Sr. Construction Project Leader

CannonDesign•Minneapolis, MN

12d•$166,400 - $208,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Sr. Construction Project Leader will initially lead CannonDesign’s preconstruction and construction-phase work on a single mega project: a 2.0+ million-square-foot healthcare facility at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Rochester, Minnesota. The role requires consistent onsite presence, supported by relocation and temporary relocation programs. The leader integrates design and construction expertise throughout delivery, serving as a process leader rather than a document administrator and working as a peer with the client’s construction manager or builder across traditional and integrated delivery models. During design, the role builds constructability, sequencing, phasing, site logistics, trade availability, cost, and schedule considerations into project documents and decisions. It leads design milestone reviews, value engineering, target value design, schedule and delivery-model analysis, and coordination between disciplines. During construction, the role leads CannonDesign’s construction-phase services, field presence, quality program, and client and builder engagement; directs resolution of field conditions, RFIs, substitutions, changes, and claims-related risks; and oversees completion and transition to the warranty period. The position reports jointly to the assigned project’s Project Director and the Executive Director of Operations - AEI. The Project Director sets day-to-day priorities, staffing, and client engagement; the Executive Director of Operations oversees standards of practice, performance evaluation, professional development, and sharing lessons across the firm’s mega project portfolio. The role also contributes to firm standards and initiatives, mentors project team members, reports construction performance, travels as required, and follows CannonDesign and construction-site safety requirements.

Requirements

Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in the design and construction of large-scale, complex building projects.
Progressive experience in a senior construction management role with direct accountability for cost, schedule, quality, and contractor performance; experience limited to architectural construction administration 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 single 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 models, 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 planning methods such as pull planning and the Last Planner System.
Fluency with AIA, ConsensusDocs, and DBIA contract families and the allocation of risk among owner, designer, and builder.
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 review processes involving authorities having jurisdiction, state health departments, and permitting.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the presence to engage 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.
Adhere to CannonDesign policies and Code of Conduct and complete mandatory training within required timeframes.
Provide a resume and portfolio when applying.
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or Construction Management; an advanced degree is preferred.
Registration or licensure is preferred.
Consistent onsite presence at the project site in Rochester, Minnesota is required.

Nice To Haves

CCM (CMAA), DBIA certification, PMP, or comparable professional certification.
Experience on IPD projects governed by a multi-party agreement.
Experience as a design manager inside a design-build entity, leading the design team from the builder’s side of the table.
Higher education, science and technology, or advanced manufacturing experience alongside healthcare.
LEED accreditation or 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.
Advanced degree in Architecture, Engineering, or Construction Management.
Registration or licensure.
LEED accreditation.

Responsibilities

Lead preconstruction and delivery readiness, integrating constructability, sequencing, phasing, site logistics, and trade availability into design documents.
Lead internal constructability and coordination reviews at design milestones and turn findings into actionable direction for the design team.
Lead value engineering and target value design discussions, ensuring scope decisions account for cost consequences.
Interrogate the project schedule, including CPM logic, long-lead procurement, permits and regulatory approvals, trade onboarding, equipment procurement, commissioning, and activation; align design delivery to the schedule.
Participate in validation, target cost development, cluster team leadership, and collaborative routines for integrated and progressive delivery models.
Advise the Project Director on delivery models, bid packaging, early work packages, and scope that may be deferred, delegated, or carried as an allowance.
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 vulnerabilities.
Lead resolution of interdisciplinary conflicts across architecture, structure, MEP, technology, medical equipment, and specialty consultants.
Manage delegated design, design assist, deferred submittals, and trade partner design integration, documenting performance criteria and responsibility boundaries.
Guide the design team 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 relationships with the client and builder.
Lead firm participation in OAC, cost, scheduling, and pre-installation meetings and own issues crossing discipline lines.
Direct resolution of field conditions, RFIs, substitutions, and change proposals, prioritizing 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 the builder and trade partners and hold the design team to its commitments.
Own the construction risk register and drive mitigation, keeping the Project Director and Operations informed of exposure.
Direct QA/QC site observation programs and enforce consistent documentation standards.
Maintain substantial—and where 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 through notice requirements, documentation discipline, and defensible records.
Support fee and staffing plans for construction-phase scope and keep the team aligned with 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 design-build initiative.
Mentor CA leaders, project architects, and engineers assigned to the project team.
Travel as required, follow CannonDesign and construction-site safety program requirements and work rules, and perform other assigned duties.