Project Manager - Corporate Real Estate Americas

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

What is the role?  

We are seeking a Project Manager - Corporate Real Estate, Americas. This is a US (East Coast)-based role with a hybrid work schedule and regular travel to project locations across the Americas, with a key focus on the US market. This is a 1-year, fixed term contract role.  

ROLE SUMMARY 

The Project Manager - Corporate Real Estate, Americas will be responsible for the execution and delivery of capital projects across Howden's Americas portfolio, with a key focus on the US market. The role will report to the Head of Real Estate - Americas and will work closely with business leaders, Corporate Real Estate colleagues, IT, HR, Finance, Procurement, Facilities Management and external delivery partners. 

The role will manage all real estate projects independently from planning through to handover. The portfolio includes new office delivery, office fit-outs, relocations, expansions, consolidations, restacks, refurbishments and projects within both traditional and flexible office environments. 

The successful candidate will bring disciplined project governance, strong on-site oversight and proactive coordination to ensure projects are delivered safely, to the required quality, on time and within approved budgets, while supporting consistent workplace standards across the region. 

What will you be doing?  

Project Delivery 

• Independently manage capital projects from business case development, to initial briefing and planning through design, procurement, construction, handover and close-out. 

• Deliver office fit-outs, relocations, expansions, consolidations, restacks, refurbishments and new office openings across the Americas portfolio. 

• Develop clear project briefs, scopes, delivery plans, milestones and responsibilities in alignment with business requirements and approved workplace standards. 

• Chair or support project meetings, track actions and maintain momentum across multiple concurrent workstreams. 

• Coordinate operational readiness, move activities and handover to IT and local business teams. 

• Visit project sites as needed to review progress, quality, safety, risks and delivery against the agreed program. 

• Establish a regular cadence for all projects, ensuring the inclusion of all relevant Howden internal teams and ensuring proper dissemination of project information ensuring all teams are working at the same level. 

• Be the internal Howden lead for all US projects.  All project decisions are managed and instructed by you. 

Budget, Schedule & Governance 

• Manage project budgets, schedules and financial tracking, including commitments, forecasts, cash flow, change control and variance monitoring. 

• Prepare concise project updates, dashboards and decision papers covering programme, cost, risk, quality and key approvals. 

• Escalate emerging cost, schedule, scope, safety or quality issues early, with clear recommendations and recovery actions. 

• Ensure projects follow corporate governance, approval, procurement, risk, health and safety, security and financial control requirements. 

• Support business case development, capital approval submissions, lessons learned and project close-out reporting. 

• Monthly reporting to relevant oversight committees on all project and portfolio milestones and budgets 

Documentation, Procurement & Commercial Coordination 

• Coordinate project documentation, including contracts, procurement materials, schedules, approvals, change records, meeting outputs and reporting deliverables. 

• Support procurement processes, including preparation of RFPs, bid clarifications, tender evaluations, recommendations and vendor coordination. 

• Lead the consultant and contractor appointments process, ensuring scopes, deliverables, responsibilities and commercial terms are clearly documented. 

• Maintain accurate project records and ensure decisions, risks, actions and approvals are captured and traceable. 

• Support cost benchmarking, value engineering and commercial reviews to improve value while protecting quality and programme. 

Consultant, Contractor & Stakeholder Management 

• Manage all third-party consultants, including project managers, architects, engineers, cost managers, contractors, furniture suppliers, movers and other specialist vendors. 

• Coordinate multidisciplinary design and construction teams, ensuring information is issued on time and interfaces are actively managed. 

• Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders, landlords, brokers, building management teams and local business leadership. 

• Partner with IT, Facilities Management, Security and local teams to ensure spaces are fully operational and ready for occupation. 

• Develop a preferred list of project consultants and contractors ensuring a consistent level of quality and pricing across the portfolio. 

• Chair all meetings with the project Stakeholders, starting from project briefing through to lessons learned sessions, providing meeting minutes and tracking decisions, ensuring clear communication on where and how the Stakeholders can influence the project.  

• Attend and participate in US portfolio Steering Committee meetings to provide overview of portfolio strategy, costs and benchmarking data, in support of the US Head of Real Estate. 

Quality, Risk & Site Oversight 

• Review design information, specifications, samples and site progress to confirm alignment with the approved brief and workplace standards. 

• Assess quality of work on site, identify defects or non-compliance and drive timely resolution with the delivery team. 

• Maintain project risk and issue registers and support mitigation planning throughout the project lifecycle. 

• Promote safe project delivery and verify that consultants and contractors are fulfilling their health and safety responsibilities. 

• Support snagging, commissioning, practical completion, handover documentation and post-occupancy reviews. 

• Develop basic practice and office standards, in alignment with the Global Head of Projects and Workplace 

What are we looking for?  

Qualifications:  

We'd love to hear from you if you: 

• Possess working knowledge of design and construction processes and project delivery methodologies. 

• Display strong attention to detail and the ability to review and assess quality of work on site. 

• Demonstrate a proactive mindset, with the ability to anticipate needs, identify issues early and drive actions to resolution. 

• Can manage multiple projects and priorities while maintaining accurate records and clear communication. 

• Communicate confidently with business stakeholders, consultants, contractors and suppliers. 

• Bring sound commercial judgement and a disciplined approach to budget, programme, risk and change control. 

• Are comfortable travelling regularly to project sites across the US and, where required, the wider Americas region. 

And have: 

• Experience in corporate real estate, project management or construction. 

• Experience delivering or supporting office fit-out and capital projects, preferably across multiple locations. 

• Experience in a professional services or corporate environment, preferably. 

• Experience coordinating architects, engineers, contractors and other third-party consultants. 

• Working knowledge of project budgets, schedules, procurement, contracts, reporting and change control. 

• Preferably a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management or a related field. 

• Relevant project management or construction certification is desirable. 

Key Measures of Success 

• Safe, timely and cost-effective delivery of assigned capital projects. 

• Accurate forecasting, financial tracking and schedule management. 

• Consistent application of project governance, procurement and workplace standards. 

• High-quality project documentation, reporting and audit trail. 

• Effective coordination of consultants, contractors and internal stakeholders. 

• Successful handover, operational readiness and stakeholder satisfaction. 

• Early identification and resolution of project risks, issues and quality concerns. 

Compensation and Benefits 

The expected base salary range for this role is $130,000 - $170,000; actual base salary will be determined based on factors including candidate experience and work location. This role is classified as non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

Our sustainability promise  

We’re on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.  

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.