Construction Project Manager

Construction Project Manager

The Construction Project Manager (CPM) leads and supports Smoothie King franchisees through the new store construction process, working in partnership with the New Store Opening (NSO) Project Manager from site approval through store opening. Unlike traditional, field-based construction roles, this is an in-office position: the CPM manages projects through regular phone and video communication, guidance, and progress tracking rather than routine on-site supervision. The CPM provides construction expertise, vendor coordination, and project oversight to ensure franchisee stores are completed on time, within budget, and in compliance with Smoothie King standards and requirements.

Responsibilities include serving as the primary construction resource, expert, and point of contact for franchisees throughout the permitting and construction phases of the store opening lifecycle, partnering closely with the NSO Project Manager to keep each project aligned with the overall store opening timeline. The CPM will regularly communicate with and assist franchisees by phone, video, and email to keep projects on schedule, sharing expertise, offering alternative solutions, and guiding them through the process.

The CPM will maintain thorough project notes, checklists, and task trackers across a high volume of daily meetings and calls; this role carries a significant administrative workload in addition to regular franchisee and vendor communication. The CPM will develop and manage vendor relationships for all key partners in the development cycle, including equipment and materials vendors, architects, contractors, and others. The CPM will manage general contractors via weekly calls, video conferences, and email.

The CPM will request and receive contractor bids and assist franchisees with bid review, including translating landlord work letter requirements into requests for bid revisions when initial bids are not compatible with the full scope of work. The CPM will maintain a working knowledge of basic MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems to help identify and clarify landlord work requirements when franchisees or general contractors have questions.

The CPM will maintain and improve existing processes for franchisees to easily order, secure, and install all required equipment and materials needed for store opening. The CPM will coordinate and facilitate franchisee order placement, deliveries, and installs with Smoothie King-approved vendors. The CPM will manage construction progress and scheduling of all project-related work, coordinating by phone and through regular status updates with landlords, contractors, and vendors to keep projects on schedule and per plan.

The CPM will provide project quality oversight through weekly vendor and franchisee check-in calls, review of job-site photos and documentation, and coordination with the GC on all inspections. The CPM will provide oversight of landlord required work and possession of leased premises to begin tenant improvements. The CPM will provide value engineering and creative support to the project team to ensure project financial targets are met. The CPM will partner closely with the Design Team to complete plan reviews for each project.

The CPM will manage overall project close out and turnover to Training and Operations teams for all new store openings, re-openings, and relocations. The CPM will collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Real Estate, Design, Marketing, and IT, in addition to Operations, throughout the store opening and facilities process to ensure alignment across teams. The CPM will support ad hoc departmental and cross-functional initiatives as assigned, beyond core franchisee and vendor management work tied to new store openings. The CPM will utilize and leverage Smoothie King's enterprise instance of Claude (AI) to create efficiencies in day-to-day work.