Construction Manager

Job Summary

KBR is seeking a senior Construction Manager to lead the on-site execution of a $900M+ new-build energetics manufacturing facility for the U.S. Army in Kentucky. The role requires constant, senior-level interface with the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, installation leadership, and other Government stakeholders.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Direct all on-site construction activities for a $900M+ industrial facility, including sitework, hardened process buildings, explosives-rated structures, utilities, and chemical process equipment installation.
• Serve as KBR’s primary construction interface with the U.S. Army customer, USACE district and resident offices, installation command staff, and Government safety and security organizations; lead recurring Government progress reviews, partnering sessions, and issue-resolution boards.
• Manage subcontractors, self-perform crews, and specialty trades; enforce contract requirements, schedule discipline, and quality standards across all work packages.
• Implement and enforce a construction safety program compliant with USACE EM 385-1-1, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, and DoD explosives safety criteria, in alignment with KBR’s Zero Harm safety culture.
• Ensure construction complies with DoD explosives safety siting and design requirements (DESR 6055.09, DDESB-approved site plans) and hazardous location electrical requirements (NEC Class I and Class II classified areas).
• Oversee cost, schedule, and earned value performance; manage change control, requests for information, submittals, and claims avoidance; report program status to KBR leadership and the Government.
• Career Development and Mentorship
• Coordinate construction sequencing with process equipment vendors, commissioning teams, and operations personnel to support a smooth transition from construction to systemization and startup.
• Manage quality assurance and quality control in accordance with the USACE three-phase control process and contract specifications; ensure timely closeout of punch lists, testing, and documentation.
• Support environmental compliance during construction, including stormwater, air, waste management, and RCRA-related requirements associated with energetics facilities.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-discipline construction management team including superintendents, field engineers, QC managers, and safety professionals.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Four additional years of directly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 15+ years of progressive construction management experience on heavy industrial projects, including at least 10 years on federal Government construction programs (DoD, USACE, NAVFAC, DOE, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience as the senior on-site construction manager for at least one federal or industrial construction program valued at $500M or greater, taken from mobilization through completion or near completion.
• Direct experience constructing chemical process plants, energetics or munitions production facilities, or comparable hazardous process facilities of similar size and scope, including process equipment installation, piping, and instrumentation-intensive scopes.
• Heavy, sustained U.S. Army or Government liaison experience: proven ability to work daily with Army program offices, USACE resident and district offices, contracting officers, and installation leadership, and to represent the contractor in formal Government reviews.
• Working knowledge of FAR and DFARS construction contract requirements, Government submittal and RFI processes, and federal change and claims management.
• Thorough knowledge of USACE EM 385-1-1 safety requirements and the USACE Contractor Quality Control three-phase inspection system.
• USACE Construction Quality Management for Contractors (CQM-C) certification, current or obtainable within 90 days of hire.
• OSHA 30-hour Construction certification.
• Experience managing large subcontractor teams (multiple concurrent subcontracts, peak site staffing of 300+ craft personnel or equivalent).
• Proficiency with construction scheduling and controls tools (Primavera P6, earned value reporting) and Government project management systems (RMS or equivalent).
• U.S. citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance and pass installation access screening.
• Ability to relocate to the Central Kentucky area for the full 3 to 5 year construction assignment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior construction experience on Army Organic Industrial Base sites, ammunition plants, depots, or arsenals, or on other DoD energetics and munitions modernization programs.
• Experience with explosives facility design and construction standards, including DESR 6055.09 quantity-distance siting, DDESB site plan approval processes, blast-resistant and hardened construction, and intrinsically safe or explosion-proof electrical installations.
• Experience constructing or modernizing nitration, continuous-flow chemical processing, or other energetic material production lines.
• Experience with design-build delivery under federal contracts, including managing design completion in parallel with early construction packages.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license, Certified Construction Manager (CCM), DBIA certification, or Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Experience supporting commissioning, systemization, and initial operational capability of process facilities, including handover to Government or contractor operations teams.
• Familiarity with environmental permitting and compliance for energetics operations (RCRA, Clean Air Act, open burn/open detonation alternatives) as they affect construction sequencing.
• Active DoD Secret clearance.
• Prior experience working with KBR, Mason & Hanger, or other firms with an energetics facility heritage, or direct experience at Government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) sites.