Director, Construction

Bagel Brands•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

As the Director, Construction at Caribou Coffee, you lead Caribou’s enterprise construction strategy across new store openings, remodels, and refresh programs. Your responsibilities also include budgeting, feasibility analysis, managing general contractor selection, and providing technical expertise in design and construction. You create and support outstanding store designs, ensuring compliance with industry standards. Additionally, you maintain relationships with vendors and partners, and support legal and contractual processes for design and construction projects. Your expertise and leadership will be crucial to driving successful project outcomes and supporting our overall growth initiatives.

Requirements

Ability to manage stakeholder expectations and execute appropriately in a growing organization.
Excellent initiative as a self-starter; possesses the ability to bring opportunities to life.
Inclusive leadership through visible commitment, humility, awareness of bias, curiosity about others, and effective collaboration.
Highly organized, articulate, and able to align business strategy and technical construction delivery to achieve enterprise outcomes.
Deep knowledge of retail/restaurant construction delivery, permitting, inspections, and close‑out; strong cost and schedule control.
Effectively lead and manage an ever-evolving workload, while confidently adjusting priorities, decisions, and actions to respond to changing business demands, operational inefficiencies, unanticipated events, and new information.
Active and supportive team member in an environment of inclusion, open discussion, and results-driven collaboration.
Demonstrated success in managing multiple priorities and driving results.
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, construction, real estate, or a related field
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in construction management/capital project delivery, including leading leaders and multi‑region programs
Project Management and Communications experience.

Responsibilities

Drive strategy and lead team to support growth objectives
Oversee employee retention, development, and staffing.
Foster professional growth through onboarding, open communication, training, and performance management.
Cultivate a positive team environment to enhance morale and motivation, while ensuring the team is adequately staffed with the necessary skills and competencies.
Lead and manage cross-functional teams to drive project completion and deliver outstanding results through collaboration and clear communication.
Lead and oversee the coordination of activities with internal departments such as Operations, Finance, Brand Marketing, Facilities Management, IT, Asset Protection, and other departments to ensure alignment and minimal disruption.
Implement effective communication strategies for internal and external stakeholders.
Develop opportunities through collaboration with various lines of business and external resources.
Provide the technical expertise and creative solutions pertaining to engineering, design, and construction means, methods, and materials.
Develop the overall vision, direction, and execution of construction projects and programs.
Lead a team of professional staff in the delivery of various project types such as new store construction, additions, renovations, close-out, and other construction projects to established brand standards and quality, balancing budget and schedule parameters.
Establish and monitor annual and store-specific capital expenditures related to the new store openings and major remodels.
Source and manage preferred general contractor selection to provide construction services for retail stores on a regional basis, including but not limited to contractor qualification/approval, contract negotiation/execution, and performance evaluation.
Develop and manage Requests for Proposals (RFPs), review contracts, and hire and manage external consultants as needed to support project objectives.
Create and support store design within the new and remodeled store process for company-operated stores and provide design insight for franchise store designs.
Support the organization, development, and management of global design standards, including guidelines, architectural and engineering standards, prototypical drawing sets, specifications, and technical data, aimed at maintaining consistent project quality, conformity, and facilitating efficient team communication.
Apply and demonstrate expertise in architectural details and technical specifications relevant to ground-up construction, conversions, and tenant improvement projects.
Transform approved conceptual designs into "Rollout Ready" formats by standardizing design details and furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E), while providing effective implementation tools.
Oversee and support the collaboration with vendors on shop drawings, integrating them into prototype template sets, and work with facilities and procurement to establish vendor workflows that enable scalable project execution.
Create and manage regional adaptations to designs, addressing high-capacity needs, jurisdictional variations, cold climate considerations, operational differences, and more.
Maintain and cultivate relationships with outside agencies, vendors, and partners that align with Caribou values.
Monitor work compliance with industry standards, best practices, brand standards, and contract requirements.
Lead and support the solicitation and review of consultant and contractor proposals.
Partner with Legal Services and recommend appropriate design and construction legal documents and contractual terms and conditions.
Lead, direct, and mentor a team of direct reports, ensuring they have the guidance and strategic direction needed to perform their duties effectively and in alignment with organizational goals and priorities.
Take ownership of the team’s deliverables, ensuring high-quality work that meets business needs and aligns with organizational priorities.
Set performance expectations and regularly monitor progress, providing constructive feedback and coaching as needed.
Foster a positive team culture that encourages collaboration, accountability, and adherence to Caribou’s core values, leading by example in demonstrating professionalism, integrity, and a strong work ethic.
Serve as a champion for organizational change, effectively communicating the vision, rationale, and benefits of transformation initiatives.
Lead a team through periods of change with clarity and confidence, fostering resilience and adaptability.