Construction Manager

Vibe Restaurants is a Dallas-based, multi-brand restaurant franchisee operating and developing Wingstop and Little Caesars locations across multiple states. Our Development & Facilities team takes each new restaurant from site approval through design, permitting, construction and turnover to Operations — and keeps our existing fleet current through remodel and reimage programs.

Position Summary

The Junior Construction Manager supports the Director of Construction in delivering new-store construction projects and remodels on time, on budget and to brand standards. The role carries a defined project load: approximately five new restaurant openings per year, managed end-to-end under the Director of Construction, plus a central role in Vibe’s multi-year remodel pipeline — the franchisor-approved Wingstop Next Gen reimage schedule and construction-side support of the Little Caesars Elev8 program, with 20+ remodel projects slated for 2027 alone. This is a hands-on project management role: you will review construction documents, run weekly project meetings, walk job sites, track budgets and pay applications, and drive punch lists through closeout. It is also designed as a growth path — you will learn our full development playbook (bidding, AIA contract administration, franchisor approvals, landlord coordination and closeout) with a track toward independently managing a larger project load.

Key Responsibilities

New restaurant openings — Manage approximately 5 new restaurant openings per year from Notice to Proceed through turnover to Operations, under the direction of the Director of Construction.

Construction documents — Review blueprints, shop drawings, submittals and RFIs for accuracy and adherence to Wingstop and Little Caesars brand standards.

Project meetings & reporting — Participate in weekly project meetings; report schedules, budgets and key milestones to internal stakeholders, GCs, architects and franchisor contacts; keep the development schedule Smartsheet current.

Field oversight — Conduct site visits and inspections across Vibe’s multi-state footprint; verify progress and quality of work-in-place, document conditions and resolve field issues with GC's.

Bidding & contracts — Support GC bid leveling, contract award and AIA contract / Notice-to-Proceed administration.

Budgets & pay applications — Review GC pay applications and draws against progress; help evaluate, negotiate and document change orders; support control-budget tracking and total development cost reconciliation.

Pre-lease review — Assist in reviewing construction exhibits and landlord work letters in lease drafts to assess cost and risk before lease execution.

Punch list & closeout — Drive GC punch lists and the closeout checklist: lien waivers, permanent Certificate of Occupancy, warranty documents, test-and-balance reports and TI-allowance closeout documentation.

Turnover to Operations — Support TCO / CO, final inspections and clean turnover dates to Operations; hand off first-year warranty items to the Facilities team..

Cross-team coordination — Coordinate with the Construction Specialist (licensing, utilities, COIs) and Development Coordinator (equipment, vendor scheduling) to keep every opening on track.

Remodels are a core part of this role. With the Director of Construction and V.P. of Facilities, the Junior Construction Manager runs Vibe’s remodel pipeline.

Wingstop Next Gen remodels — Run remodel scheduling, bidding and execution with the franchisor (WRI) on the approved multi-year reimage schedule across Vibe’s footprint (OK, NE, KS, NM, TN, SC, AR, MO, NC). Coordinate equipment ordering with the Development Coordinator.

Occupied-restaurant execution — Plan and execute remodels in open, operating restaurants: phase work to protect sales, coordinate closure windows and temporary operations with brand Ops leadership, and hold GCs to tight reopening dates.

Little Caesars Elev8 support — Support the VP of Facilities–led Elev8 remodel program on the construction side — GC selection, bid packages and construction contract administration — for the full 2027 schedule (16 projects).

Program management — Maintain the remodel schedule and per-store budget tracking; manage franchisor design submittals, approvals and compliance sign-off for each completed remodel.

Qualifications

2–4 years of commercial construction experience as an assistant project manager, project engineer, field engineer or superintendent — retail, restaurant or other multi-site tenant‑improvement work strongly prefered.

Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications and MEP documents.

Working knowledge of permitting, inspections and jurisdictional approval processes.

Strong organization and communication skills; able to run a meeting, hold vendors to dates and manage several concurrent projects.

Proficiency with Excel and project scheduling tools; valid driver’s license and willingness to travel 50% across Vibe’s multi‑state footprint.

Preferred:

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture or a related field (or equivalent field experience).

Experience with franchised restaurant or QSR construction and franchisor design/approval processes.

Remodel / reimage experience in occupied, operating locations — phasing, night/off‑hours work and hard reopening dates.

Familiarity with Smartsheet, AIA contract documents, DocuSign and construction management platforms (e.g., Procore).

Salary range $90,000 – $110,000 annually, commensurate with experience, plus performance bonus eligibility, medical/dental/vision, PTO and mileage/travel reimbursement. Vibe Restaurants is an equal opportunity employer.

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