Career Center

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

UW Facilities manages the University’s buildings, infrastructure and land, with more than 1,100 employees in a variety of fields. The Asset Management group includes Capital & Space Management, Real Estate, Sustainability and other teams responsible for planning and workload management. The Operations group includes Project Delivery, Maintenance & Construction, Campus Utilities & Operations, Building Services, Transportation Services and Safety. Supporting these groups, as well as the separate Emergency Management team, are the Business Intelligence & Information Technology group and the Finance & Administration group.

Asset Management has an outstanding opportunity for an Executive Director, Project Delivery Group .

Under the general supervision of the Associate Vice President for Asset Management, the Executive Director provides operational and strategic oversight and leads a team of over forty project managers, construction managers, and contract professionals.  PDG is a self-sustaining unit which earns revenue by charging a fee to manage capital projects. Forecasting and tracking financial performance is an important aspect of the role. This position is accountable for providing overall guidance and stewardship for the entire portfolio of projects the Project Delivery Group executes, which ranges from $90,000 in value to the largest current project at $244M.

The Executive Director oversees and directs management of projects that include construction of new buildings, major renovations of existing buildings, and smaller projects that range from infrastructure upgrades, athletic facility upgrades, research, academic, and medical facilities at all the University’s academic and medical campuses. Projects above $15M are approved by the University’s Board of Regents and their status is reported each month by the Executive Director to the Associate Vice President and the VP of Facilities for review with Regents and other campus leadership. Most PDG projects are more modest in size, with many under $2M. This role collaborates on major projects that are to be delivered by a private developer through a ground lease of university-owned property for occupancy by the University and/or third parties.

The Executive Director of PDG also works closely with the companion Asset Management units- Campus Architecture and Planning- in the planning and formation of projects for PDG to deliver; UW Sustainability to help realize our projects’ ‘green’ potential, and Engineering Services as a technical resource. Other UW Facilities Units, such as Maintenance and Construction, Business Information and Technology, and Finance are regular partners, as are other University units like Environmental Health and Safety, Treasury, and Planning and Budgeting. This diversity of work requires that the Executive Director have familiarity with a wide variety of delivery methods and subject matter areas, as well as a highly collaborative mindset.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Executive Director is responsible for strategic and directional oversight, coordination, leadership, and successful execution of all projects managed by the Project Delivery Group, as well as departmental management, budgeting, human resources, and relationship building.

Specific responsibilities include:

Departmental Management: (65%)

•Provide strategic leadership by aligning PDG performance and values with the University’s commitment to teaching, research, clinical care, and public service.
•Overall responsibility for the PDG annual operational budget.
•Oversight of PDG Safety Program, ensuring compliance with UWF’s requirements for employees and contractor labor on construction sites.
•Provide general oversight of the PDG leaders and project teams delivering the design and execution of new building and renovation projects executed by PDG, from design through transition to occupancy, with emphasis on minimizing the overall life-cycle cost of facilities.
•Promote a high-performing and service-oriented culture, within an environment characterized by respect, professionalism, ownership and accountability, diversity, equity and inclusion, pride and recognition, and collaboration with entities across the campus.
•Ensure the ongoing professional development of PDG employees.
•Guide the development, monitoring, and reporting of metrics that clearly show PDG’s performance.  Performance metrics include safety, cost, schedule, quality, and client satisfaction measures.
•Work closely with PDG staff and leverage the support of the Business Innovation & Technology staff to further the use of data analytics to inform prudent business decisions and accelerate innovation in UW Facilities practices and processes.
•Responsible for ensuring procedures are in place so that all project procurements and contracting programs comply with State and University requirements.
•Approve amendments and additional services to architectural/engineering agreements, or other contracts; and approve change orders to construction contracts according to delegation of authority levels.
•Select contract project management and construction administration firms; direct the day-to-day activities of the project staff.  Provide administrative control over all consultant contract work including approval or rejection of assigned staff, staffing levels, reports, and other work products.
•Coordinate with the other University departments and Committees necessary to achieve project objectives and approvals including other Facilities units, Student Life (incl Housing & Food Services), Environmental Health & Safety, UW Technology, Treasury and Planning and Budgeting, UW Medicine, and Intercollegiate Athletics.
•Develop procedures and policies to ensure compliance with both internal UW auditors and state auditors.
•Coordinate with PDG Directors to ensure a consistent approach and implementation of projects, consistent training and evaluation of project staff and project assignments.
•Participate in the overall policy development, direction, and management of the Project Delivery Group as a member of the Asset Management Leadership Team.
•Participate with other UW Facilities units in formation of given projects, including establishment of goals, budget, schedule, funding plan, and benchmarking.
•Participate in and support the space/asset management effort and functions to manage UW physical assets to produce highest return considering the Campus Master Plan, and 5-year Capital Plan, and Long-Range Capital Plan.
•Responsible for project data and report updates as required in various UW Facilities reporting databases.

