Owner's Representative/Construction Project Manager

This job announcement is for a Owners Representative for Opportunity Communities. OppCo partners provide stable homes within great neighborhoods, which serve as a foundation for thriving families and individuals. Our homes and neighborhoods promote healthy families as well as work, economic, and educational success.

Opportunity Communities, LLC (OppCo) was created as a fresh and innovative business model that solves a fundamental structural challenge: retaining local control of resources and assets, that are continually reinvested back into the community, while benefiting from the efficiency and effectiveness of a larger scale entity.

Through OppCo, participating community development members leverage their combined resources to create administrative support and programmatic capacity in areas that benefit from scale and expertise. Control and governance remains local, guiding strategic direction, local programs, budget and assets. Without sacrificing local control, OppCo achieves a more sustainable, efficient and robust structure for community development activities to support stronger families, greater economic equality, and thriving communities that benefit all people.

OppCo was launched in April 2018 by two experienced Greater Boston non-profits who are piloting the new model. Across the two founding members is a housing portfolio of 1,350 apartments, providing a stable home to over 2,250 low- and moderate-income individuals. Over time, as OppCo expands its membership, it expects to manage tenant services and asset management of 10,000 affordable homes and to support its members to diversify and accelerate their affordable housing production.

Our Members:

The Neighborhood Developers (TND) is a community development corporation based in Chelsea and working in Chelsea, Revere and Everett with a real estate portfolio of approximately 450 homes and about 20,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. TND has a development pipeline of approximately 375 homes, including new construction and renovation, in a range of projects that mix uses, incomes and styles to meet community needs.

Nuestra Comunidad has been working in the Roxbury and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston neighborhoods since 1981. Nuestra has a portfolio of 804 homes, 51,196 sf of commercial space and has developed over 200 affordable homeownership opportunities. Nuestra has a pipeline of 452 new homes and 332 units slated for rehabilitation over the next 3 years. Nuestra also has approximately 30,000sf of public space in the Bartlett Station Project.

The Owner’s Representative will provide construction expertise to both the Real Estate Development and Asset Management departments. The Owner’s Representative will act as or supervise a 3rd party clerk of the works on development projects and will report to the Senior Vice President of Real Estate and coordinate regularly with the Directors of Real Estate at partnering organizations. The Owner’s Representative shares OppCo and respective members’ high standards for community investment, and demonstrates an interest in testing new models and approaches with an emphasis on results. The Owner’s Representative manages multiple priorities and assignments in a fast-paced environment. They have strong analytic and organizational skills, initiative, persistence and work well independently and as part of team. The Owner’s Representative is expected to have previously managed a range of construction projects and demonstrated talent as an independent worker, team leader, solver of complex problems, and contributor to the department’s pipeline and administration.

General Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

With direction or support from the SVP of Real Estate and Directors of Real Estate, the Owners Representative will provide construction expertise at every phase of a project’s life:

• Support due diligence assessments of new prospects, including:
  • Assist with project team assembly
  • Design and document review of each project
  • Assist with occupied rehabilitation planning
  • Entitlement review and Permitting Assistance o Select and implement the appropriate construction management approach on project specific basis
  • Design and Construction contracts preparation and negotiation
  • Mentor project managers on construction aspect of projects
• Provide construction oversight either directly or supervising a 3rd party clerk, using an approach determined with the Project Manager.
  • Responsible for construction contract management and coordination with architectural/engineering contract.
    • Manage change orders in consultation with Project Manager
    • Manage project schedule, evaluate changes and inform owner of perceived impacts to insure projects are constructed on time.
  • Monitor and facilitate communication between contractors, architects, and engineers.
  • Review accessibility and universal design features are correctly implemented by GC.
  • Visit active jobsites based on frequency agreed upon by Directors of Real Estate, project managers and GC.
  • Ensure quality of work and approved specified materials are employed per contract documents and communicate any perceived deficiencies to architect and internal team.
  • Manage and document all contract changes and payments to architect, construction manager, contractors and other consultants and costs assignable to a project.
  • Review and monitor construction related files including: plans, sketches, specifications, product submittals, transmittals, RFIs, project schedule, change orders, inspection reports, test results, permits, remediation efforts, consultant scopes, etc.
  • Coordinate field testing and inspection by engineers and consultants including but not limited to geotechnical, building envelope, and sustainability.
  • Coordinate interpretation, cost implications and implementation of engineers’ recommendations as accepted by project team
  • Assist in the development of standards for inspections at various stages of completion including the final “punch list”.
  • Assist in resolving design and construction issues that arise in the course of construction.
  • Coordinate with the GC for installation of utilities and security systems as needed.
  • Coordinate inspections required to qualify for rebates related to local and state energy conservation programs.
  • Receive and review operations/owner’s manuals and as-builts drawings.
• Support Asset Management Team with construction issues in the portfolio, including:
  • Perform and/or oversee Capital Needs Assessments/Property Conditions reports when possible
  • Advise or manage all warranty issues.
  • Advise on renovation plans, oversee when possible.
• Participate in cross-team work to implement the organization’s mission.
• Obtain exceptional cost and quality value from contracted services.

Non-Essential Functions

• Assist in planning and developing processes, policies, and procedures that will improve the overall performances of the real estate and asset management departments.
• Attend networking events on behalf of OppCo and the agency, and represent OppCo and the agency at community and industry meetings.
• Perform other tasks related to cross-team projects within the agency.

Work Requirements and Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in construction management or real estate project management that involved high degree of construction oversight.
• Construction Management certification or Bachelor’s degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, planning, business management, or a related field.
• A combination of relevant professional experience and education may be considered as a substitute.
• Excellent written and verbal communications. A strong listener.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Quantitative skills, and interest in working with numbers and budgets.
• Demonstrated understanding of contract administration, including but not limited to AIA contracts, prime contractor contracts.
• Demonstrated understanding of construction project management, principles and techniques, including managing timeline, change orders and record keeping
• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret construction documents, plans and specifications.
• Demonstrated understanding of construction practices, methods, materials, applications and standards.
• Knowledge of the State of Massachusetts construction codes, city-based zoning laws, processes and procurement laws.
• Competence in computing skills, including experience with MS Excel, Word and with GIS desirable.  Ability to organize work, work independently, problem-solve, and be persistent is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to manage productive relationships with development team members, public officials, funders and lenders, other staff, and the community.
• Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred; Proven experience building trusting relationships across race, ethnicity, class and age.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to navigate an active construction site safely and regularly.
• Sensory: Frequently required to read fine print on documents. Able to speak clearly and make self-understood, while also understanding others using the English language.
• Cognitive: Continuously able to understand and relate to concepts behind specific ideas and remember multiple tasks/assignments given to others over a period of days. Able to concentrate on details in both office and field with moderate interruption. Able to attend to task/function for more than 60 minutes at a time.

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function in a satisfactory manner. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.