Executive Director, Campus Major Capital Projects

University of California, San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

17h

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Associate Vice Chancellor - Campus Design & Construction, the Executive Director provides executive and operational leadership for UCSF’s Major Capital Projects Program. The multi-year program is anticipated to represent approximately $2 billion to $4 billion or more over 10 years and comprises multiple concurrent Major Projects, each with a Total Project Cost greater than $70 million. The Executive Director is accountable for program strategy, governance, performance, financial stewardship, organizational capability, resource planning, project delivery standards, and executive communications. The position evaluates portfolio priorities and delivery capacity, deploys resources, and oversees Directors, Associate Directors, project leaders, and multidisciplinary internal and external teams. The organizational structure may change according to portfolio size, complexity, risk, delivery model, and composition; the Executive Director establishes accountability, delegated authority, project controls, escalation pathways, and leadership capacity to support delivery. In addition to program-wide executive responsibilities, the Executive Director may serve selectively as senior Owner’s Representative and working project executive for Major Projects. For directly assigned projects, the position maintains executive accountability for strategy, scope, budget, schedule, risk, integrated team leadership, stakeholder engagement, negotiations, change management, and successful delivery. As a senior member of the Campus Design & Construction leadership team, the Executive Director partners with the Associate Vice Chancellor on department-wide strategy, operations, workforce and workload planning, financial and organizational performance, policy deployment, standardized project delivery, continuous improvement, customer and stakeholder engagement, and coordination across UCSF Real Estate and the University. The position represents the Associate Vice Chancellor and Campus Design & Construction in institutional and operational matters within delegated authority and provides senior leadership continuity as required. UCSF Real Estate develops, plans, delivers, and manages UCSF’s physical space, aligning development, planning, design, construction, and facilities management across a multi-site campus and a lease portfolio of 1 million square feet. Campus Design & Construction delivers capital projects for UCSF research, academic, administrative, and campus life units across multiple campuses and leased and satellite locations. Its projects include new buildings, seismic upgrades, infrastructure and technology upgrades, deferred maintenance, and renovations. The department’s current program is $2.8 billion and consists of more than 200 projects. The combined UCSF Campus and Health organizations include approximately 198 UCSF and 38 contract personnel, annual operating and recharge budgets exceeding $62.2 million, current-year capital project expenditures of $900 million, and oversight of more than $13.3 billion in long-range capital development.

