Assistant Project Manager – Ultra-Luxury Residential Construction

Company: Seiler Consulting
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Project Locations: Chicago, IL & Miami FL
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Environment: On-Site Collaboration Required
Base Salary: Up to $125,000 annually, based on experience
Annual Bonus: Up to 7.5% performance bonus
Benefits: Employer-Paid Health Insurance + Paid Time Off
Represented By: Luxus Group Recruiting | AEC Talent Partners

Position Overview

Seiler Consulting is seeking an experienced and highly organized Assistant Project Manager to support the planning and execution of exceptional ultra-luxury residential construction projects in Chicago and Miami.

These are not conventional residential projects. Seiler Consulting represents discerning private owners in the development of architecturally significant residences featuring custom finishes, specialized building systems, premium materials, and an extraordinary level of craftsmanship. Projects vary in overall size and scope, with construction values typically ranging from approximately $2,000 to $4,000 per square foot.

The Assistant Project Manager will work closely with senior project leadership, property owners, architects, interior designers, general contractors, consultants, specialty trades, vendors, and craftspeople. This individual will help protect the owner’s interests by supporting project coordination, documentation, financial oversight, schedule management, quality control, and communication throughout the complete project lifecycle.

The ideal candidate will have 2–10 years of experience as an Assistant Project Manager, Project Manager, or Project Engineer working on luxury or ultra-luxury residential construction projects for a general contractor, construction manager, developer, or owner’s representative.

About the Opportunity

This role offers the opportunity to participate in the delivery of some of the most sophisticated private residences in Chicago and Miami. Each assignment requires careful coordination among architects, designers, consultants, contractors, specialty fabricators, and international or custom-product vendors.

As part of the owner’s representation team, the Assistant Project Manager will help ensure that project decisions align with the owner’s expectations for design, quality, budget, schedule, privacy, and long-term value.

This is an excellent opportunity for a construction professional who wants to advance from a Project Engineer or Assistant Project Manager position into a more comprehensive owner-side project management role.

Key Responsibilities

Owner’s Representation and Project Leadership

• Support the Project Manager and senior leadership in representing the owner throughout planning, design, preconstruction, construction, commissioning, and closeout.

• Help ensure that the owner’s priorities, design objectives, financial interests, and quality expectations are reflected in project decisions.

• Maintain a clear understanding of project scope, budget, schedule, contractual requirements, design intent, and major project risks.

• Serve as a reliable point of coordination among the owner, design team, consultants, general contractor, subcontractors, vendors, and specialty trades.

• Assist with preparing concise project updates, executive summaries, action lists, and decision documents for the owner and project leadership.

• Handle confidential project, client, property, and financial information with exceptional discretion.

Design and Preconstruction Coordination

• Assist with coordinating architects, interior designers, engineers, landscape architects, lighting designers, technology consultants, security specialists, audiovisual consultants, and other project professionals.

• Review drawings, specifications, finish schedules, consultant documents, and design-development packages for completeness and coordination.

• Track design decisions, outstanding information, owner approvals, and consultant deliverables.

• Participate in constructability reviews, value analysis, budgeting, estimating, and preconstruction planning.

• Help identify conflicts, gaps, long-lead items, scope overlaps, and potential cost or schedule impacts before construction.

• Support contractor and vendor prequalification, bid solicitation, proposal evaluation, leveling, and recommendation processes.

• Assist in confirming that bids accurately reflect the design intent, required quality standards, and complete project scope.

Construction Administration

• Participate in regular owner, architect, contractor, and consultant meetings.

• Prepare meeting agendas, document meeting minutes, assign action items, and follow up with responsible parties.

• Track requests for information, submittals, shop drawings, samples, mockups, substitutions, and design clarifications.

• Maintain accurate logs for RFIs, submittals, change requests, procurement items, approvals, and open decisions.

• Assist with reviewing contractor applications for payment, supporting documentation, lien releases, allowances, and stored-material requests.

• Evaluate proposed change orders for scope, pricing, labor, materials, schedule implications, and contractual validity.

• Help ensure that changes are properly documented and approved before work proceeds.

• Coordinate owner-purchased materials, specialty equipment, custom furnishings, appliances, fixtures, artwork-related requirements, and other direct-purchase items as assigned.

Schedule and Procurement Management

• Assist with developing, reviewing, and maintaining the overall project schedule.

• Monitor design milestones, permitting, procurement, fabrication, installation, testing, and closeout activities.

• Track long-lead and custom-manufactured materials, including specialty stone, millwork, glazing, plumbing fixtures, lighting, appliances, hardware, furnishings, and technology systems.

• Identify potential schedule delays and help develop practical recovery or mitigation strategies.

• Coordinate deliveries, storage requirements, installation sequencing, inspections, and vendor access.

• Maintain short-term look-ahead schedules and critical-action lists.

• Help ensure that contractors and consultants provide timely information and meet established commitments.

Cost and Budget Control

• Assist with maintaining the project budget, commitment log, forecast, contingency, allowances, and anticipated-cost reports.

• Review estimates, bids, proposals, change-order requests, and payment applications for accuracy and completeness.

• Compare proposed costs against contracts, approved scopes, allowances, and project budgets.

• Help identify cost trends, potential overruns, and opportunities to manage expenditures without compromising the owner’s design or quality expectations.

