Position Overview

The Associate Project Manager will take chief responsibility for all of Sunset Lighting’s major electrical, lighting, and sign projects across North America.  Key performance indicators include adherence to customer or management specified deadlines, quality of communication with customer throughout the project, accuracy of scope of work, adherence to budget, profitability of project, complete and accurate documentation of all project phases, and overall customer satisfaction with project outcome.

Depending on the scope of the project, the Associate Project Manager may work independently or with a team of Project Coordinators.  The Associate Project Manager role is not a personnel management role, but may evolve to people & team management if the candidate possesses leadership capabilities.

This is a hybrid role: you will work from home as well as from our office in Irvine. Sunset provides an hourly stipend to cover work from home expenses.

Key Responsibility Areas

• Receive all new customer project requests; Conduct Project Set Up Meeting with customer and identify all relevant Project Criteria, including scope of work, timeline, budget, and key stakeholders.

• According to relevant Project Criteria, create and implement plan for the performance of field surveys (conducted by Sunset Lighting vendors); Depending on location and project scope, new vendors may need to be qualified and hired; Using lighting schematics, electrical line drawings, and reflected ceiling diagrams, perform project takeoffs; Coordinate field surveys with customer and vendor

• Manage RFP process with manufacturers, suppliers, and subcontractors; Independently create customer proposals for labor, equipment, and material; Manage proposal costs, profitability, and accuracy; Submit final proposal to customer and address any customer inquiries

• For approved proposals, perform Project Launch; Develop Project Stages and create associated schedules, forms, tracking documents/spreadsheets, internal and external budgets, and logistical/coordination plans for movement of labor, equipment, and material; Communicate Project Stages, submit relevant forms, and provide instructions to selected vendors to initiate project; Communicate Project Stages to customer, including schedule and delivery dates for labor and material; Communicate Project Stages to internal management, as well as team members that may be assigned to assist with project

• Ongoing tracking of project progress; Obtain frequent field updates and update all tracking documents, spreadsheets, and project management software; Track and compare actual project progress against planned project progress and make changes as needed to maintain planned project schedule and budget; Communicate to customer all critical details pertaining to each phase of the project, as well as all field updates; Troubleshoot field issues pertaining to labor, equipment, or material; Create change orders, review with management, and submit to customer

• Upon conclusion of project, perform Quality Control check to verify that all aspects of scope of work have been addressed and that customer is completely satisfied; Address material returns with suppliers; Update internal forms, documentation, or processes to reflect any permanent changes we have made to customer’s physical location and train our “day to day” service call team; Perform financial analysis with Accounting Team to compare actual costs with budgeted costs as well as total project profitability

• Rotating on-call duty in addition to scheduled office hours; Periodic assignment to address after-hours emergencies using company-supplied technology and remote log-in capability (per-call bonus paid for this program)

• Engage in ongoing professional development as it pertains to technical knowledge and job skills

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelors degree from a four-year institution in construction management, business, communications, accounting, or humanities
• Three or more years of project management experience in electrical or lighting repair & maintenance, construction, contracting, lighting service, repair and maintenance operations, lighting design or electrical engineering. Other applicable experience: property management, building engineering, and other trades such as HVAC, plumbing, etc.
• Skilled communicator that understands the importance of maintaining customer, vendor, and management relations
• Hyper-organized Type-A personality that thrives on every last detail; Conscientious to the T; Never late and always prepared
• Skilled at reviewing & interpreting lighting schematics, electrical line drawings, and reflected ceiling diagrams and performing take-offs
• Fluent with web-based software applications and electronic organization, including Google docs, Outlook calendars, MS Excel, Adobe, and Project Management software (basic photo editing skills a plus)
• Proficient business math skills, including profit margins, rates, percentages, per-piece pricing, and basic arithmetic
• Competent in the creation of massive spreadsheets (including formulas and conditional formatting); Master of creating professional-grade forms that can be filled out by both customers and field personnel

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive pay commensurate with skills and experience
• Benefits include health & dental plans with employer contribution towards premiums; Vision discount plan; Generous Vacation and Personal Time policy; Nine paid holidays annually; Retirement plan with employer match
• Perks include monthly Pay for Performance plan; Paid onsite carwashes; Paid gym memberships; Paid educational and certification opportunities; Snacks and drinks provided

How To Apply

If you think you have what it takes, we’d love to hear from you. Please answer the questions below and also email your resume to Virginia @ sunsetlighting [dot] net. But most importantly, submit a cover letter connecting YOU to the Sunset Lighting culture. We're really into hearing about your love for details, customers, and anything else you might love. Aloha & Mahalo!