Director, Construction API

Responsibilities

• Serve as the owner’s senior construction leader responsible for execution of all site construction activities.
• Lead the owner’s construction management organization including construction managers, field engineers, and site supervision.
• Provide governance and oversight of EPC/CM contractors and trade contractors to ensure alignment with project objectives.
• Establish construction execution strategies, site procedures, and performance expectations.
• Ensure effective coordination between engineering, procurement, construction, CQV, and operations teams.
• Drive accountability across contractors to meet project commitments.
• Champion a Zero Incident safety culture consistent with corporate EHS standards and ensure full compliance with OSHA regulations and corporate safety management systems.
• Oversee contractor safety programs, audits, and incident investigations.
• Lead proactive hazard identification and mitigation initiatives across all construction activities.
• Monitor safety performance and implement corrective actions where necessary.
• Provide executive oversight of the integrated master project schedule with emphasis on construction milestones and critical path activities.
• Ensure contractors develop and maintain realistic and achievable schedules aligned with project objectives.
• Monitor progress, productivity, and performance metrics.
• Lead schedule risk assessments and mitigation strategies.
• Implement schedule recovery plans where necessary.
• Maintain oversight of construction budgets, commitments, and cost forecasts with accurate cost reporting and financial transparency across contractors.
• Monitor cost performance against approved capital authorization by identifying cost risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Drive value engineering and cost optimization initiatives where available.
• Lead the construction change management process in accordance with corporate capital governance procedures.
• Review and evaluate contractor change requests and claims, Negotiate commercial impacts and ensure proper documentation, maintain governance and control over construction costs throughout the project.
• Lead construction risk reviews with project leadership and contractors, Maintain a construction risk register and ensure mitigation strategies are implemented and develop contingency plans for critical construction risks.
• Ensure construction execution meets project specifications, corporate engineering standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Support construction readiness for commissioning, qualification, and validation (CQV) activities.
• Ensure proper documentation, inspections, and testing in accordance with quality systems.
• Coordinate closely with Quality Assurance, CQV, and validation teams to support regulatory readiness.
• Ensure construction activities support timely turnover to commissioning and qualification teams.
• Carefully coordinate system completion, mechanical completion, and turnover documentation while supporting startup readiness and operational handover planning.
• Support capital governance processes including stage-gate approvals and project reviews.
• Provide regular reporting to senior leadership on safety, schedule, cost, risk, and construction performance.

Qualifications

• BS, Engineering or equivalent technical degree required.
• 20+ years of experience as a construction leader, preferably in the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States.
• Proven leadership experience in construction management of mega-capital projects ($500MM+).
• Proven inclusive management and leadership capabilities of large cross-functional teams and the ability to effectively interact and communicate with senior leadership and executives from strategic partners and authorities.
• Demonstrated experience managing Engineering, EPC/EPCM contractors and global equipment vendors.
• Results-oriented leadership with outstanding negotiation skills and risk-based decision making is required.