Requirements

15 or more years of progressively responsible experience leading large and complex capital programs and projects, including direct leadership of individual projects with total project costs greater than $70 million and oversight of multiple concurrent major projects.
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, Planning, Business Administration, Real Estate Development, Urban Design, City Planning, Landscape Architecture, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, relevant experience, and training.
Demonstrated experience leading managers, senior project leaders, and multidisciplinary internal and external teams, including establishing governance, accountability, delegated authority, performance expectations, and organizational capacity.
Expert knowledge of capital planning and project delivery, including planning, design, procurement, contracting, construction, commissioning, project controls, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, change management, and closeout.
Advanced financial and business acumen and demonstrated experience managing large capital portfolios, budgets, forecasts, contingencies, financial risks, and long-range capital investment plans.
Demonstrated experience establishing and maintaining program or portfolio governance, executive reporting, project performance standards, escalation pathways, and decision-making processes.
Executive and operational leadership experience, including strategic planning, workforce and resource planning, organizational development, performance management, and continuous improvement.
Advanced executive communication, stakeholder management, negotiation, and consensus-building skills, including the ability to advise senior leaders and communicate complex program and project matters to executive governance bodies.
Ability to analyze complex problems, evaluate alternatives, establish priorities, and make or recommend decisions balancing scope, cost, schedule, quality, risk, operational requirements, and institutional objectives.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, Planning, Business Administration, Real Estate Development, or a related field.
Experience delivering complex, multi-phased construction projects in an occupied academic medical center, university, governmental, institutional, or comparable complex campus environment.
Current professional licensure as an Architect or Professional Engineer.
Advanced knowledge of UCSF, the University of California, or a comparable complex university, academic, research, institutional, or multi-campus organization, including its mission, governance, strategic priorities, and capital planning processes.
Experience with Integrated Project Delivery, ICDC/Big Room environments, Lean design and construction practices, Progressive Design-Build or other collaborative or alternative project delivery models, and/or Public-Private Partnerships (P3).
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing organizational improvement, standardized work, or Lean/continuous-improvement systems within a complex capital project delivery organization.
Relevant professional certification demonstrating advanced expertise in capital project, program, construction, or collaborative/Lean delivery, such as PMP, CCM, DBIA, or Lean Construction Institute or comparable Lean design/construction training or certification.
Certification or formal training in Lean principles, collaborative project delivery, or continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership, governance, and overall accountability for UCSF’s Major Capital Projects Program, translating institutional and long-range campus priorities into an executable program aligned with approved objectives.
Set portfolio priorities, sequencing, delivery strategies, performance expectations, and implementation plans; evaluate feasibility and delivery capacity, and direct adjustments as funding, resources, market capacity, procurement, dependencies, or organizational readiness change.
Establish portfolio-wide expectations for scope, budget, schedule, risk, contingency, quality, safety, change management, project controls, and executive reporting; monitor performance trends and direct corrective action.
Ensure Major Capital Projects obtain appropriate institutional approvals and remain aligned with approved business cases; oversee project leaders and establish accountability, delegated authority, governance, and escalation pathways.
Develop and maintain a multi-year program roadmap covering project sequencing, dependencies, resources, key decisions, and major delivery risks.
Selectively serve as senior Owner’s Representative and working project executive for Major Projects, providing leadership from feasibility and planning through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, activation, occupancy, and closeout.
For directly assigned projects, maintain accountability for strategy, scope, budget, schedule, quality, safety, risk, and overall performance; lead critical negotiations, decisions, issue resolution, risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement, and change management.
Establish and lead collaborative integrated project teams of architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, UCSF stakeholders, and other partners; lead ICDC/Big Room environments and set governance, accountability, decision-making, and Lean delivery expectations.
Lead integrated project organizations involving multiple internal and external organizations; prepare executive project reporting and decision materials, manage significant risks and changes, and direct recovery strategies when performance is threatened.
Partner with the Associate Vice Chancellor to translate department strategy into operating plans, resource strategies, performance expectations, standardized practices, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
Participate in developing and implementing department strategy, priorities, annual objectives, and operating plans; monitor performance and coordinate implementation across Campus Design & Construction functions.
Co-lead department-wide workload and resource planning; evaluate staffing, consultant utilization, capacity, and allocation, and direct adjustments to address portfolio and organizational needs.
Participate in developing and managing operating and project-related budgets and performance; establish and monitor organizational, project, customer, and staff performance measures.
Lead policy deployment, workflow standardization, process improvement, and Plan-Do-Check-Act activities; support project delivery systems, technology, controls, reporting, and information-management practices.
Partner with leadership to develop, deploy, update, and enforce project delivery standards, campus-wide design standards, Technical Performance Criteria, and standardized work; identify operational risks and improve performance, efficiency, accountability, and customer service.
Coordinate across Campus Design & Construction functions to resolve workload, resource, delivery, and operational issues; represent the Associate Vice Chancellor and department in forums within delegated authority.
Advise the Associate Vice Chancellor and senior UCSF leadership on program strategy, investment, performance, risk, organizational capacity, and project delivery, translating complex information into executive decisions and recommendations.
Establish clear executive communications on portfolio health; synthesize project and portfolio information into concise reporting, recommendations, and decision materials, including transparent Executive Oversight Committee reporting.
Identify and escalate significant financial, schedule, operational, contractual, or institutional exposures; develop alternatives and recommend actions for complex decisions requiring senior leadership or governance action.
Build relationships with senior campus leadership, faculty, customers, and institutional stakeholders; collaborate with campus planning and facilities units, finance, real estate, counsel, IT, sustainability, EH&S, risk management, UCOP, and other University partners.
Represent Campus Design & Construction and the Major Capital Projects Program in senior institutional and external forums within delegated authority.
Establish and adjust the Major Capital Projects organizational structure, reporting relationships, leadership assignments, and resource deployment based on portfolio needs.
Lead, develop, coach, and evaluate Directors, Associate Directors, senior project leaders, and other assigned personnel; set accountability, delegated authority, performance expectations, and succession strategies.
Develop workforce and leadership-development strategies, mentor senior leaders, and ensure projects are appropriately staffed based on size, complexity, risk, delivery model, and phase.
Develop effective approaches to using internal staff, consultants, and external resources; foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, customer service, stewardship, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Work with the Associate Vice Chancellor, Counsel, Finance & Administration, and Real Estate Contracts on project delivery, procurement, contracting, and commercial strategies; provide executive leadership for P3 and other alternative delivery models when assigned.
Participate in significant contract and commercial negotiations, financing considerations, and land and development agreements; champion Lean, ICDC/Big Room, collaborative delivery, technology, and other performance-enhancing innovations.