Pepper Construction is a general contracting and construction management firm known for their quality work, strong ethics, and long‑standing relationships with clients and partners.
With offices in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, Pepper Construction provides clients the experience and resources of a national company, combined with the hands-on approach of a local company. We believe in exploring new technologies and methods that support the visions of our clients and positively impact the communities in which we live, work and play.
Pepper Energy expands upon Pepper Construction’s mission to improve people’s quality of life through the built world by bringing creative, renewable energy solutions to life in alignment with our commitment to high performance and sustainability. Pepper Energy provides an experienced engineer-procure-construct (EPC) team as a single-source solution for renewables construction projects.
We're seeking a Lead Project Manager to manage the engineering, procurement and construction of organics recycling infrastructure — including composting facilities, anaerobic digesters, and material recovery systems for organic waste streams. This role manages projects from permitting through construction and commissioning, coordinating across engineering, regulatory, and operations teams to deliver facilities that convert organic waste into compost, biogas, or recovered materials.
What You'll Do
- Project Execution: Lead full-cycle delivery of organic waste, composting, or anaerobic digestion facilities from design phase through startup and operational turnover
- Coordinate environmental permitting with state and local agencies (solid waste permits, air quality, stormwater, odor management plans)
- Design & Engineering Coordination: Direct process, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering teams to finalize construction-ready drawing packages and technical specs.
- Financial & Schedule Control: Track project budgets, cash flow forecasting, and critical path schedules using internal cost controls.
- Procurement & Contracting: Manage capital equipment purchasing, vendor bidding, and subcontracts negotiation for specialized plant machinery
What You Bring
- 7+ years of industrial project management experience, with at least 3–5 years specifically leading EPC delivery for process plants, biogas, or waste-to-energy facilities.
- Working knowledge of state solid waste permitting and siting requirements, including siting on inactive landfills or other constrained sites
- Familiarity with odor control, leachate management, and stormwater considerations specific to organics processing
- Project management skills across budget, schedule, and multi-stakeholder coordination
- Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering, civil engineering, environmental science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- Experience working on facilities on closed/inactive landfills, including cap integrity and post-closure care requirements
- Knowledge of anaerobic digestion biogas upgrading and pipeline or vehicle-fuel interconnection
- Familiarity with local zoning and community engagement processes for waste-adjacent land uses
The annual salary midpoint for this role is $128,000. We consider many factors when determining the actual hiring salary. These factors may include location, transferable skills, work experience, licensure and certification, business needs, internal equity, and market demands.
Pepper Construction is dedicated to offering our employees a comprehensive and best-in-class benefits package that prioritizes their physical, financial, and emotional well-being. We offer medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance plans, a generous 401k match, and a student loan repayment benefit. In addition to paid time off for company holidays, vacation, and personal days, Pepper offers fully paid medical and parental leave, mental health services, and more.
For additional information, visit www.pepperconstruction.com
Pepper Construction is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome all qualified applicants and encourage veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses to apply. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Pepper Construction Chicago, Illinois, USA Office
Chicago, IL, United States
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