Position Summary
Wake Forest University is seeking an executive leader to serve as Director of Capital Projects. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Facilities, Real Estate, and Planning, the Director provides strategic direction, executive leadership, and operational oversight for the university’s multi-million-dollar design, construction, building renovation, and infrastructure program across academic, residential, athletic, and administrative facilities.
Leading a modernized capital delivery unit driven by financial scrutiny, competitive procurement, risk management, and technological innovation, the Director directly manages two specialized Assistant Directors (Major Capital Projects and Renewal Capital Projects), an Administrative Coordinator, and serves as the primary advisor to university senior leadership and the Board of Trustees on capital project matters.
Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions
Executive Leadership & Divisional Oversight: Provide direct supervision, mentorship, and workload distribution to two Assistant Directors and an Administrative Coordinator, fostering a culture of high performance and results that never compromises safety, accountability, and customer service. Supporting the Facilities Planning Division (Planning, Real Estate, & Space Strategies (PRESS)) up through programming, then leading from the beginning of design through procurement, construction, commissioning, closeout, warrantee, and of course a robust turnover to the customer and Facilities Operations for operations and maintenance.
Capital Program & Financial Management: Direct short- and long-term capital programs aligned with the university's space plan. Exercise executive financial approval authority over project budgets, forecasting, change orders, 5-year capital planning, and longer-term capital planning. Enforce rigorous competitive bidding and market evaluation standards.
Governance, Risk & Process Standardization: Serve as building official authority, certifying full code and regulatory compliance. Standardize project intake protocols, contract delivery methods (Design-Bid-Build, CM at Risk, Design-Build, and possibly others), and formal risk management frameworks.
Digital Transformation: Drive the divisional migration from legacy Excel tracking to Kahua (enterprise PMIS) for real-time cost tracking, automated workflows, and auditability.
Executive & Institutional Stakeholder Alignment: Partner closely with the customer, PRESS team, Facilities Operations, Legal, Procurement, Sustainability, Communications, Safety/Security, IS, Finance, EHS, and others. Prepare executive summaries and make presentations for the Board of Trustees, including for resolutions for capital projects exceeding $3M.
Contractor Oversight & Ethics: Direct the selection, contracting, and performance management of external architects, engineers, and general contractors, upholding the highest ethical standards and conflict-of-interest compliance.
Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a closely related discipline.
Experience: Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience managing large-scale capital design and construction projects, including 3–5 years directly supervising professional project managers.
Industry & Technical Expertise: Comprehensive knowledge of commercial construction, A/E design, capital expenditure budgeting, financial modeling, and multiple contract delivery methods.
Technology Proficiency: Expert proficiency in enterprise PMIS platforms (Kahua explicitly preferred) and proven experience migrating teams to levels above manual spreadsheet tracking; proficiency with Workday, Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Applications.
Leadership & Communication: Exceptional communication skills to articulate complex technical construction concepts to non-technical university leadership, customers, and the Board of Trustees; uncompromising personal and professional integrity.
Licensing: Valid driver's license with a good driving record satisfying university insurance standards.
Preferred Qualifications
Professional Licensure: Registered Architect (RA), Professional Engineer (PE), and/or General Contractor’s License.
Master's Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a closely related discipline.
Institutional Background: Significant higher education or complex institutional facilities leadership experience.
Certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Construction Manager (CCM), or LEED AP credential.
Full job description available online: Director, Capital Projects