A Day In The Life Of A Senior Project Manager At John A Martin And Associates
Adena's role as a Senior Project Manager at John A Martin & Associates is dynamic, encompassing "scheduling for the engineers," proposal writing, and even hands-on engineering work like calculations and detailing when deadlines demand. This involves on-site visits, client and team meetings, model coordination, and responding to contractor queries during construction, showcasing a versatile and impactful contribution to the project lifecycle.
Project Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Engineering
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Adena Geiger
Sr project manager
John A Martin & Associates
UCLA 2013
UC Berkeley masters of science
Engineering - Civil
Architecture, Construction & Design
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. A senior project manager's day-to-day tasks are diverse and can change depending on project demands. This includes scheduling engineers, checking their progress, answering questions, and writing proposals.
2. Beyond administrative tasks, the role involves hands-on engineering work such as calculations and detailing, especially during deadlines.
3. Interaction and coordination with various stakeholders is crucial, encompassing client meetings, collaboration with architects and other engineers, and resolving construction issues through site visits and responding to contractor inquiries.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a senior project manager look like?
A day in my role can vary significantly. Mostly, I handle scheduling for the engineers and check in with them to understand their progress and answer any questions.
Some days, I write proposals. Other days, I get involved directly in engineering tasks, especially if we have a deadline for delivering drawings or calculations for a project. If the team is fully booked, I'll jump in to run calculations or detail different building connections and sections to clarify construction.
We also visit job sites. I still go to job sites sometimes, and I enjoy seeing how things come together. While we encourage engineers to visit sites more often, it's still a part of my role.
We don't go out to job sites every day, but we do visit a few times a month. I would say most of my time is spent in the office, working with my team and clients. This includes meetings with clients and coordination meetings with architects and mechanical engineers.
During these coordination meetings, we discuss how different parts of the building come together, which is part of the building design process. We review models and conduct coordination to ensure everything fits as intended.
Sometimes, during construction, contractors call with questions. I answer those calls and solve problems. We also respond to Requests for Information, or RFIs. So, really, every day can be different.