Executive Director of Capital Planning and Modernization

About the role

The Executive Director of Capital Planning & Modernization provides enterprise-level leadership, strategic direction, and owner governance for Portland Public Schools’ capital improvement and school modernization portfolio and executive oversight of the District’s real estate, planning and design, and non-capital construction functions. Reporting to the Senior Chief of Operations, the Executive Director serves as the District’s senior owner representative for voter-approved capital programs, ensuring that significant public investments advance District priorities, educational and operational needs, long-range facility strategy, and commitments made to voters and the community. The Executive Director holds external program managers and other major partners accountable for performance and ensures appropriate District oversight of portfolio scope, budget, schedule, quality, risk, compliance, and outcomes. The role also provides executive oversight of the District’s real estate portfolio, planning and design activities, and non-capital construction program, advising executive leadership and the Board of Education on complex capital and real estate decisions, emerging risks, competing priorities, and long-term investment strategies.

Representative duties

• Capital Strategy & Portfolio Governance
  • Provide executive leadership for the District’s capital improvement and school modernization portfolio, establishing strategic priorities, governance frameworks, performance expectations, and decision-making structures aligned with District goals, long-range facility needs, and commitments to voters and the community.
  • Translate District strategy and facility needs into an integrated capital investment strategy; advise executive leadership and the Board on priorities, sequencing, affordability, tradeoffs, and long-term implications of major capital decisions.
  • Govern portfolio performance and risk across projects, establishing measures and escalation thresholds for scope, schedule, budget, contingency, quality, compliance, and other key outcomes; direct corrective strategies when performance deviates from expectations.
  • Evaluate significant changes to project scope, budgets, sequencing, delivery strategies, and capital priorities; make or recommend decisions within delegated authority and elevate consequential matters to executive leadership or the Board.
• Owner Representation & External Program Manager Accountability
  • Serve as the District’s executive owner representative and primary executive accountable for oversight and performance of the external Owner’s Representative/Program Manager portfolio of work.
  • Establish clear roles, decision rights, deliverables, performance expectations, and accountability among the District, Owner’s Representative/Program Manager, architects, engineers, contractors, and other capital program partners.
  • Evaluate the Owner’s Representative/Program Manager against contractual obligations and District expectations for cost, schedule, forecasting, risk, project controls, quality, reporting, and overall program performance.
  • Maintain sufficient independent District oversight to critically evaluate external recommendations, assumptions, forecasts, and risks; establish escalation protocols and require corrective or recovery actions when significant performance concerns arise.
• Bond Governance, Financial Stewardship & Board Accountability
  • Provide executive governance and stewardship of voter-approved capital programs, ensuring bond resources are administered transparently and consistent with voter authorization, Board direction, applicable law, District policy, and public commitments.
  • Oversee capital program financial performance, including master budgets, forecasts, expenditures, contingencies, cost trends, and emerging financial exposure; ensure appropriate District review, reconciliation, and internal controls.
  • Advise executive leadership and the Board on significant capital financial and program decisions, including scope changes, budget reallocations, use of contingency, emerging funding gaps, and strategies necessary to maintain portfolio integrity.
  • Identify and communicate significant financial, contractual, operational, schedule, compliance, and reputational risks; direct mitigation strategies that protect public resources and District interests.
  • Provide accurate and transparent capital reporting and present complex recommendations and decision items to the Superintendent, executive leadership, Board of Education, Bond Accountability Committee, auditors, and other oversight bodies.
• Real Estate, Planning & Design, and Non-Capital Construction Oversight (25%)
  • Provide executive oversight of the District’s real estate portfolio, planning and design, and non-capital construction functions, ensuring these programs align with District priorities, facility needs, financial stewardship, and long-term asset strategy.
  • Direct, through assigned leadership, District real estate activities including acquisition, disposition, leasing, licensing, easements, property agreements, due diligence, and property evaluation; advise executive leadership and the Board on significant property strategies and transactions.
  • Provide executive direction for planning and design functions, ensuring consistent application of District facility, educational, accessibility, sustainability, safety, and operational standards across capital and non-capital projects.
  • Oversee the non-capital construction program through assigned leadership, establishing priorities and ensuring projects are appropriately scoped, funded, procured, delivered, and coordinated with schools, Facilities, and other District stakeholders.
• Executive Leadership & Future Capital Readiness
  • Serve as the District’s senior strategic advisor on capital planning, modernization, real estate, and major facility investment, providing executive leadership that extends beyond any individual bond program or construction project.
  • Lead planning for future capital investment and bond programs, assessing long-term facility needs, funding requirements, market conditions, delivery capacity, organizational readiness, and lessons learned from current programs.
  • Anticipate emerging capital, real estate, regulatory, market, and delivery risks and opportunities; advise District leadership regarding long-term implications and strategies and lead through significant transitions in the capital and facility portfolio.
  • Advance the District’s Racial Educational Equity Initiative and related Board policies, ensuring capital, modernization, real estate, and facility investment decisions consider impacts on historically underserved students, schools, and communities.

Employment standards

• Knowledge of:
  • Executive leadership, organizational governance, strategic planning, and performance management in large, complex organizations.
  • Capital portfolio strategy, long-range facility planning, bond governance, and stewardship of significant public investments.
  • Owner governance and oversight of large capital programs delivered through external owner’s representatives, program managers, architects, engineers, construction managers, contractors, and other professional partners.
  • Public-sector capital budgeting, forecasting, program controls, risk management, internal controls, contracting, procurement, financial reporting, and audit practices.
  • K–12 facility planning, modernization, design and construction, lifecycle asset management, and non-capital facility improvement programs.
  • Public-sector real estate portfolio management, including acquisition, disposition, leasing, property agreements, due diligence, and related legal and financial considerations.
  • Laws, regulations, codes, Board policies, and public accountability requirements applicable to public capital programs, construction, and real estate.
  • Board governance and effective communication of complex capital, financial, contractual, and risk information to executive leaders, elected officials, oversight bodies, and the public.
  • Political, community, educational, financial, and operational considerations associated with major capital and real estate decisions in a diverse urban school district.
  • Principles of effective organizational leadership, supervision, talent development, change leadership, equity, and stakeholder engagement.

Education and experience

• Required: A Master’s degree in architecture, engineering, construction management, business administration, public administration, planning, finance, or a related field is required.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in capital planning, capital program management, facilities development, design and construction, or public infrastructure, including significant leadership responsibility for large, complex capital programs, portfolios, budgets (in the hundreds of millions), contracts, and professional teams is required.
• Experience providing executive oversight of an external owner’s representative, program manager, construction manager, or comparable professional-services partner is required.
• Preferred: Experience leading capital programs in a school district, municipality, state or local government, higher education institution, or other complex public agency is strongly preferred.
• Professional certification or licensure relevant to capital program leadership, architecture, engineering, construction management, project/program management, or public-sector facilities leadership is strongly preferred.