Director of Construction

vineyard vines•Stamford, CT

21h

About The Position

Reporting to the Vice President of Real Estate, the Director of Construction provides strategic and operational leadership for vineyard vines’ portfolio of retail development, store remodel, wholesale, partner store, and related capital projects. This role owns the end-to-end construction process, from landlord possession, initial scoping, and budgeting through construction, final close-out, and retail operational handover. The Director leads seamless coordination across internal teams, including Design/Visual and Store Operations, and external partners, including architects, engineers, General Contractors, and landlord tenant coordinators, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with vineyard vines’ brand, qualitative, and operational standards.

Requirements

Strong leadership and communication skills with a "can-do" work ethic.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
Proficiency in estimating, scheduling, and spreadsheet software.
Extensive knowledge of real estate development and the ability to read and understand complex plans and specifications.
Demonstrates knowledge of real estate development, architectural, engineering, and construction-related tasks.

Responsibilities

Leads and manages a portfolio of construction and remodel projects, establishing clear scope, objectives, timelines, budgets, and deliverables from initial planning through final close-out.
Provides leadership and direction to cross-functional project teams and external partners, including architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, landlords, and tenant coordinators.
Partners closely with internal teams, including Visual, Design, Store Operations, Retail, Procurement, and Finance, to ensure construction projects support business objectives and meet vineyard vines’ brand standards.
Oversees all facets of construction execution and project close-out, ensuring projects are effectively coordinated, documented, and completed to established standards.
Owns project capital budgets and construction schedules, providing ongoing oversight and monthly monitoring to ensure financial and schedule reporting accurately reflects project status and progress.
Reviews General Contractor bids for new construction and remodel projects, evaluating scope, costing, schedule, and overall value.
Leads the review and negotiation of General Contractor contracts and Contractor Change Order Proposals to achieve fair and reasonable pricing in accordance with project requirements and General Conditions.
Oversees contractor performance and daily construction activities, including review of schedules, submittals, project documentation, and other critical deliverables.
Coordinates and facilitates timely responses to Requests for Clarification (RFCs), contractor inquiries, and other construction-related issues, ensuring decisions and resolutions remain aligned with project scope and objectives.
Validates project scope, costing, and schedules to ensure projects are appropriately planned, achievable, and aligned with broader portfolio priorities.
Proactively identifies, assesses, and manages project risks, developing mitigation strategies to address issues that may impact scope, budget, schedule, quality, or overall project success.
Maintains strong project accountability through regular progress reporting to internal teams and concise summary reporting to leadership, clearly communicating status, risks, financial performance, and key decisions.
Analyzes project processes, trends, and performance across the portfolio to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness, recommending and implementing improvements as appropriate.