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GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Pacific Charter School Development, Inc. or PCSD (www.pacificcharter.org) is a non-profit, full-service real estate development firm that partners with charter schools to create long-term facilities solutions aimed at dismantling systemic inequality and expanding educational opportunities in under-resourced communities. PCSD formed Washington Charter School Development or WCSD (www.washingtoncharter.org) to carry out its mission of providing facilities solutions for high quality charter operators in the State of Washington. WCSD works solely with non-profit operators of charter schools to acquire land, build school facilities, and match the project with affordable financing from a lender, all in an effort to bring more high-quality charter school seats to chronically under-resourced communities. Together with operators, we are transforming public education across the country, making college readiness and achievement more tangible for all.
Since 2014, WCSD has developed $100M+ in total projects, leveraging philanthropy, private financing, and state funding to create 13+ campuses serving over 4,000 students across multiple districts and municipalities within the State of Washington. From our office based in Seattle, WCSD manages revolving equity funds and development activities across the entire state and proudly serves a diverse base of the highest performing charter school networks and single-site operators, including Summit Public Schools, Spokane International Academy, Rainier Leadership Academy, and Impact Public Schools, and many more. PCSD and WCSD are also national facility thought leaders having worked in Boston, Memphis, New Orleans, and San Antonio.
WCSD is looking for a Project Manager to support the development of new charter school facilities in the State of Washington. The Project Manager will be based in or around Seattle, WA and must be willing to travel throughout the state. S/he will be responsible for managing and/or overseeing a minimum of 2+ projects, at various stages of development. The Project Manager will ultimately manage all phases of the facilities development process including site selection, due diligence and entitlements, design, financing support, and construction through project closeout. The Project Manager will need to be able to operate independently as well as work as a team member, as they will be responsible for directing and managing the activities of architects, engineers, contractors, attorneys and other consultants as necessary to complete development projects. The Project Manager will report to the Senior Project Manager and will ork closely with charter school clients and WCSD ement Teams to execute
on the day-to-day project management activities.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Project Manager’s role will include day-to-day management of his/her Project(s) and interfacing with charter school clients. Previous experience in facilities planning and construction and/or real estate development is required.
The Project Manager’s direct responsibilities may include but are not limited to the following:
Site Selection
- Work with school clients and real estate brokers to identify and evaluate potential sites with the assistance of contractors, architects, and others.
- Create preliminary project budgets and schedules, evaluate potential sites, and provide recommendation for site feasibility.
- Draft purchase or acquisition offers, negotiate site acquisition and review contracts for site acquisition.
Due Diligence and Entitlements:
- Identify necessary environmental and technical due diligence studies required for the project.
- Solicit proposals from consultants and evaluate and make recommendations about consultant selection; negotiate and manage consultant contracts and deliverables.
- Review and finalize all reports; coordinate agency reviews as needed.
- Determine zoning requirements for proposed sites; work with land use consultant to obtain entitlements and assess any risks to the project.
- Coordinate community outreach process with school support for key stakeholder buy-in.
- Oversee entitlement process, attending public hearing and other key meetings.
Design:
- Oversee project scoping and design to ensure affordable final product based on school client’s facilities needs and financial objectives.
- Negotiate contract with architect; manage project design and interaction between architect and school client.
- Work with design team to ensure on-time and on budget delivery of project, particularly tied to key design and permitting milestones.
Budget, Schedule, Financing:
- Manage project budgets and schedules.
- Support WCSD’s finance team and school client in obtaining project financing.
Construction:
- Manage construction bid and award process, including issuing RFP, reviewing bids, and recommending contractor selection.
- Manage budget and schedule during construction.
- Attend regular construction meetings, visit construction site to assess and ensure construction progress.
- Review and approve contractor payment applications and loan draws.
- Review, negotiate and approve all change orders.
- Serve as primary lead for resolution of issues during construction.
Closeout & Occupancy:
- Ensure completion of punch list walk with contractor and school, as well as final inspections and obtaining Certificate of Occupancy.
- Support school in coordinating move-in.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; relevant work experience or graduate degree in real estate, business, construction, engineering, urban planning or architecture a plus.
- 4+ years of real estate development experience, including at least 2 years as a Project Manager; experience developing educational facilities and/or capital projects procured with public funds is a plus.
- Demonstrated success in managing an interdisciplinary team of professionals to deliver projects on schedule and within budget.
- Self-starter who takes ownership of his/her projects; ability to achieve independently while leading a project team and coordinating as needed with school clients, colleagues and external stakeholders.
- Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
- Organized and detail-oriented.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with ability to communicate clearly to diverse stakeholders and across a cross-functional project team
- Interest in improving public education and passion for WCSD’s mission; contributes to maintaining a positive organizational culture
RESPONSE TO COVID-19:
In response to Covid-19, this position is temporarily remote. WCSD employees are instructed to abide by their applicable state and local mandates and work remotely until further notice. Once we are able to return to a general office environment, this position will be based out of our office location in Seattle, WA. Please only submit an application if you are able to work remotely from Seattle and commute to our Seattle office on a daily basis once we are able to resume normal operations.
Any applicants should ensure they meet the basic technical skills and have the proper equipment to be effective in a temporary telecommuting environment. WCSD will provide employee with a laptop, including a built-in speaker and webcam for videoconferencing capability, as well as a computer mouse and keyboard. Applicants will need to verify that they have reliable access to the following:
- High-speed, stable internet
- Cell phone
- A private, quiet space to work
- Personal transportation
Annual salary starting at $110,000 depending upon experience. Benefits package includes health, dental, and vision insurance as well as 401(k) matching contributions.