Job Description
Facilities Project Manager / Site Engineer
Location: Round Lake, Illinois
Work Arrangement: On-siteContract: 12+ months

Position Overview:

Automated Systems, Inc. is seeking a hands-on Facilities Project Manager / Site Engineer to lead building modifications and laboratory construction for a pharmaceutical client in Round Lake, Illinois. The project includes establishing a dedicated entrance within a shared building and developing new laboratory space.

This role combines overall project management with daily field coordination. The successful candidate will drive design, approvals, construction, and turnover while coordinating the landlord, architectural and engineering team, client Operations and Quality Assurance, and the contractors executing the work.

The project requires someone who can maintain momentum in a complex shared-facility environment where stakeholders have competing priorities and approval processes require persistent follow-through. This person must be comfortable in the field, understand construction sequencing, and resolve issues before they become schedule delays.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and maintain the integrated project schedule,including design deliverables, landlord approvals, permitting,procurement, construction, inspections, and turnover.
• Serve as the client's primary day-to-day projectinterface with the landlord, A&E team, contractors, and internalstakeholders.
• Establish clear responsibilities, approvalrequirements, and decision dates. Follow up consistently and escalateunresolved issues with practical recommendations.
• Coordinate design reviews with client Operations, QA,Engineering, EHS, and the landlord to ensure operational needs and siterequirements are addressed before construction.
• Provide daily field coordination, including sitewalkdowns, contractor meetings, work sequencing, access arrangements,material deliveries, and resolution of construction conflicts.
• Verify that work areas are ready and required drawings,approvals, permits, and supporting resources are available beforescheduled activities begin.
• Coordinate with authorized site personnel to ensureapplicable work permits-including hot work, confined-space entry, andother site-required permits-are issued and approved before work starts.Confirm required controls and authorizations remain in place as workprogresses.
• Reinforce site safety expectations, identify unsafeconditions, and initiate stop-work and escalation through established siteprocedures when necessary.
• Coordinate utility shutdowns, tie-ins, constructionbarriers, and other activities that could affect ongoing operations withinthe shared facility.
• Track field questions, RFIs, submittals, changes,costs, and schedule impacts. Drive timely resolution with the appropriatetechnical and approval authorities.
• Partner with QA and validation personnel to coordinatechange controls, construction documentation, and qualification activitiesas applicable.
• Report project status clearly, including completedwork, upcoming activities, budget status, risks, and decisions needed.
• Drive punch-list completion and turnover, includingas-built drawings, O&M information, training, and required acceptancedocumentation.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience managing facility renovations,laboratory construction, or similar capital projects in pharmaceutical,biotechnology, medical device, or other regulated manufacturingenvironments.
• Strong field experience coordinating multiple tradeswithin an operating facility.
• Working knowledge of architectural, mechanical,electrical, plumbing, and laboratory utility systems, with the ability toread drawings and identify coordination issues.
• Experience working within site safety andpermit-to-work programs, including hot work, confined-space entry,hazardous energy isolation, and contractor safety requirements.
• Proven ability to manage schedules, budgets, changes,and contractor performance while driving timely decisions across multipleorganizations.
• Familiarity with GMP environments, change control, andproject turnover expectations.
• Engineering, construction management, or a relatedtechnical degree preferred; equivalent practical experience will beconsidered.
• Experience managing projects in leased or sharedfacilities is strongly preferred.

Ideal Candidate:

A practical, persistent project leader who builds productive relationships while holding people accountable for commitments. This person can lead a stakeholder meeting, walk the job with the trades, identify a field issue, and follow it through to resolution. Success requires sound judgment, technical credibility, and the ability to keep work moving safely through a demanding approval environment.