Director, Construction Services

University of Memphis•Memphis, TN

About The Position

The Director of Construction Services provides strategic leadership, oversight, and management of the University's capital construction, renovation, infrastructure renewal, and deferred maintenance programs. The position directs construction administration, commissioning, occupancy, and project closeout across a diverse portfolio of academic, research, housing, athletic, healthcare, utility, and support facilities. As a member of the Facilities Management leadership team, the Director establishes project delivery standards, oversees construction personnel, and manages consultant and contractor relationships. The role oversees institutional, state-funded, grant-funded, donor-funded, and auxiliary-funded projects, ensuring safe, timely, budget-conscious delivery in compliance with applicable regulations and university standards. The Director leads Construction Services staff and operations, oversees the University's capital construction portfolio, and supports capital renewal and infrastructure investment strategies. The position collaborates with campus planning, facilities, finance, research, academic, and administrative units to identify and develop projects. It manages departmental and project finances, construction contracts, procurement, regulatory compliance, safety, risk, stakeholder communications, and continuous improvement. The role also supports research laboratories, specialized facilities, utility systems, and mission-critical infrastructure while advancing sustainability, resiliency, asset lifecycle management, and energy efficiency initiatives. The position will remain open until filled. To receive first consideration, applicants must submit a complete application by November 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Applications received after that deadline may be considered in subsequent review rounds until the position is filled. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.; visa sponsorship or takeover of sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Facilities Management, Building Science, or a relevant field; relevant experience may substitute for required education.
Ten years of progressively responsible construction management experience.
Five years of leadership experience overseeing professional staff and construction programs.
Experience managing large-scale capital projects and construction portfolios.
Experience administering architectural, engineering, and construction contracts.
Experience managing projects in higher education, healthcare, government, research, or comparable institutional environments.
Advanced knowledge of construction management principles and project delivery methods.
Understanding of campus infrastructure, utilities, and facilities operations.
Strong financial management and capital budgeting skills.
Ability to manage complex stakeholder environments.
Knowledge of higher education capital planning and public-sector procurement practices.
Excellent leadership, negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.
Experience with project management software, scheduling systems, and construction management technologies.
Ability to lead large, complex construction programs and multidisciplinary teams.
Must be authorized to work in the U.S.; the employer is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Business Administration, or a related field.
Experience within a major R1 research university.
Experience managing projects exceeding $25 million in value.
Experience with state-funded capital programs and public procurement requirements.
Experience overseeing laboratory, utility, infrastructure, and mission-critical facility projects.
One or more professional certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Construction Manager (CCM), LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), Professional Engineer (PE), Registered Architect (RA), or APPA Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP).

Responsibilities

Direct and oversee construction management activities for capital construction, major renovation, infrastructure renewal, and deferred maintenance projects.
Establish departmental goals, policies, procedures, performance metrics, and project management standards.
Lead, mentor, and evaluate project managers, construction administrators, inspectors, and support personnel; develop succession planning, workforce development, and training initiatives.
Foster accountability, customer service, safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Oversee the University's capital construction portfolio; direct project prioritization and workload planning across concurrent projects.
Ensure project delivery from preconstruction through occupancy and warranty completion; monitor schedules, budgets, quality, risks, and stakeholder satisfaction.
Develop and maintain long-range construction program schedules and support capital renewal and infrastructure investment strategies.
Collaborate with campus planning, space planning, facilities operations, finance, research, academic affairs, and administrative units to identify project needs and priorities.
Participate in campus master planning and long-range facilities development; lead feasibility analyses, project justification, and business case preparation; review conceptual plans, budgets, schedules, and delivery approaches.
Develop and manage departmental operating budgets and oversee project budgets, expenditures, forecasting, encumbrances, contingencies, and financial reporting.
Steward university, state, federal, donor, grant, and auxiliary funding; review and recommend approval of project budgets, change orders, pay applications, and financial commitments.
Identify cost savings, value engineering, and operational efficiencies.
Direct administration of commissioning and construction contracts and ensure compliance with university standards, maintainability requirements, sustainability objectives, and operational expectations.
Oversee RFIs, submittals, field observations, change orders, inspections, commissioning, and closeout; promote consistency in project delivery, documentation, and construction quality.
Support planning and construction of research laboratories, specialized facilities, utility systems, and mission-critical infrastructure; coordinate projects affecting research and specialized academic operations.
Plan projects to minimize institutional disruption and support research continuity and growth; collaborate with faculty, researchers, and research administration on specialized facility requirements.
Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, building codes, accessibility requirements, and university policies; coordinate approvals with governmental agencies.
Oversee construction safety programs and contractor safety compliance; identify, evaluate, and mitigate project risks.
Support consultant and contractor procurement, including RFQs, RFPs, bid evaluations, negotiations, and contract recommendations; manage performance evaluations and ensure procurement compliance.
Resolve complex contractual and construction disputes.
Serve as the primary liaison for construction-related initiatives; build relationships with university and external stakeholders and communicate project impacts, schedules, milestones, and construction activities.
Develop project updates for executive leadership, governing boards, and campus stakeholders.
Implement project management best practices and performance standards; establish KPIs and reporting systems and use project management technology and data analytics to improve efficiency and accountability.
Benchmark departmental performance against peer R1 institutions and industry best practices.
Support sustainability, resiliency, asset lifecycle management, and energy efficiency initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned in support of the University's mission and strategic objectives.