Senior Construction Project Manager

Open to remote candidates in New York City Metropolitan Area (preferred), NJ, CT, PA, MA, or FL.

At NAYA, we’re on an exciting journey - growing fast, sharing authentic, fresh, and nutritious Middle Eastern flavors, and building a team that grows with us.

Our mission is to build genuine connections through the Middle Eastern flavors that nourish and inspire us.

You will love working at NAYA

We believe great people deserve great rewards. NAYA offers a comprehensive and people-focused benefits package designed to support you at work and beyond, including:

• Competitive pay to recognize your impact
• Annual competitive bonus plan
• 401(k) with match
• Paid Vacation time
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance to keep you healthy and thriving
• Flexible Spending and Commuter benefits to make your life easier
• Employee discounts and free NAYA meals — because we believe in enjoying what we serve
• Employee Assistance, Pay on Demand, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, and much more

At NAYA, you’ll find more than a job — you’ll find a community that values you, supports your goals, and celebrates your success.

About the Role

The Senior Construction Project Manager , leads the successful delivery of new restaurant openings, remodels, and capital projects from pre-construction through turnover and closeout. This role owns day-to-day project execution across schedule, budget, quality, risk, and field coordination while partnering closely with Real Estate, Design, Facilities, Operations, Finance, and external consultants.

Critically, you will scale NAYA's development pipeline through disciplined execution, proactive problem-solving, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

Pre-Construction and Site Due Diligence

• Support site feasibility and pre-lease due diligence by reviewing test fits, existing conditions, utility capacity, constructibility, code and permitting constraints, landlord scope, and project risks.
• Review work letters, lease exhibits, and landlord delivery obligations with the VP of Development and Real Estate team, identifying scope gaps, schedule dependencies, and cost exposure before lease execution.
• Prepare preliminary budgets and ROM estimates for site approvals.

Procurement, Budget, and Schedule Management

• Lead GC procurement, including bid packages, bidder questions and site walks, bid leveling, scope and pricing negotiations, award recommendations, and contract coordination.
• Develop and maintain detailed project schedules covering permitting, landlord work, utility work, long-lead procurement, construction, inspections, turnover, and opening; identify critical-path risks and drive recovery plans.
• Maintain project budgets, commitments, contingencies, and forecasts; manage change orders and pay applications, validating scope, pricing, and entitlement before recommending approval.

Construction Execution and Coordination

• Manage general contractors, architects, engineers, expediters, consultants, vendors, and owner-supplied equipment and fixtures to ensure coordinated execution and clear accountability.
• Review construction documents for completeness, constructability, and consistency with NAYA standards; drive timely resolution of RFIs, submittals, and field conflicts, and conduct regular site visits and progress meetings to verify quality, schedule, safety, and compliance.
• Proactively coordinate utilities and building systems, including electrical, gas, water and sewer, HVAC, kitchen exhaust and hood systems, fire protection, grease systems, and equipment connections.

Permitting, Turnover, and Closeout

• Coordinate permitting, inspections, AHJ requirements, and CO/TCO activities with the design team, expediters, and general contractor.
• Lead the NRO turnover process with Operations, Facilities, and project partners, ensuring punch completion, commissioning, training, and opening readiness.
• Ensure complete project closeout, including as-built drawings, O&M manuals, warranties, training records, permits, CO/TCO documentation, lien releases, and financial closeout.

How You Will Impact

• Deliver new restaurant builds, remodels, and capital projects end-to-end, from pre-construction through turnover, closeout, and warranty, on schedule, on budget, and to NAYA standards.
• Give senior leadership clear, concise reporting on schedule, budget, key decisions, risks, mitigation