What Does a Construction Project Manager Do?

The construction project manager is not only responsible for planning the work and making sure it gets done, but also supervising the workers who do it. He or she keeps an eye on the big picture, delegates and coordinates work to make sure that all the interlocking pieces of the puzzle and working. Unlike an owner's representative, the project manager is hands-on.   That means coordinating and directing the efforts of construction workers. It also means hiring, disciplining and perhaps even firing those who step out of line.

In other words, it is the project manager's job to get the work done through other people. In this and in many other ways, the PM is no different than a manager in any other job field. No team can function without the proper tools, so it also falls to the project manager to make sure the team of workers has everything they need to get the job done well.

The project manager has the responsibility and authority to:

• manage staff;
• allocate resources within the budget;
• monitor and control quality of the work being done;
• manage schedules;
• liaise with the owner or owner's representative;
• manage disputes between contractors.