Sr. Construction Project Leader

CannonDesign•Minneapolis, MN

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sr. Construction Project Leader will initially lead CannonDesign’s preconstruction and construction-phase work on a single, highly complex, 2.0+ million-square-foot healthcare facility at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Rochester, Minnesota. The position requires consistent onsite presence; CannonDesign provides relocation and temporary relocation support. The role is focused on process leadership rather than document administration, integrating construction expertise with design throughout project delivery. The leader works with the design team and the client’s construction manager or builder to address constructability, cost, schedule, and delivery-model needs, and serves as CannonDesign’s senior field voice once construction begins—protecting design intent and the firm’s commercial position while working as a peer with the builder. During preconstruction, the leader builds construction considerations into design documents, leads constructability and coordination reviews, supports value engineering and target value design, tests schedules and cost assumptions, and advises on delivery models, bid packaging, early work, GMP development, and contractor selection. The position also leads design integration across disciplines and manages delegated design, design-assist, and deferred-submittal interfaces. During construction, the leader directs the firm’s construction-phase services, including the CA team, field presence, quality program, issue resolution, risk management, site observations, and project closeout. The role also advises on contractual and commercial risk, supports change and claim avoidance, reports project performance, transfers lessons learned, contributes to firm standards and initiatives, and mentors project team members. The position reports jointly to the assigned project’s Project Director and the Executive Director of Operations - AEI.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or Construction Management; an advanced degree is preferred.
At least 15 years of progressive experience in the design and construction of large-scale, complex building projects.
Progressive senior construction management experience with direct accountability for cost, schedule, quality, and contractor performance; construction administration experience solely from an architect’s role does not meet this requirement.
Experience in healthcare, science and technology, education, aviation, or other complex facilities.
Demonstrated leadership of at least one mega-project-scale project, such as a large facility, multi-building program, or phased campus delivery.
Experience coordinating highly interdisciplinary projects involving architecture, structural, MEP, technology, medical equipment, and specialty consultants under schedule pressure.
Working command of traditional and alternative delivery methods, including design-bid-build, CM at Risk, design-build, progressive design-build, design-assist, and IPD, including how design responsibility, risk, and compensation shift across models.
Demonstrated experience in integrated or collaborative delivery, including co-location, shared risk and reward, target value design, cluster or cross-functional teams, and Lean methods such as pull planning and the Last Planner System.
Fluency with AIA, ConsensusDocs, and DBIA contract families and risk allocation among owners, designers, and builders.
Strong command of cost, schedule, and estimating fundamentals, including the ability to test estimates, read a GMP, and challenge schedules.
Experience with construction in occupied and operational healthcare facilities, including phasing, infection control, and interim life safety requirements.
Experience with commissioning, systems turnover, and owner activation.
Knowledge of building codes, accessibility standards, FGI Guidelines, and healthcare construction authority, state health department, and permitting review processes.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the presence to lead discussions among owners, builders, and designers.
Proficiency with construction management platforms such as Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud, Bluebeam, scheduling tools such as Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Office.
Registration or licensure is preferred.
LEED accreditation is preferred.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Registration or licensure.
LEED accreditation.
CCM (CMAA), DBIA certification, PMP, or comparable professional certification.
Experience on IPD projects governed by a multi-party agreement.
Experience as a design manager within a design-build entity, leading the design team from the builder’s side.
Higher education, science and technology, or advanced manufacturing experience in addition to healthcare.
Experience delivering against high-performance energy and decarbonization targets.
Experience establishing construction management standards, tools, or training within a firm or program.
Experience on projects delivered across multiple jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

Build constructability, sequencing, phasing, site logistics, and trade availability considerations into design documents in coordination with the Project Technical Director.
Lead internal constructability and coordination reviews at design milestones and translate findings into actionable direction for the design team.
Lead value engineering and target value design discussions so scope decisions account for cost implications early.
Interrogate project schedules, including CPM logic, long-lead procurement, permitting, trade onboarding, equipment procurement, commissioning, and activation, and align design delivery with the schedule.
Participate in validation, target cost development, cluster team leadership, and collaborative delivery routines for integrated and progressive delivery models.
Advise the Project Director on delivery-model implications, bid packaging, early work packages, and items that may be deferred, delegated, or carried as allowances.
Support GMP development, bridging documents, and design-assist scopes as required by the delivery model.
Contribute to contractor pre-qualification, bid evaluation, risk assessment, and award recommendations.
Translate between design and construction, anticipating builder concerns, trade substitutions, and document gaps.
Lead resolution of interdisciplinary conflicts involving architecture, structure, MEP, technology, medical equipment, and specialty consultants.
Manage delegated design, design assist, deferred submittals, and trade partner design integration, ensuring performance criteria and responsibility boundaries are documented.
Guide design teams through cost and schedule pressure while maintaining design quality and the firm’s standard of care.
Partner with the Project Director, Design Leaders, and discipline leaders to integrate constructability input into design.
Lead CannonDesign’s construction-phase services, including the CA team, field presence, quality program, and relationship with the client and builder.
Lead firm participation in OAC, cost, scheduling, and pre-installation meetings and own cross-disciplinary issues.
Direct resolution of field conditions, RFIs, substitutions, and change proposals with an emphasis on early resolution and documented rationale.
Review and take positions on contractor change proposals, schedule impacts, and payment applications; escalate issues with recommendations.
Support pull-planning and Last Planner routines with builders and trade partners and hold the design team to its commitments.
Own the project risk register during construction and drive proactive mitigation.
Direct QA/QC site observation programs and maintain consistent documentation standards.
Maintain substantial—and, when contractually required, continuous—presence at the construction site.
Lead punch-list management, certification of substantial and final completion, and transition into the warranty period.
Advise the Project Director on contractual risk in the Owner-Architect agreement and the firm’s position related to the construction contract.
Lead change and claim avoidance, including notice requirements, documentation discipline, and defensible records.
Support construction-phase fee and staffing plans and manage the team to the effort sold.
Coordinate with Risk Management Leaders and the Project Technical Director on disputes, schedule impact analysis, claims mitigation, and cost recovery.
Report construction performance metrics and issues monthly to the Project Director, firm leadership, and client as required.
Capture and transfer mega-project delivery lessons to Operations and the Technical Leadership Group.
Contribute to construction administration standards and the firm’s design-build initiative.
Mentor CA leaders, project architects, and engineers assigned to the project team.
Travel as required, follow CannonDesign and construction-site safety requirements and work rules, and perform other assigned duties.