• Support monthly financial reporting and reconciliation.

• Maintain organized records of contracts, purchase orders, invoices, approvals, and financial commitments.

Quality Assurance and Field Oversight

• Conduct regular site walks to observe progress, workmanship, sequencing, coordination, cleanliness, and compliance with project documents.

• Assist with monitoring the quality of high-end finishes, specialty installations, custom fabrication, and architectural details.

• Help verify that completed work aligns with approved drawings, specifications, samples, mockups, and design intent.

• Document field observations using photographs, written reports, issue logs, and follow-up assignments.

• Coordinate with the design team and contractor to resolve deficiencies, conflicts, and quality concerns.

• Support the review and approval of mockups, control samples, finish samples, and first installations.

• Help confirm that corrective work is completed properly and promptly.

• Promote a proactive approach to quality so that issues are identified before they affect subsequent work.

Project Closeout and Turnover

• Assist with preparing and managing punch lists, deficiency logs, completion schedules, and final inspections.

• Track outstanding corrections and confirm that closeout requirements are completed.

• Coordinate the collection and organization of warranties, operating manuals, attic stock, spare materials, as-built drawings, permits, inspection records, and training documentation.

• Help coordinate testing, commissioning, owner training, and turnover of building systems.

• Support final financial reconciliation, completion documentation, and contract closeout.

• Assist with post-occupancy follow-up and warranty-related coordination when required.

Project Environment

Seiler Consulting’s assignments may include:

• Custom urban residences and luxury estates

• Architecturally significant new construction

• Major residential renovations and additions

• High-end condominium and penthouse projects

• Custom interiors and specialty finish packages

• Complex structural, mechanical, electrical, lighting, technology, security, and audiovisual systems

• Imported materials and custom-fabricated architectural elements

• Extensive landscape, pool, exterior living, and site-improvement programs

Projects vary in size, but their complexity and finish quality place them among the most sophisticated residential construction assignments in the market. Construction values commonly range from approximately $2,000 to $4,000 per square foot.

Required Qualifications

• Approximately 2–10 years of relevant construction or project management experience.

• Experience working as an Assistant Project Manager, Project Manager, Project Engineer, or similar construction professional.

• Demonstrated experience with luxury or ultra-luxury residential construction.

• Experience gained with a general contractor, construction manager, developer, or owner’s representative.

• Understanding of the complete construction process, including design coordination, preconstruction, procurement, construction administration, financial management, and closeout.

• Ability to read and interpret architectural drawings, engineering documents, specifications, finish schedules, shop drawings, and contracts.

• Experience tracking RFIs, submittals, change orders, payment applications, budgets, schedules, and project documentation.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent organization, follow-through, and attention to detail.

• Ability to manage numerous priorities and deadlines in a demanding project environment.

• Professional judgment and the ability to communicate effectively with owners, architects, designers, contractors, consultants, and vendors.

• Ability to work on-site and travel between project locations as required.

• Willingness and ability to support projects in both Chicago and Miami.

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality regarding private clients, residences, financial information, and project details.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, Real Estate Development, or a related field.

• Experience working directly with private homeowners or family representatives on high-value residential projects.

• Familiarity with cost-plus, guaranteed maximum price, and stipulated-sum construction agreements.

• Experience reviewing contractor estimates, bid packages, payment applications, and change orders.

• Knowledge of custom residential materials, high-end finishes, millwork, stone, lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances, audiovisual systems, security systems, and building automation.

• Experience with Procore, Bluebeam, Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Smartsheet, or similar project-management platforms.

• OSHA 30 certification or other construction-related credentials.

• Experience supporting projects with construction costs exceeding $2,000 per square foot.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be:

• Exceptionally organized and attentive to detail

• Comfortable working in a highly collaborative, on-site environment

• Proactive about identifying and resolving issues

• Financially aware and capable of evaluating project costs

• Skilled at holding team members accountable in a professional manner

• Diplomatic when navigating competing priorities

• Comfortable interacting with sophisticated owners and nationally recognized design professionals

• Passionate about architecture, construction quality, craftsmanship, and design

• Able to anticipate what project leadership and the owner will need before being asked

• Interested in developing into a trusted owner’s representative and project leader

Compensation and Benefits

Seiler Consulting offers a competitive compensation package that includes:

• Base salary up to $125,000, depending on relevant experience and qualifications

• Annual performance bonus of up to 7.5%

• Employer-paid health insurance

• Paid time off

• Exposure to highly sophisticated residential projects

• Direct collaboration with respected architects, designers, contractors, consultants, and craftspeople

• Meaningful professional-development and career-growth opportunities

Work Location and Travel

This is a full-time position based in Chicago, Illinois, with on-site collaboration required. Candidates must be prepared to work from active project locations and attend in-person meetings with owners, consultants, contractors, and vendors.

Seiler Consulting manages ultra-luxury residential projects in both Chicago and Miami, and periodic travel to Miami may be required depending on project assignments and business needs.

Recruitment Representation

This opportunity is represented by Luxus Group Recruiting, a specialized recruiting and executive-search firm serving the architecture, engineering, construction, real estate, and owner’s representation markets.

Luxus Group partners with candidates throughout the interview and hiring process, providing confidential career guidance, interview preparation, communication coordination, and offer support.

Keywords

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