Director - Project Controls & Business Operations

Stanford Medicine Children's Health•Palo Alto, CA

4h•$90 - $117•Remote

About The Position

The Director, Project Controls & Business Operations provides strategic leadership for business operations, project controls, and program governance supporting Packard 3.0 and other initiatives within the Strategic Space Planning & Facilities Services division, including capital and operating budgets. Reporting to the Executive Director, Space Strategy & Facility Planning, the Director establishes and leads a standardized project controls function that provides independent oversight of project scope, schedule, budget, cash flow, risk, vendor performance, and executive reporting. Working collaboratively with Strategic Space Planning, Design & Construction, and other teams across the division, as well as Finance, Supply Chain, Stanford Health Care, Compliance, and operational leaders, the Director strengthens governance, enhances financial stewardship, and improves visibility and decision-making across a complex portfolio of capital and operational projects. The role also leads business process improvement, data governance, and the advancement of analytics and AI-enabled reporting capabilities to support effective portfolio management and long-term organizational performance.

Requirements

10 years of progressively responsible experience in project controls, capital program management, business operations, finance, facilities planning, construction management, or a related field.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Finance, Healthcare Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
Significant leadership experience in project controls, capital program management, business operations, finance, facilities planning, or related disciplines.
Demonstrated experience overseeing complex capital programs or enterprise project portfolios.
Strong knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, scheduling, risk management, change management, portfolio reporting, and governance.
Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and communicate effectively with executive leadership.
Ability to analyze complex financial, operational, and project performance data to provide strategic recommendations and support executive decision-making.
Ability to lead organizational change, optimize business processes, and implement operational improvements that enhance organizational performance.
Ability to build collaborative partnerships, influence diverse stakeholders, and achieve results in a complex, matrixed environment.
Ability to lead, develop, coach, and evaluate staff while promoting accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Knowledge of project controls, capital program management, construction contract administration, financial management, portfolio governance, healthcare facilities planning, and California hospital planning, design, construction, and regulatory requirements.
Knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, accreditation standards, and compliance requirements related to areas of responsibility.
Knowledge of organizational leadership, strategic planning, fiscal management, personnel administration, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a related field.
Experience in healthcare or an academic medical center.
Experience establishing project controls, PMO, or portfolio governance functions.
Experience with business intelligence, analytics, automation, and AI-enabled reporting.
Professional certification such as PMP, CCM, PSP, or equivalent.
5 years in a leadership or management role with responsibility for leading teams, enterprise initiatives, or complex capital portfolios.

Responsibilities

Establish and lead a sustainable Project Controls function supporting strategic capital and operational projects.
Develop governance frameworks, standards, project controls methodologies, and reporting processes that improve accountability, transparency, and executive decision-making.
Establish and maintain a portfolio risk management framework that standardizes risk identification, assessment, monitoring, mitigation, and escalation across projects.
Independently assess project and portfolio risks, validate mitigation strategies, identify emerging trends, and escalate issues that may impact scope, schedule, budget, operational readiness, or organizational priorities.
Monitor portfolio performance against approved scope, schedule, budget, cash flow, and risk baselines, recommending corrective actions when variances occur.
Lead standardized monthly project reviews and executive reporting.
Partner with Finance and project teams to strengthen budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, contingency oversight, and financial reporting.
Improve payment, procurement, and change-order processes to ensure appropriate controls, compliance, and efficiency.
Support long-range capital planning through reliable project forecasting and portfolio analytics.
Develop consistent vendor management practices, performance metrics, and procurement processes.
Support competitive RFPs, consultant selection, contract oversight, and performance management.
Promote standardization and continuous improvement across vendor relationships.
Establish project data standards that support portfolio reporting, analytics, automation, and future AI capabilities.
Develop dashboards, KPIs, and executive reporting tools such as the monthly cost report that improve organizational visibility and decision support.
Lead continuous process improvement initiatives that strengthen governance, efficiency, and operational performance.
Build and lead a high-performing project controls team.
Foster collaboration across multidisciplinary stakeholders while providing objective oversight and independent recommendations.
Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on portfolio performance, risk mitigation, resource planning, and operational priorities.