National Director of Federal Operations and Special Projects

Willdan•Northern, NV

21h•$200,000 - $240,000

About The Position

The National Director of Federal Operations and Special Projects leads delivery of WPE’s federal construction portfolio and its most complex, high-profile projects nationwide. The role establishes Federal Construction Operations as a dedicated function, separate from regional ESCO and MUSH construction operations, with processes, compliance controls, and talent tailored to federal work. The director oversees federal and special project execution from development through construction, commissioning, measurement and verification, and turnover. Projects include energy savings performance contracts (ESPC), utility energy service contracts (UESC), and other federal contract vehicles. The position ensures safe, on-schedule, on-budget delivery in compliance with federal acquisition regulations, agency technical requirements, and contract terms, working closely with regional construction leaders, Risk & Preconstruction, business development, legal, and finance. As a key operations leader, the director builds and mentors a federal delivery team, serves as WPE’s operational lead with federal clients and Contracting Officers, and drives continuous improvement in project controls, quality, and risk management. The role is accountable for the financial performance of the federal and special projects portfolio and supports business development, customer satisfaction, and organizational growth. Travel may be required up to 50% of the time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Business, or a related field.
At least 15 years of progressive experience in construction operations or project delivery, including demonstrated leadership of federal construction projects.
Familiarity with the FAR, agency supplements such as DFARS, Contracting Officer authority, and federal change and closeout processes.
Experience delivering projects in occupied, mission-critical facilities such as VA medical centers, military installations, correctional facilities, and university campuses.
Experience establishing and managing contractor quality control programs.
Knowledge of EM 385-1-1, OSHA, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage, and certified payroll requirements.
Strong background in energy and infrastructure scopes, including central plants, HVAC, building automation, electrical distribution, photovoltaics, battery energy storage, and microgrids.
Proven experience building and managing multidisciplinary project teams across multiple states and regions.
Demonstrated success establishing project controls functions and standardizing construction processes across regions.
Track record of recovering troubled or delayed projects while maintaining broader leadership responsibilities.
Strong financial and business acumen, including large project portfolio management, cost forecasting, and profitability.
Experience supporting federal business development, including pursuit strategy, proposals, and interviews.
Ability to pass federal background investigations and obtain installation access.
Proficiency with construction management, scheduling, and project controls software.
Strong communication, leadership, negotiation, and executive decision-making skills.
Demonstrated ethical judgment, professionalism, and commitment to organizational values.
Willingness and ability to travel as required, up to 50% of the time.
Ability to travel by automobile, public transportation, rail, and airplane as needed.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Experience delivering ESPC or UESC projects.
Experience with federal contract vehicles such as MATOC, MACC, or IDIQ task orders.
USACE Construction Quality Management (CQM) certification, or ability to obtain it within six months of hire.
Active general contractor licenses in multiple states and ability to serve as a qualifying individual.
DBIA, PMP, or similar professional certification.
Active security clearance.

Responsibilities

Establish and execute a Federal Construction Operations strategy aligned with WPE’s growth plans and business objectives.
Build the federal delivery function, including its organizational structure, staffing plan, procedures, and project controls.
Define coordination and resource-sharing boundaries between Federal and Special Projects and regional construction groups.
Partner with executive leadership and business development to evaluate pursuits, delivery capacity, and organizational risk.
Benchmark industry and federal practices to improve delivery performance and competitiveness.
Lead and oversee federal construction projects, including ESPC, UESC, task orders, and other federal contract vehicles.
Ensure compliance with FAR, agency supplements such as DFARS, agency technical standards, contract terms, and federal site and labor requirements.
Ensure contract changes, modifications, and financial commitments are authorized by the warranted Contracting Officer before work proceeds.
Oversee work in operating federal facilities, managing phasing, site access, security, and continuity of critical operations.
Coordinate projects from development through design, construction, commissioning, measurement and verification, and operations to meet contract guarantees and performance objectives.
Lead nationally significant special projects and complex energy and infrastructure scopes, including central plants, photovoltaics, battery energy storage, microgrids, cogeneration, and campus-wide distribution systems.
Support design-build, CMAR, and public-private partnership delivery models.
Lead recovery efforts for troubled or at-risk projects when assigned.
Establish project controls, including baseline and look-ahead schedules, cost forecasts, and monthly project reviews.
Maintain project risk registers with owners and mitigation plans, and oversee submittal, procurement, and long-lead equipment tracking.
Partner with Risk & Preconstruction to review contract terms, flow-down provisions, and subcontract requirements before award and mobilization.
Manage requests for equitable adjustment, claims avoidance, and change-order documentation in accordance with federal requirements.
Establish and oversee federal-compliant contractor quality control programs; ensure documentation, inspections, testing, and closeout deliverables meet agency standards.
Promote safety, accountability, and ethical behavior; support incident prevention, subcontractor safety evaluations, and regulatory compliance.
Serve as WPE’s operational lead with federal clients, including Contracting Officers, representatives, facility managers, and agency program offices.
Build relationships with clients, partners, subcontractors, engineers, financiers, and other stakeholders.
Support business development through pursuit strategy, past-performance documentation, proposal content, interviews, and client presentations.
Protect WPE’s federal past-performance record through strong delivery and customer satisfaction.
Recruit, develop, mentor, and evaluate federal and special project personnel, including project managers, superintendents, quality control managers, and project controls staff.
Develop federal delivery expertise through training on contracting, quality control, safety, and compliance; establish and enforce consistent policies and procedures.
Manage portfolio financial performance, including revenue, gross margin, forecasting, and cash flow, and take corrective action to protect margin and contingency.
Understand federal funding and financing structures, including ESPC and UESC financing, appropriations, and progress payments.
Provide input on construction methods, lifecycle costs, and value engineering to maximize project value while meeting contract guarantees.
Use project management software and data tools to improve transparency and streamline federal reporting and payment cycles.
Capture and share lessons learned and lead continuous improvement in compliance, project controls, quality, and delivery scalability.
Follow company policies and procedures and uphold ethical standards, workplace respect and cooperation, and service to internal customers, clients, and business partners.
Travel as required to support projects, clients, and operational teams; travel may be up to 50% and may use automobile, public transportation, rail, or airplane.