Senior Director, Construction Management

Burlington NC, Indianapolis, IN or Durham, NC

The Senior Director, Construction Management provides strategic leadership for enterprise‑wide construction initiatives, overseeing new builds, major renovations, and large‑scale fit‑outs across a diverse real estate portfolio. This role ensures projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget, while embedding industry’s best practices and aligning construction execution with the organization’s capital strategy and governance framework.

• Lead the strategic planning and execution of construction programs, including ground-up builds and complex interior fit-outs across office, laboratory, and clinical environments.

• Translate enterprise capital plans into executable construction strategies aligned with cost, schedule, quality, and business objectives.

• Develop long-range construction roadmaps that support organizational growth, portfolio optimization, and operational efficiency.

• Establish and drive standardized construction delivery models (e.g., Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, CM at Risk, Integrated Project Delivery).

• Oversee all construction management activities across the portfolio, ensuring consistent execution excellence and adherence to enterprise standards.

• Lead teams responsible for project delivery, site management, contractor oversight, and construction administration.

• Set expectations for:

  • Constructability reviews

  • Site logistics planning

  • Labor productivity and workforce planning

  • Contractor performance management

• Implement robust project controls including scheduling (CPM), cost management, forecasting, and change control.

• Oversee preconstruction activities including feasibility analysis, budgeting, estimating, value engineering, and risk assessments.

• Ensure strong front-end planning and stage-gate discipline prior to project authorization.

• Partner with design and engineering teams to ensure alignment between design intent, cost targets, and construction feasibility.

• Champion early contractor involvement and collaborative planning processes.

• Establish and lead adoption of construction management standards aligned with industry frameworks such as:

  • PMBOK (Project Management Institute)

  • Construction Industry Institute (CII) best practices

  • OSHA safety standards

  • Local, state, and federal building codes

• Drive adoption of modern construction methodologies including:

  • Lean construction

  • Building Information Modeling (BIM)

  • Prefabrication and modular construction

  • Digital project management tools

• Standardize documentation, reporting, and project delivery processes across all projects.

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture across all projects, ensuring proactive safety planning and enforcement.

• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, environmental, and quality standards.

• Provide visibility into portfolio-level risks (i.e. schedule, cost, constructability, external factors) and mitigation strategies to senior leadership

• Lead incident investigations and continuous improvement initiatives in safety performance.

• Manage construction budgets across a large, multi-project portfolio, ensuring cost discipline and accountability.

• Develop and implement sourcing strategies and contracting frameworks to optimize cost, quality, and delivery timelines.

• Oversee contractor prequalification, selection, negotiation, and performance evaluation.

• Drive transparency in cost reporting, forecasting, and financial performance tracking.

• Partner with internal stakeholders including Real Estate, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Procurement to ensure alignment on project objectives.

• Influence cross-functional decision-making related to project delivery, sequencing, and execution strategy

• Serve as the primary construction leader and advisor interfacing with external partners including architects, engineers, contractors, and regulatory authorities.

• Provide executive-level reporting on project portfolio performance, risks, and outcomes.

• Ensure robust commissioning processes to validate system performance and operational readiness.

• Oversee project closeout activities including punch lists, documentation, warranties, and turnover to operations.

• Integrate lessons learned into future project planning and execution.

• Lead and develop high-performing construction management teams across geographies.

• Build organizational capability in construction management, project delivery, and technical disciplines

• Establish clear performance expectations, development pathways, and succession planning.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related discipline

• 12 or more years of experience in construction management, including large‑scale new builds and complex fit‑outs for industrial or commercial properties

• 8 or more years of experience leading large, multi‑project construction portfolios and diverse teams

• 5 or more years of experience managing construction projects in highly regulated or complex environments (healthcare, laboratories, industrial, corporate real estate)

• Master’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related discipline

• Professional certifications such as PMP (Project Management Professional), CCM (Certified Construction Manager), or PE (Professional Engineer)

• 3 or more years of experience implementing Lean Construction and BIM methodologies

• Strong familiarity with advanced construction technologies and digital project management tools

• Deep expertise in construction project delivery methods and industry standards

• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and lifecycle cost analysis

• Exceptional leadership and team‑building capabilities, with proven success developing high‑performing teams

• Strategic thinking combined with disciplined execution across complex, multi‑project portfolios

• Advanced risk management and problem‑solving skills in dynamic construction environments

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with ability to influence cross‑functional decisions

• Demonstrated ability to manage complexity across multiple concurrent projects

• Strong influencing skills across diverse stakeholder groups

• Willingness to travel up to 25%

• Comfortable working in vivarium environments

Benefits: Employees regularly scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week are eligible for comprehensive benefits including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, STD/LTD, 401(k), Paid Time Off (PTO) or Flexible Time Off (FTO), Tuition Reimbursement and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Employees regularly scheduled to work less than 20 hours, Casual, Intern, and Temporary employees are only eligible to participate in the 401(k) Plan. Employees who are regularly scheduled to work a 7 on/7 off schedule are eligible to receive all the foregoing benefits except PTO or FTO. For more detailed information, please