Senior Director - Engineering & Construction

Description

Dallas-based, privately held commercial real estate development and investment management company with exceptional performance specializing in value-add and opportunistic real estate investments. With an entrepreneurial spirit and proven 40-year track record across several market cycles Westmount Realty Capital has amassed a portfolio of over 15 million square feet of industrial and office properties and 4,000 multifamily units nationally.

OPPORTUNITY

Senior Director – Engineering & Construction – This position will report directly to the Senior Managing Director – Asset Management & Property Management and will work closely with both Multifamily and Commercial Asset Management, as well as in-house and third-party Property Management teams to provide support throughout all phases of construction on newly acquired and existing assets. Projects to include tenant improvement, interior/exterior renovations, building envelope restoration/repairs/replacement (roofs, facades, windows), foundation repairs, site utilities, MEP repairs/replacement, etc. This position will also provide underwriting and due diligence support to Multifamily and Commercial/Industrial/Office Acquisitions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES

The activities listed here are not all-inclusive; rather, they indicate the types of activities normally performed by this position. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate core competencies in the following areas:

• Overall responsibility for construction / project management and construction administration activities from beginning to end, including all phases prior to, during and after construction. Responsibilities may include initial project planning, scope development, design documentation review, costing support, scheduling, assessment of operational needs, establishing pre-construction processes, managing construction buyouts, supervising construction execution by third-party contractors, and project closeout.
• Ability to coordinate, schedule and oversee multiple concurrent projects.
• Identify and assess qualified local consultants and contractors to provide construction services for design and construction of the project to include past experience with similar projects, verification of references, financial stability and bonding capacity.
• Manage and coordinate work of all involved in the project, including consultants, contractors, and third-party management.
• Prepare RFP (Request for Proposal) documents, for various types of construction projects; scope development, budget and timeline estimates, contractor qualification, and competitive bid solicitation.
• Provide bid analysis, as well as consultant / contractor selection recommendations.
• Prepare all contract documents for execution.
• Set-up and maintain an effective communication network for the project.
• Ensure general contractor project delivery schedule is consistent with proforma timeline. 
• Conduct project “pre-construction” meeting with design consultant, general contractor, and third-party management. 
• Role may include periodic travel during construction periods for supervision and final punch purposes.
• Maintain all required project data and records; log and track all design changes and modifications, construction changes, contract modifications and potential claims.
• Monitor construction process to ensure constructability standards and project delivery milestones are met.
• Review and approve all RFIs, submittals, change requests, draw requests and invoices. 
• Prepare monthly project status reports, to include current schedules, variance to budget, potential cost overruns or scope changes. Proactively communicate potential areas that may impact schedule and/or budget.
• Provide on-going communication of overall scope of work with Property operations team to promote minimal disruption to tenants, residents and guests.
• Coordinate project closeout with all project consultants, general contractor, and lenders (as required). 
• Coordinate and manage building turnover process and perform project acceptance walk-through to ensure compliance with project goals and scope.
• Manage the physical due diligence efforts (PCA, Phase I ESA, and Phase II Subsurface Investigations) for all new acquisitions. Review and summarize consultant reports for senior leadership. Perform comparative analysis on consultants’ opinion of cost versus Westmount underwriting. 
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Senior Managing Director – Asset Management & Property Management.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) from a four-year college or university in a relevant field of study (architecture, engineering, construction management), preferable.
• Minimum 8-10 years’ experience in property engineering/operations and project/construction management is required. Relevant experience in diverse property types (commercial/office, industrial, and multifamily residential) desirable.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Detail oriented with strong organizational and analytical skills. 
• Ability to provide efficient, timely, reliable and courteous service to customers and clients.
• Ability to effectively and efficiently present information and interface with Asset Management, Property Management and Acquisitions Teams, as well as Company Leadership.
• Ability to prioritize and work independently; also works well in a group setting. Must be a “Team Player”.

REASONING ABILITY

• Requires advanced analytical and quantitative skills. 
• Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret construction documents.
• Ability to comprehend basic legal language (contract and lease), as necessary.
• Ability to solve problems in stressful situations.

OTHER SKILLS and/or ABILITIES

• PC literacy – MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project - speed and quality of work imperative.
• Must be able to work well under pressure and in a tight timeframe.
• Must be able to coordinate, schedule and oversee multiple concurrent projects.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Decisions made with thorough understanding of procedures, company policies, and business practices to achieve general results and deadlines. Self-sufficient in monitoring work unit and/or project deadlines. Errors in judgment may cause short-term impact to department and firm.

COMPANY INCENTIVES & PERKS

• Health, Vision, Dental & Life Benefits
• 20 PTO days plus 10 company paid holidays
• EPU Program: piece of the pie profit share
• E-Shares: Employee offered direct investment opportunities
• 401k benefits
• Casual dress code
• Robust company holidays events calendar, employee appreciation events and more!