Budgeting: (10%)

•Develop, execute, and monitor the operational budget.
•Participate in developing the annual forecasted PM fee revenue stream.
•Actively monitor and forecast staffing needs to anticipate the ebb and flow of the execution needs across all academic and business units.
•Direct project management staff in preparation of project programs, budgets, and schedules.  Monitor compliance with established programs, budgets, and schedules; direct action as required to achieve compliance.
•Work closely with and leverage the support of the Finance staff under the Associate Vice President of Finance & Administration for UW Facilities.

Human Resources: (15%)

•Supervise and evaluate performance of group managers and other staff directly reporting to this position.
•Monitor and evaluate performance of personnel in PDG.
•Work in close cooperation with PDG leaders and supervisors to recruit and hire project and construction managers. Ensure a consistent approach and implementation of projects, consistent training and evaluation of project staff and assignments.
•Work with other PDG leadership team to develop technical training opportunities for all project and construction management personnel, as well as training opportunities for group personnel.
•Assess current and future workload requirements with respect to human resource requirements, which will flow to and from this group.
•Work closely with and leverage the support of the Partner Resources (Human Resources) staff under the Associate Vice President of Finance & Administration for UW Facilities.

Relationship Building: (10%)

•Communicate and coordinate with other University departments necessary to achieve project, client, and stakeholder objectives.
•Represent PDG in making presentations and attending meetings with State, county and city agencies and community groups.
•Participate at both University and state levels as necessary to further enhance the University’s commitment to providing fair and equitable access to access to business opportunities for contractors, consultants.

Core Competencies

•Demonstrate personal integrity and trustworthiness.
•Manage stressful situations and changing priorities effectively.
•Anticipate, recognize, and resolve problems.
•Be responsible and accountable.
•Use organizational skills and provide attention to details.
•Maintain a positive, optimistic, and success-oriented attitude.
•Exercise professionalism, which includes being tactful and courteous.
•Exhibit a professional work ethic.
•Continuously promote a safe work environment.

Requirements include:

•Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or construction management or related field, with a minimum of nine years of experience in the management of multiple and concurrent capital building, renovation and remodeling projects ranging from $90 thousand to over $100 million.
•Experience in project engineering, management and construction of building, renovation, and remodeling projects.
•Strong working knowledge of project controls, contracting, and project accounting.
•Demonstrated success in recruiting and training personnel.
•Working knowledge of construction management and construction safety.
•General knowledge of public works procurement/contracting laws.
•Experience directing project personnel.
•Excellent interpersonal, communications and client-service orientation skills are requisite along with a strong sense of teamwork are essential.
•Must possess exceptional organizational skills, initiative, be dynamic, and have ability to mentor and motivate a team.
•The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with strong relationship-building and communications skills, a creative approach to problem solving, and solid leadership skills that serve to build trust, forge enhanced work processes, drive timely and clear near-term and long-term planning decisions, and help shape the vision for the future.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired:

•Master’s degree in architecture, engineering, or construction management
•Experience working in a high-volume environment
•Higher education or state agency experience
•Experience working with external agencies and constituents
•Experience with various forms of public-private partnerships to deliver projects.

Conditions of Employment:

•Must be able to work in a non-smoking environment.
•Possession of a valid Washington State driver’s license.
•Regular and predictable attendance is required.


As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here.


Application Process:

You will be asked to submit a cover letter AND your response [In a separate “Cover Letter Assessment” to the following (limited to 900 characters)]:

"We would like to know more about your experience with diversity, race and equity, and social justice. Please tell us about your experience engaging and working with diverse communities – particularly in the context of your professional, volunteer, or civic work. Please also address efforts you have made or been involved with to foster diversity competence and understanding."

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.