Director, Construction - Real Estate Development

Job Description

The Construction Executive (Owner’s Representative) leads construction strategy execution and governance for a large-scale, multi-phase development program. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading overall construction strategy and execution across a multi-phase development program.
• Serving as the owner’s executive representative with general contractors, consultants, and field teams.
• Establishing and enforcing standards for construction delivery, including governance, reporting, project controls, procurement oversight, risk management, and performance tracking.
• Providing executive oversight of cost management, including budgeting, forecasting, contingency management, cash flow, change management, and mitigation of cost escalation risks.
• Led strategic contracting and procurement approaches, including delivery model selection, bid packaging strategy, negotiation of major agreements, and oversight of contractual compliance and commercial performance.
• Overseeing integration and coordination of complex building systems, ensuring execution aligns with technical standards and operational requirements and design intent.
• Guiding successful commissioning, turnover, and operational readiness, occupancy readiness, and closeout activities.
• Leading, developing, and mentoring construction leadership teams, including senior managers, construction managers, and specialist leads.
• Driving alignment across Development, Design, Finance, and external stakeholders, ensuring coordinated execution and clear communication of priorities, constraints, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Presenting complex issues to executive stakeholders with clear analysis of cost, schedule, and quality impacts, operational impacts, and risk exposure, along with recommended paths forward and recovery strategies to support decision-making.
• Fostering a high-performance, collaborative environment while maintaining clear ownership and accountability for construction outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong executive leadership and decision-making capabilities in complex, high-value construction environments.
• Advanced financial and commercial acumen with the ability to manage budgets, forecasts, and cost controls, contingencies, and change management at scale.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity, manage risk, and drive results in high-pressure environments while making decisions under pressure and driving accountability in high-performance environments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to influence and challenge senior leaders and external partners, contractors, and consultants.
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field required.
• 10+ years of progressive construction leadership experience with demonstrated accountability for large-scale projects including commercial, institutional, mixed-use, hospitality, campus, and high-rise developments.
• Proven track record of delivering complex, mixed-use or high-rise developments in urban environments.
• Experience leading projects valued at $500M+ through the full lifecycle from preconstruction through closeout.
• Background working with institutional owners, nationally recognized developers, or major commercial general contractors.

Additional Requirements

• Experience in lieu of education: Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements.
• Relevant certifications such as OSHA 30, PMP, CCM, or similar professional credentials including DBIA or LEED preferred.
• 20+ years of experience.

Travel

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

Position & Application Details

• Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.
• To apply, interested candidates should submit an application online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.