A Day in the Life of a Project Manager

Rose Paving / July 21, 2010

Looking out on a parking lot that has been newly resurfaced or recently striped, you may not realize the hours of prep work that went into revamping that space. It’s more than likely that at least a dozen people – from the early planning phases to the actual execution of the work – helped ensure that your project was a success. The key person in that mix is the Project Manager.

To give you a better appreciation of the Project Manager’s responsibilities, we interviewed Bill Keller, one of the Regional Project Managers at Rose Paving.

What time does a typical day begin for a Regional Project Manager?

Our days start at 4:00am. We’re checking the weather to determine whether or not the scheduled jobs for that day are “a go.” By 6:30am, we’re on our first job-site.

How many hours are in an average day for Regional Project Managers?

Roughly 12 hours

What do your daily responsibilities consist of?

My job is a combination of office work and tasks “in the field.” Project Managers attend weekly meetings, schedule jobs, and approve invoices while in the office. A big part of my job as a Project Manager is to communicate frequently with our customers and answer any questions regarding jobs scheduled to begin or recently completed. We attend pre-construction meetings with customers, post-job evaluations, and often work with members of the sales team to help prepare bids.

How many miles would you say you drive to-and-from job sites in an average day?

100 miles per day

How many hours do you work in a typical work week?

There are jobs in progress 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. If we have a job going – meaning a work order in our assigned territory – then we’re on-call 24/7 to manage that job. We try to have at least one day off in a given week!

What do you like best about your job?

Being out on job sites where I’m able to manage my own jobs, and interact with customers and crew members.

What skills are necessary to be a good Project Manager?

Organizational skills, strong people skills, and a positive attitude. We work such long hours in the summer and wear many different hats; having a positive attitude can go a long way.

Is there anything in particular we should know about Project Managers but don’t?

The entire Operations Team as a whole is a very close-knit group. Together, we will do what it takes to get the job done.