Sr. Project Manager, Retail Construction

Ram Realty Advisors LLC•Palm Beach Gardens, FL

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ram Realty Advisors LLC ("Ram") is a real estate investment management firm specializing in multifamily, mixed-use, and grocery-anchored retail in select high-growth markets throughout the Southeast. The firm’s portfolio comprises assets across the investment risk spectrum, including core-plus, value-add, and opportunistic strategies. Founded in 1978, Ram and its predecessor entities have deployed over $5.7 billion of capital on behalf of institutional partners. The firm is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and has offices in Tampa, Florida; and Charlotte and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Senior Project Manager is directly responsible for executing new and value-add retail projects, including but not limited to exterior renovations and tenant interior construction projects for national, regional, and local retail tenants across grocery-anchored shopping centers, mixed-use retail, and stand-alone retail pads, with a deep commitment to ensuring quality, budget, and schedule goals are met or exceeded. The Senior PM will work closely with Leasing and Retail Asset Management to directly manage all facets of the process, collaborating with all parties throughout acquisition due diligence, lease negotiation, design, tenant coordination, permitting, and construction phases of a project.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
Seven or more years of related commercial construction experience, with a strong focus on retail tenant improvement / tenant buildout projects.
Strong project management experience, including selecting, contracting, and managing consultants, design professionals, tenant coordinators, and general contractors, and internal project managers (as applicable), preferably across a portfolio of retail tenant buildouts ranging from national credit tenants to local and regional operators.
Proficiency in reading, analyzing, and interpreting blueprints, building codes, specifications, and regulations.
Working knowledge of retail lease structures, landlord work letters, and tenant improvement allowance mechanics.
Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and Project.
Travel to job sites across all markets is required, including occasional overnight trips.

Nice To Haves

High degree of professionalism.
Commitment to quality and a constant desire for improvement.
Being open-minded and willing to learn.
Humility and an ability to admit “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake”.
Knowing when and how to ask for help.
Adaptability and flexibility.
A deep belief in the importance of putting the team first.
A strong sense of respect for self and others.
An unwavering commitment to integrity (no matter the perceived short-term cost).

Responsibilities

Maintain a consistent and comprehensive knowledge of current retail construction cost metrics with a deep focus on tenant improvement costs and the variation between different tenant build types (vanilla shell, second-generation space, and ground-up pad).
Assist Leasing and Asset Management with the construction cost portion of the tenant improvement budget by managing and developing TI cost estimates throughout all phases from lease negotiation through construction documents, including landlord work letter negotiations, VE, and alternate options. Obtain fee proposals, prepare detailed cost estimates, and negotiate contracts.
Actively participate in lease negotiations and pre-construction due diligence, including review of tenant plans, landlord work letters, existing conditions surveys, and base building engineering reports. Identify areas of concern and provide suggested risk mitigation strategies.
Maintain a deep working knowledge of retail design trends, storefront and building systems, and tenant construction management technologies. Provide guidance and review (where appropriate) of construction means and methods for tenant buildouts.
Evaluate alternative approaches to tenant design criteria, delivery timelines, and landlord/tenant coordination with a specific focus on how tenant-driven design initiatives may impact cost, schedule, and quality. Partner with Leasing and Asset Management teams to make thoughtful decisions balancing landlord obligations and tenant expectations. Ensure that tenant plans and base building drawings are thoroughly reviewed to minimize cost and coordination risks.
Provide critical analysis and planning for the overall preconstruction and construction processes, including design, permitting, GC procurement, construction, and tenant delivery scheduling, to ensure successful execution.
Maintain good working relationships with permitting authorities and a working knowledge of retail permitting/inspection policies and practices, including fixturing and health department permits where applicable. Procure all construction permits and assist with entitlements.
Manage responsibilities of the tenant, consultants, design professionals, and contractors regarding scope, allowances, and construction responsibility.
Manage and direct all components and phases of tenant buildout construction. Provide direction and oversight of all contractors working on the project, enforce contracts, evaluate change orders, and prepare for owner execution. Regularly visit active jobsites (including, where appropriate, OAC meetings) to evaluate quality, schedule, cleanliness, safety, and coordination with the tenant's own contractors and vendors where applicable.
Provide guidance and recommendations regarding potential value-engineering approaches and other design alternatives that arise during active construction. Review outside vendors’ evaluations and recommendations regarding impacts on schedule, budget, and quality.
Work directly with contractors and accounting in the preparation of all pay applications and TI allowance reconciliations necessary to disburse draws in a timely manner. Responsible for assisting accounting with all close-out paperwork at the completion of a job and turnover of premises to the asset management team and the tenant.
Manage punch list, tenant walk-through, and close-out processes as they relate to rent commencement, warranty, and ongoing operations.
Communicate technical information to the asset management team and other non-construction professionals.
Regularly report project financial and schedule status to Investment Committee members.