Project Services Manager
Job Description
Project Services Manager
Estimating & Project Management Department
Direct Reports: Estimators / Inside Sales (all tiers), Project Managers (all tiers) — currently 4 Estimators and 5 Project Managers
About the Position
The Project Services Manager owns the full Estimating and Project Management department at FALK Panel — from initial quote through shop drawing approval, submittal, and production handoff. This is a heavily people-focused leadership role: the Project Services Manager builds individualized growth plans, coaches team members on technical skill and FALK culture, and develops the next generation of Estimators and Project Managers through FALK's tiered career paths. Alongside people leadership, this role owns departmental process design, KPI accountability, and the evaluation and adoption of new technology — including AI tools — to keep the department scalable as FALK grows. The Project Services Manager partners closely with the Technical Service Manager, who owns the detail library, installation documentation, and technical training content, to ensure the team is current on technical standards. The Project Services Manager operates with a high degree of autonomy, identifying priorities and building solutions without requiring day-to-day direction.
Role Responsibilities
People Leadership & Development
- Directly manage and develop all Estimators/Inside Sales and Project Managers across every tier (Estimator, Senior Estimator, Lead Estimator; Project Manager, Senior Project Manager, Lead Project Manager).
- Create and maintain an individualized growth plan for each team member, identifying skill gaps, career progression milestones, and measurable development goals.
- Conduct regular one-on-one coaching sessions focused on technical skill-building, FALK culture, and clear understanding of each person's job description and expectations.
- Own onboarding and training for new Estimators and Project Managers, ensuring a full understanding of role expectations, standard processes, and FALK culture from day one.
- Evaluate and recommend promotions between tiers based on demonstrated competency, performance, and readiness.
- Set individual and team performance goals and conduct formal performance reviews.
- Foster a collaborative, accountable, high-communication culture across both departments.
- Hire, train, and — when necessary — manage out personnel within the Estimating & Project Management department.
Process Ownership & Scalability
- Own, monitor, and continuously improve all formal departmental processes for Estimating and Project Management, ensuring they scale as the company grows.
- Create and maintain a standard takeoff and quoting process for all Estimators.
- Create and implement formalized technical and quality audit processes for all project quotations and shop drawings, ensuring timeliness and accuracy.
- Manage the production file creation and audit process.
- Set and monitor measurable KPIs for the Estimating & Project Management teams — quotation/shop drawing lead time, take-off accuracy, material quantity accuracy — and report monthly, benchmarked financially.
- Own the company standard for truckload optimization ("cubing out" loads based on panel length and configuration), and ensure it is trained and consistently applied across both the quoting and shop drawing audit processes.
- Manage expectations for drafting/detailing vendors; review and approve vendor invoices for shop drawings.
- Identify and implement process efficiencies across both departments on an ongoing basis.
Technology & Systems
- Identify, evaluate, and implement AI tools and other technology or software that increase efficiency and accuracy across estimating and project management workflows.
- Lead the ongoing development, adoption, and optimization of Microsoft Business Central (or successor ERP/CRM systems) within the department.
- Partner with IT and Engineering on system integrations, automations, and reporting tools that support departmental scalability.
Cross-Department Collaboration & Sales Support
- Serve as the primary liaison between the Estimating/Project Management department and Sales, Manufacturing, Logistics, Engineering, and Customer Service.
- Support Sales Managers directly in complex or technical selling situations; join tandem sales calls (in person or virtual) when necessary.
- Provide technical assistance and product recommendations to Sales and customers as needed.
- Communicate clearly and proactively across departments to keep quotes, shop drawings, and projects on schedule.
Mission, Values & Customer/Installer Focus
- Partner with strategic leadership to understand and support FALK Panel's Mission and Values, and cascade that mission and those values throughout the Estimating & Project Management team, including actively educating and reinforcing the team's understanding of FALK's mission and values on an ongoing basis.
- Champion a customer-friendly and installer-friendly approach across the team, building FALK's reputation as the industry expert not only at selling insulated metal panels, but at installing them.
- Train Estimators and Project Managers to proactively advise customers on the best ways to use FALK's insulated metal panels — for example, when reviewing shop drawings, recommending a change in panel length that reduces the number of overlaps required on a roof (e.g., adjusting 34' panels that require two overlaps to a length that requires only one) — so customers are educated on installer-friendly design choices before production.
Autonomy & Communication
- Operate with a high degree of autonomy — identify problems, prioritize initiatives, and build solutions with minimal day-to-day direction.
- Communicate clearly, professionally, and proactively with leadership, team members, and external partners.
- Represent the Estimating & Project Management department in company-wide planning and strategy discussions.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of experience in estimating, project management, or a related construction/building products role, including 2+ years in a people-management capacity.
- Demonstrated experience building or improving business processes at scale.
- Experience championing or implementing new technology/software within a team (ERP, CRM, AI tools, or similar).
- Strong understanding of pre-engineered metal building or insulated metal panel construction preferred.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven ability to coach, develop, and hold team members accountable.
- Ability to work autonomously — creating, prioritizing, and driving own initiatives with minimal oversight.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and ERP/CRM systems (Business Central preferred), with comfort adopting new software and AI tools.
