Associate Director - Construction Advisory Services

HKA • Chicago, IL

9d • $145,000 - $235,000

About The Position

HKA is seeking an experienced Associate Director to support the growth of its Construction Advisory Services (CAS) practice. This role is designed for a consulting professional with expertise in construction audit, capital program management, governance, process improvement, project controls, and technology enablement who is ready to lead complex client engagements and develop into a future practice leader. The Associate Director will be responsible for managing and delivering advisory engagements focused on construction audits, cost recovery reviews, contract compliance assessments, capital program diagnostics, governance and controls evaluations, PMO enhancement initiatives, and project management information system (PMIS) optimization efforts. The role primarily supports HKA's Audit and Business Process service pillars while working closely with technology-enabled project delivery initiatives. This position offers the opportunity to work directly with owners, developers, public agencies, universities, healthcare systems, hospitality organizations, and other capital project stakeholders to improve project outcomes, strengthen controls, and enhance overall program performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Business, Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 6+ years of experience in construction consulting, construction audit, capital program management, project controls, PMO, owner's representation, construction management, or related advisory services.
• Experience leading workstreams or managing construction and capital project engagements.
• Strong understanding of construction contracts, cost management and project controls, change management processes, capital program governance, risk management frameworks, construction operations and project delivery, internal controls and compliance, and process improvement methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and client relationships simultaneously.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.

Nice To Haves

• Extensive experience in consulting support healthcare, higher education, hospitality, aviation, infrastructure, manufacturing, or public-sector capital programs.
• Experience supporting PMIS implementation or project controls transformation initiatives.
• Experience preparing proposals and participating in business development activities.
• Familiarity with construction analytics and reporting tools.
• Experience with tools such as Procore, Primavera P6, Oracle Primavera Unifier, Kahua, e-Builder, SmartPM, Power BI, or similar platforms.
• CCA (Certified Construction Auditor) – National Association of Construction Auditors (NACA)
• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• CCM (Certified Construction Manager)
• CPA (Certified Public Accountant)
• PSP (Planning & Scheduling Professional)
• CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)
• Lean Six Sigma Certification
• MBA

Responsibilities

• Lead high-quality advisory engagements focused on construction audit, compliance, governance, and business process improvement.
• Build trusted relationships with project teams, capital program leaders, facilities executives, and client stakeholders.
• Deliver actionable recommendations that improve project outcomes and organizational performance.
• Mentor junior staff and contribute to a collaborative team culture.
• Support account growth and business development activities.
• Develop the technical, client management, and commercial skills necessary to advance into a Director-level leadership role.
• Lead day-to-day delivery of construction advisory engagements across a variety of industries and project types.
• Serve as the primary client contact for assigned engagements.
• Facilitate executive and project-level workshops, interviews, assessments, and presentations.
• Develop practical recommendations that improve project performance, governance, compliance, controls, and reporting.
• Manage project schedules, budgets, staffing plans, and deliverable quality.
• Lead multiple concurrent engagements while maintaining exceptional client service.
• Lead or support engagements involving construction audits, cost recovery reviews, contract compliance reviews, change order evaluations, GMP and pre-construction reviews, pay application and audits, fraud, waste, and abuse reviews, construction risk assessments, independent project assurance reviews, and internal controls assessments.
• Lead or support engagements involving process and controls assessments, capital program diagnostics, project and program governance reviews, PMO assessments and enhancement, organizational and project team assessments, capital planning and portfolio management assessments, program management framework development, change management initiatives, and operational effectiveness reviews.
• Support clients in leveraging technology to improve capital project delivery, including PMIS maturity assessments, PMIS selection support, PMIS implementation and optimization initiatives, project controls reporting enhancements, dashboard and analytics development, data governance assessments, and construction reporting and performance management improvements.
• Lead engagement teams consisting of consultants and senior consultants.
• Coach, mentor, and develop junior professionals.
• Review work products and ensure consistency with HKA quality standards.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, and training activities.
• Contribute to methodology development and knowledge sharing across the practice.
• Assist with proposal development and client presentations.
• Participate in business development and account expansion activities.
• Identify opportunities for additional services within existing client engagements.
• Support development of thought leadership, marketing materials, and conference presentations.
• Contribute to the continued growth of the Construction Advisory Services practice.

Benefits

• A strong collaborative culture with a mutual pursuit of your success alongside the success of our teams.
• The opportunity to solve problems creatively, contribute to our innovative direction, and be valued as an individual.
• The ability to leverage HKA’s strong network and presence in various industries and reputation for exceptional expert witnesses to accelerate career development and connections.
• Compensation: HKA offers a salary range of $145,000 - $235,000 annually for this role.
• An inclusive and collaborative culture aimed at providing the best opportunities for our people to thrive and develop in their chosen career path.
• An authentic candidate experience for all those who take the time to apply to HKA.
• An efficient and insightful recruitment process giving candidates a true reflection of life at HKA.
• A welcoming environment for all of our employees.
• Continued improvement of our fairness and equality strategy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior