Custom Campervan Project Manager

Arvada, CO

Full Time

Manager/Supervisor

About Vanlife Customs

Vanlife Customs was founded in 2016 in a backyard in Boulder. Since then, we’ve grown into a 15,000-square-foot facility with a team of 15 dedicated professionals, all committed to building bespoke vehicles that elevate our customers’ travel experience.

Our mission is simple but powerful: We transform standard vehicles into the nation’s best custom mobile bases—whether for business or adventure. Through expert craftsmanship, honest guidance, and meticulous attention to detail, we deliver custom solutions designed to go anywhere and perform everywhere.

We specialize in highly customized campervan builds, van upgrades, and remodels. With close to 200 vans built and hundreds serviced, our experience gives us deep insight into what works best for life on the road. Our team thrives on collaboration, problem-solving, and pushing the boundaries of design and engineering to craft vans that are as functional as they are beautiful.

About the Role

We are looking for a full-time Project Manager to join our experienced team and help us bring custom van builds to life from design through delivery.

You will oversee every stage of the process—planning, coordination, execution, and customer communication—while ensuring timelines, budgets, and quality standards are met.

This is a cross-functional role that requires project management experience and a strong understanding of shop environments, mechanical systems, and team dynamics.

Vanlife Customs offers a dynamic, supportive work environment and a one-of-a-kind company culture. We’re committed to training and investing in our team to help them grow and succeed.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Logistics and Support
- Develop and manage project budgets, including tracking labor time, material, and overhead costs.
- Develop detailed project schedules and production plans in coordination with engineering, design and production team
- Develop order lists and purchase orders to procure all materials and components for upcoming full builds
- Coordinate between different departments including design, engineering, purchasing and assembly
- Track deliveries / inventory components prior to build starting
- Lead weekly status meetings with assembly technicians
- Perform weekly QA and progress inspections on all projects
- Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality
Sales and Marketing
- Work closely with the sales team to align customer expectations with production capabilities, helping transition projects smoothly from pipeline to execution
- Collaborate with the sales/estimating team to ensure accurate project estimates; provide technical insight to help tailor solutions to client needs
Client Communication & Support
- Serve as the primary point of contact for clients throughout the build for questions and weekly updates on projects
- Provide regular updates, gather feedback, manage and resolve design / build issues
- Provide a quality customer experience when we deliver new vehicles to customers by reviewing installed systems, best practices and general education.
Documentation and Reporting
- Maintain accurate project documentation including schedules, change orders, and issue logs
- Track and report on key project metrics including timeline adherence, budget variance, quality scores, and resource utilization
- Develop design and build documentation with our lead designer, lead builder and engineering team
- Collaborate with production and engineering on post-project reviews and implement process improvements
Build Support
- Coordinate between different departments including design, engineering, purchasing and assembly about parts request and upcoming builds
- Set and communicate project goals, design intent and details with technicians
- Organize and allocate supplies / components for builds
- Resolve design issues with technicians and the design team during builds
- Co-ordinate fabrication priorities and allocate resources as needed
- Lead project meetings and ensure all team members are aligned on goals and updates
- Assist with the training, support, and motivation of team members to meet deadlines and quality expectations
- Ensure project milestones include appropriate quality checks and assist with inspections as needed
- Oversee the day-to-day execution of production tasks

Required Skills & Experience

3-5+ years of project management experience, ideally in a manufacturing, fabrication, or custom-building environment
Advanced knowledge in Google Workspace, Asana, Airtable (or similar tools)
Understanding of mechanical and/or electrical systems (12/24/48v DC & 120/240v AC)
Experience managing multiple concurrent projects from start to finish.
Effective communication both verbal and written that clearly communicates with team members, clients, and vendors; able to give and receive feedback in a constructive, professional manner
Experience engaging with clients to discuss timelines, budgets, progress updates, and potential challenges; capable of clearly explaining complex or technical concepts
Willing and able to make informed decisions, delegating tasks, and adapting to changing priorities by taking on various roles as needed
Proven experience coordinating with vendors and suppliers, including managing pricing, purchase orders, and lead times
Skilled in developing and implementing project management processes and systems
Self-Starter that takes initiative and drives projects forward independently; able to stay focused and productive without constant oversight
Highly detail-oriented with a proactive, solution-driven approach that demonstrates ownership of tasks and responsibilities, ensuring no detail is overlooked
Maintain a safe, clean, and tidy work space; Vanlife Customs takes pride in our company image

Preferred

Familiarity with quality control and project documentation
Hands-on experience in a shop or manufacturing environment
Bachelor’s degree in project management, engineering, construction management, or a related field
Experience in a custom van, RV, or vehicle build environment

Reporting Structure & Collaboration

Reports to: General Manager
Collaborates with: Customers, production, design, engineering and purchasing

Work Environment & Expectations

Location: On-site at Vanlife Customs facility in Arvada CO
Schedule: Full-time, standard business hours with some flexibility
Work setting: Combination of office and shop floor environment

Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $80,000-95,000
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
Paid Holidays
Paid Time Off

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Earliest start date?

Describe a time when you had to juggle multiple urgent priorities with competing deadlines. How did you decide what to tackle first, and how did you keep everything moving forward?

Tell us about your experience managing projects in manufacturing, fabrication, or custom building environments. What unique challenges did you face, and how did those experiences prepare you for this role?

Tell us about a situation where you discovered a significant problem midway through a project. How did you handle communicating this to stakeholders while maintaining their confidence?

When working with a team member who consistently misses deadlines or quality standards, how do you approach the conversation and motivate them to improve?

Describe your natural working style. Are you someone who thrives on structure and detailed planning, or do you prefer flexibility and adapting on the fly? How do you balance both when needed?

Think of a time when a client had unrealistic expectations or kept changing their requirements. How did you manage their expectations while maintaining a positive relationship?

In a fast-paced shop environment where things can get chaotic, how do you stay organized and ensure important details don’t slip through the cracks?

Walk us through your most challenging project management experience. What made it difficult, and what specific skills or approaches helped you see it through to completion?

How do you handle criticism or pushback from team members when you need to enforce deadlines, budgets, or quality standards?

Tell us about a time when you went above and beyond to solve a problem or help a teammate, even when it wasn’t technically your responsibility.

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Vanlife Customs has grown rapidly over the last 6 years, and we pride ourselves on being an inclusive family of team players.