Dir. Projects & Programs, Retail

Cushman & Wakefield • New York, NY

23h • Hybrid

About The Position

Position Summary The Director of Project and Programs, Retail- leads a portfolio of projects and a team of Project Managers and Senior Project Managers to deliver end to end real estate solutions. The Director is accountable for team performance, client satisfaction, operational excellence, and financial outcomes across the portfolio—ensuring projects meet scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives while fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive project management experience, including 3+ years managing teams and portfolios.
• Expertise in client relations, consulting, and stakeholder management; proven ability to lead in complex environments.
• Advanced financial acumen: budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, and profitability management for multi‑project portfolios.
• Strong capability in contract negotiation, vendor management, and risk mitigation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to present to executive audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Professional certifications (e.g., PMP, CCM, PE, RA, LEED AP).
• Experience leading programs across multiple sites and geographies.
• Background in Financial Services, infrastructure, Critical environments, or other technically complex sectors.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & People Management Directly manage PMs and Sr PMs, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance evaluations, succession planning, and corrective actions as needed. Define clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations; set team goals and align individual objectives to business priorities. Create a culture of safety, accountability, inclusivity, and high performance; recognize achievements and address performance gaps promptly. Develop career paths and training programs to enhance team capabilities
• Portfolio Delivery & Operational Excellence Own delivery outcomes across the portfolio; drive consistency in project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closeout. Establish and enforce standardized processes and best practices (charter, risk register, RACI, QA/QC, lessons learned) Lead resource planning and allocation across concurrent projects; balance workload and adjust staffing based on demand. Enable proactive issue identification and resolution; remove roadblocks and escalate risks appropriately. Participate and represent project management with procurement team coordination for vendor management (RFQ/RFP, selection, contracting, performance) in partnership with procurement and legal.
• Client & Stakeholder Management Serve as executive point of contact for key clients with in respective office or retail client orgs; translate business objectives into actionable delivery plans. Lead governance routines (quarterly reviews) and ensure transparent communication. Champion client satisfaction; implement feedback loops and corrective action plans to address gaps. Partner with internal functions (Finance, HR, Legal, Procurement, HSE, Technology) to align on goals and deliverables.
• Financial & Risk Management Accountable for portfolio financials: budget creation, monthly forecasts, cash flow, cost‑to‑complete, variance analysis, and profitability. Accountable to ensure all project management fee’s are calculated correctly at project onset when budget is established and collected as project close out. Implement robust change control and contingency management; validate, negotiate, and approve change orders. Develop and maintain integrated master schedules; monitor critical path; ensure recovery plans when deviations arise. Maintain comprehensive risk registers; perform risk/benefit analyses and mitigation plans across projects.
• Governance, Quality & Compliance Establish QA/QC standards and conduct periodic audits of project documentation, estimates, schedules, and contracts. Ensure adherence to company policies, procedures, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements (permitting, safety, environmental). Manage health, safety, and environmental (HSE) expectations; champion a zero‑incident culture. Ensure all required client and company training is completed in a timely manner.
• Business Development & Growth Identify and pursue growth opportunities with client stakeholders; contribute to proposals, pricing, and solutioning. Provide market insights and partner with senior leadership to shape regional strategy, capability investments, and go‑to‑market plans. Ensure all net zero sustainability opportunities are identified during project and program development.
• Technology, Data & Reporting Drive adoption of PDS technology platforms and PM tools; ensure data integrity and standardized reporting. Define and maintain portfolio dashboards; analyze performance trends and lead continuous improvement initiatives. Leverage analytics to predict risks, optimize resource usage, and improve schedule and cost performance.

Benefits

• Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work.
• In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

What This Job Offers

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