Enclosure and Facilities Construction Manager

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the most powerful ground-based telescope ever engineered. It was designed to push the boundaries of human knowledge and discover the unknown. With unmatched image quality, seven of the world’s largest mirrors will launch our view into the universe to uncover the cosmic mysteries of dark matter, investigate the origins of chemical elements, and search for signs of life on distant exoplanets for the first time.

The 30-meter class telescope is under construction at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the best locations on Earth to view the heavens. From this unrivaled vantage into the southern sky, the Giant Magellan Telescope will produce the sharpest and most detailed images ever taken of our universe, ten times greater than the famed Hubble Space Telescope and four times the James Webb Space Telescope.

When complete in the late 2020s, the Giant Magellan Telescope will be the largest public-private funded science project in history. The endeavor was founded by an international consortium of leading universities and research institutions representing five countries, and is managed by the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Pasadena, California. Our culture is impactful, inclusive, and fearlessly innovative. We solve the most difficult engineering challenges and scientific questions with talented individuals who share a passion for revolutionizing humanity’s knowledge of the universe.

We invite you to join our team and leave your mark on astronomy’s future and beyond.

The Universe Awaits.

Site, Enclosure and Facilities (SEF)

Site, Enclosure and Facilities (SEF) Manager

Reporting to the Site, Enclosure and Facilities (SEF) Project Element Manager (PEM), the Enclosure and Facilities Construction Manager will support all aspects of project management in the SEF element. The position will support the PEM to ensure that the SEF construction products (a ~$350M campus with 5 major buildings) are planned and delivered according to the GMTO safety, performance, budget, schedule, and quality targets. Responsibilities will include supporting the development of the SEF construction cost and schedule estimates, in coordination with the GMTO project and corporate offices, to monitor progress of all site construction activities, using earned value management (EVM) metrics, and help ensure accurate internal and external reporting of SEF construction progress.

The position will be responsible for overseeing and directing the construction management (CM) team and administering the CM contract. The Enclosure and Facilities Construction Manager, working with contractors, the CM, and the designer of record, will support Construction Administration (CA) processes. This position, in support of the PEM, will be directly involved in construction risk management process, develop risk items, and develop risk mitigation plans to manage the element risks. With the GMTO Contracts and Procurements (C&P) team, the Enclosure and Facilities Construction Manager will play a key role in planning and executing the international construction procurements ranging from $10M to $250M. The position will assist the PEM in coordinating construction work with the GMT Site Operations team at the observatory site. The Enclosure and Facilities Construction Manager will be responsible for building and maintaining healthy working relationships within the SEF element, within the GMT project, the CM team, and with external suppliers and stakeholders, to safely provide high-quality construction work, on budget and on schedule.

• Support the PEM in delivering the SEF construction products to agreed safety, quality, budget, schedule, and technical requirements
• Serve as the cost account manager (CAM) for construction management (CM) contract
• Serve as the CAM for one or more SEF construction contracts
• Coordinate site construction activities with the CM and construction contractors
• Ensure that safety processes are properly implemented and enforced by the SEF team, the CM team, and contractor teams performing work at the site; ensure that safety requirements and standards are properly flowed down in contractual relationships
• Ensure that contractor quality processes are developed and executed according to GMTO standards as defined by the GMTO Quality Assurance Manager, and implemented appropriately by the SEF team, CM, and construction contractors
• Support the PEM in recruiting, hiring, coaching, and mentoring the SEF team
• Support project controls processes to develop and maintain implementation plans, including adherence to element budgets and schedules, identify variances from these plans, develop corrective actions to achieve compliance with plans or modify plans as necessary per project policies and processes
• Prepare SEF procurement strategies and plans, in coordination with the C&P team, and ensure that GMTO procurement policies are followed in SEF procurements to deliver “best value” construction contracts for GMTO
• Assist the PEM in ensuring proper flow-down and implementation of export control regulations associated with SEF construction
• Communicate status of construction planning and management to the PEM, deputy project manager (DPM), project manager (PM), and the GMT project team
• Coordinate closely with the GMTO Site Operations PEM and team
• Support the PEM in the change control processes during construction
• Other responsibilities as directed by the PEM

• A minimum of a BS degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or related field
• 15 years of demonstrated relevant and successful experience with international construction project management and construction contract management
• Demonstrated experience working with project management, engineers, and construction management professionals, and contractors in complex international construction projects
• Demonstrated understanding, experience, and success implementing construction project management principles
• Ability to prepare documents, reports, and oral presentations
• Demonstrated leadership, organizational, and management skills
• Proven ability to effectively manage competing priorities in a rapidly changing environment
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and collaboratively in complex technical environments

• Experience working on the building and commissioning of ground-based observatories or large-scale facilities of similar complexity
• Experience supporting the delivery of international construction projects
• Experience with construction projects in remote and/or high elevation sites
• Experience with complex construction projects in Chile or other South American sites
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and Spanish (e.g., CEFR B1 or better)

• Open plan office space
• Indoor and outdoor fabrication and construction sites

• Ability to travel by air between US, Chile, and international work sites
• Ability to function safely and effectively in remote and high elevation (2500m/8500ft) construction environments

• Direct reports will vary by workstation and project phase.

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance

GMTO has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy effective March 14, 2022, requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees (with GMTO-approved exemptions for religious or medical reasons only). At present, an individual is deemed “fully vaccinated” for Covid-19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine. GMTO management may revise the definition of Fully Vaccinated in this Policy based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force or other relevant Government or Health agencies. Any changes will be communicated to all employees before its effective date.

As a condition of employment, employees must submit official COVID-19 vaccine documentation.

$165,000- $220,000

The salary for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, and training.

To apply send your resume and a cover letter to careers@gmto.org.

If your skills and experience are a match for the position or if we need additional information, we will contact you. If we do not see a suitable match between your qualifications and the position, we will keep your information on file in the event future positions become available that are more suitable to your qualifications.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.