Project Coordinator, Real Estate Expansion

Department: PMO, Real Estate Expansion

Location: Remote with travel to branch sites

Reports to: Project Manager - Real Estate Expansion

Travel: Up to 25% travel

About NEFCO: NEFCO is a specialty construction supply distributor serving professional contractors from 85+ locations nationwide, headquartered in East Hartford, CT. We are growing fast through a hub-and-spoke network, with a number of new branches, fulfillment centers and relocations planned for 2027.

Job summary: The Project Coordinator keeps new branch openings on schedule, from signed lease through go-live. You will track leases, permits and launch readiness across multiple concurrent sites working with Real Estate, Facilities, Operations, IT, Finance and our turnkey construction partner.

Responsibilities

• Track lease critical dates, landlord tenant improvement work, and consent packages for every active site.
• Research & administer permits per site (building, racking, fire, certificate of occupancy) and escalate stalled items early.
• Research & confirm jurisdiction requirements before business license filing, and maintain a jurisdiction log per dept.
• Maintain launch schedules in Smartsheet from lease execution through post-launch stabilization.
• Manage the turnkey construction partner day to day: schedule reviews, milestone tracking and deliverable checks.
• Prepare and run the weekly execution and planning forums, and drive action items to close.
• Drive internal readiness with IT, Operations, Sales, Finance, HR and Safety, including branch setup handoffs.
• Lead go-live readiness reviews and the handoff to branch operations.
• Escalate contract, cost and schedule risks early, with options and a recommendation.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years in branch expansion, site or store development, construction project coordination, or lease and permit administration.
• Has launched new branches, stores or sites, ideally 10 or more concurrent locations.
• Working knowledge of commercial leases, tenant improvements, and the permit and certificate of occupancy process.
• Proficiency in Smartsheet or a similar tool, plus Excel.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Preferred:

• Branch expansion experience at a building products or industrial distributor.
• Retail or commercial interiors construction experience.
• Warehouse, industrial or distribution facility experience.

Key skills

• Precise follow-through: dates, documents and open items get closed, not just logged.
• Comfortable calling landlords, municipalities and vendors directly.
• Holds a vendor to dates while keeping the working relationship productive.
• Clear, short written updates, and escalates early.