipment.
Experience with MEP startup, testing, and commissioning, including coordination with commissioning agents, controls integrators, and equipment vendors.
Experience working in existing or occupied facilities, including phasing, shutdowns, tie-ins, and temporary conditions.
Ability to hold general contractors, subcontractors, and vendors accountable while collaborating with design teams to resolve field issues.
High proficiency in Bluebeam, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Project; working knowledge of Procore or a comparable construction management platform.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide clear field updates and host client executives and VIPs on site tours.
Self-directed, deadline-driven, and adaptable across multiple active projects in a fast-moving environment.
Ability to spend most of the workday in active construction environments, including mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, and rooftops.
Ability to recommend and persuade project teams to adopt ideas and solutions that can save the client time and money, including when initially met with resistance.
Ability to build strong relationships with varied stakeholders, including ownership-level contacts at subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers, while exclusively representing the client’s best interests.
Passion for complex, fast-moving construction and difficult, unique projects, with a strong focus on driving schedule and urgency.
Based in the greater Columbus, Ohio area or willing to relocate.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field.
Owner’s representative, third-party construction manager, or MEP superintendent experience.
Strong electrical experience spanning utility-level transmission through 480V building distribution.
Experience with Procore or a comparable construction management platform.
Exceptional candidates may be eligible for relocation assistance.

Responsibilities

Provide daily on-site owner’s representative oversight of multiple concurrent commercial and industrial construction projects.
Conduct regular field walks to assess progress, workmanship, site conditions, logistics, and safety, and monitor general contractor and subcontractor activities against project requirements.
Validate contractor schedules against actual field progress, identify delays and constraints early, participate in developing the general contractor’s schedules, and manage any third-party schedule consultant engaged by the client.
Serve as the primary field interface among the client, Hughes Marino project management, and active work in the field.
Oversee MEP and specialty systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, low-voltage, and controls installations, and coordinate equipment setting and vendors against approved drawings, specifications, and submittals.
Coordinate MEP shutdowns, utility tie-ins, temporary power and conditions, and work in existing or occupied facilities to minimize operational disruption.
Act as the primary conduit between the general contractor’s site activities and the landlord or developer, and assess how other campus work may affect client projects.
Review field changes, RFIs, unforeseen conditions, and change-order requests from the owner’s perspective, including cost, schedule, and constructability impacts.
Oversee quality throughout construction, track deficiencies through correction and closure, and support punch-list walks and final inspections.
Oversee inspections, testing, and commissioning from the owner’s perspective; verify readiness for startup, commissioning, and turnover; and confirm completion of as-builts, O&M manuals, training, warranties, and other closeout deliverables.
Participate in daily and weekly coordination meetings and communicate field progress, schedule, quality, risks, and open issues to project leadership and client stakeholders.
Maintain daily field reports, RFI logs, and site documentation for owner records and closeout.
Collaborate with Hughes Marino project managers to align project budgets, schedules, and reporting with field conditions.
Serve as the point of contact for the client’s Launch team before space turnover and support owner move-in and occupancy coordination.
Participate closely in general contractor site logistics planning to support efficiency and productivity among multiple contractors while accommodating ongoing client operations.
Identify and escalate schedule risks, budget risks, safety concerns, and quality deficiencies to project management and client stakeholders.
Review general contractor payment applications as they relate to progress payments for work in place.
Translate the client’s evolving program requirements to the general contractor team, particularly where they affect construction sequencing.
Periodically contribute during programming and design by advising on schedule optimization, constructability, cost reduction, and coordination of upcoming and ongoing work.