Manufacturing Project Manager

Project Manager – Scenic Fabrication & Custom Manufacturing

Portal Scenic is looking for an experienced Project Manager to take ownership of custom fabrication projects from planning through production, delivery, and installation.

We design and build large-scale themed environments, mini-golf courses, scenic elements, dimensional props, photo opportunities, and other one-of-a-kind fabricated experiences.

This is not simply a project coordinator or task-management position. We need someone who understands how to build and manage a real production scheduleconnecting tasks, labor, resources, dependencies, materials, subcontractors, and deadlines.

What You’ll Do

Own the Project Schedule

You’ll create and maintain detailed schedules covering design, 3D modeling, fabrication, CNC/robotic production, sculpting, hard coating, finishing, painting, assembly, shipping, and installation.

For every project, you should be able to answer:

• What needs to happen?
• Who is responsible?
• How long will it take?
• What has to happen first?
• What resources are required?
• Are those resources actually available?
• Are we on track to meet the committed deadline?

A list of tasks is not a project schedule. We are looking for someone who understands the difference.

Plan Labor & Resources

You’ll work closely with our Production Manager and fabrication team to:

• Obtain realistic labor and duration estimates
• Build resource-loaded project schedules
• Match available employees and subcontractors to scheduled work
• Identify labor shortages and resource conflicts
• Track planned progress against actual production
• Identify bottlenecks before they affect deadlines
• Recommend overtime, additional staffing, subcontracting, outsourcing, or schedule changes when necessary
• Develop recovery plans when projects fall behind

Work With Production

Our Project Manager owns the overall project plan, schedule, resources, dependencies, and deadlines.

Our Production Manager owns day-to-day execution on the shop floor.

You’ll work closely together to make sure the master schedule reflects what is actually happening in production and that problems are identified early.

Manage Subcontractors & Vendors

You’ll coordinate outside designers, engineers, artists, fabricators, suppliers, and subcontractors.

You’ll establish deliverables and deadlines, follow up on outstanding items, resolve questions, and make sure outside work stays aligned with the overall project schedule.

Coordinate Materials, Shipping & Installation

You’ll work backward from required completion and installation dates to make sure:

• Materials are available when production needs them
• Long-lead items are identified early
• Client decisions and approvals don’t create bottlenecks
• Fabrication milestones are met
• Shipping dates are protected
• Installation crews, travel, equipment, and site requirements are coordinated

What We’re Looking For

We strongly prefer project-management experience involving physical production, including backgrounds such as:

• Custom or scenic fabrication
• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Themed entertainment
• Exhibit fabrication
• Architectural fabrication
• Millwork
• Sign fabrication
• Entertainment production

We’re particularly interested in candidates with experience in:

• Resource-loaded scheduling
• Labor and capacity planning
• Critical paths and dependencies
• Managing multiple simultaneous projects
• Production scheduling
• Vendor and subcontractor management
• Schedule recovery
• Project-management and scheduling software

How We Define Good Project Management

We don’t want to discover that a project is three weeks behind when we’re already three weeks behind.

A successful Project Manager identifies the problem early and can tell us:

“Based on our current production rate and available resources, we’re projecting a three-week shortfall. Here’s what’s causing it, here are our options, and here’s the additional resource plan required to recover the schedule.”

We’re looking for someone who is proactive rather than reactive.

You’ll Be Successful Here If You Are

• Highly organized
• Comfortable taking ownership
• Proactive about identifying problems
• Comfortable holding people accountable
• Persistent about getting answers
• Able to work directly with fabricators and production employees
• Comfortable managing multiple changing priorities
• Solutions-oriented
• Able to communicate problems early
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced custom fabrication environment

Compensation & Benefits

Position: Full-time

Location: Ferndale, Washington

Benefits include:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance

About Portal Scenic

Portal Scenic creates immersive scenic environments and custom fabricated experiences for entertainment and commercial clients.

Our projects combine creative design, advanced fabrication, skilled craftsmanship, and technology to turn ambitious ideas into physical experiences.

DREAM IT. WE BUILD IT.