Senior Director of Construction

The Senior Construction Director (SCD) serves as Quality Branded’s internal construction owner across new builds, in unit planned projects, construction related emergencies, and project specific owner supplied procurement. The role is accountable for due diligence, lease and work letter support, budgets, schedules, permitting, external PM oversight, contractor and vendor management, reporting, and handover to Operations. The SCD partners closely with the Senior Director of Design to keep design intent feasible, coordinated, and aligned with budget and schedule.

This role is not intended to duplicate the external project manager function. It provides the internal construction leadership needed to direct external partners, manage hands-on construction priorities, maintain standards, oversee project-specific procurement, and escalate risks clearly with options and recommendations.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as Quality Branded’s internal owner of construction across new builds, planned projects, and construction related emergencies.
• Support predevelopment, lease review, and work letter negotiation in partnership with the CDO by identifying and negotiating construction requirements, landlord obligations, utility needs, delivery conditions, schedule risks, and cost implications.
• Lead or oversee construction due diligence, project setup, budgeting, scheduling, permitting, bidding, contractor oversight, documentation, turnover, and close out, depending on project scale and delivery model.
• Develop, own, and actively manage construction budgets for directly managed projects, and review and challenge budgets prepared by external PMs, GCs, vendors, or consultants, including commitments, change orders, contingency, allowances, owner supplied items, and forecasted cash flow.
• Manage external project management partners acting on behalf of Quality Branded, ensuring structured reporting, accurate schedules, updated budgets, risk identification, open decision logs, clear recommendations, accountability, and timely escalation to the CDO when decisions are required.
• Direct bid processes, vendor selection, contractor selection, and contractor performance management on directly managed projects, and maintain a roster of trusted contractors, vendors, specialty trades, consultants, and construction partners.
• Own project specific owner supplied procurement, including furniture, decorative lighting, specialty fixtures, and other direct purchase items that impact construction, schedule, budget, installation, or opening readiness.
• Manage owner supplied purchasing, vendor coordination, budget tracking, delivery logistics, installation coordination, and issue resolution in partnership with Design, Finance, and external project managers.
• Serve as the primary construction counterpart to the Senior Director of Design and the primary construction filter for leadership requests, translating design decisions and leadership ideas into scope, cost, schedule, procurement, and field execution implications before work becomes active.
• Support restaurant level execution by providing construction guidance, approved vendors, scope reviews, pricing feedback, annual capital planning input, emergency support,
• Direct oversight for planned projects that exceed restaurant level capacity or require construction, design, permitting, landlord, or multiple trade coordination.
• Provide structured, concise reporting on construction status, budget, schedule, procurement, risks, open decisions, and recommendations.
• Coordinate close out and handover from the external project manager, contractor, or directly managed to Operations, ensuring punch lists, warranties, attic stock, owner manuals, close out documents, vendor contacts, and operational requirements are complete and organized.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Position Requirements:

• Available to work various shifts, weekends, and holidays during critical project phases.
• Travel and/or extended travel may be required for out-of-state projects.
• Walks and stands 50% of the time.
• Continuously reach, bend, lift, carry, climb, and stand.
• Be able to lift 50 lbs.
• Comfortable conducting site visits in active construction environments.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes:

• Computer proficient; knowledge of Microsoft Office, Bluebeam, Microsoft Project or equivalent scheduling tools, and Procore or similar project management software preferred; AutoCAD and Revit knowledge helpful.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred, ideally in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
• 10+ years of construction experience strongly preferred, ideally in restaurant, hospitality, high end retail, hotel, grocery, or other design driven commercial interiors.
• Owner side, owner’s representative, client side, or multi unit hospitality construction experience strongly preferred.
• Experience managing multiple projects concurrently, including major builds, smaller planned projects, and hands on construction priorities.
• Strong financial fluency and ability to manage budgets, forecasts, commitments, change orders, contingencies, owner supplied procurement costs, and cash flow with precision.
• Experience managing external PMs, GCs, contractors, vendors, consultants, landlords, internal stakeholders, and owner supplied procurement, including logistics, delivery tracking, installation coordination, and issue resolution.
• Ability to evaluate building conditions, equipment, infrastructure, utilities, site constraints, lease documents, work letters, and operational impacts.
• Strong understanding of cost control, scheduling, permitting, bidding, contracts, change orders, close out, building codes, ADA, OSHA, construction methods, and restaurant construction considerations.
• Ability to prioritize, problem solve, make prompt field decisions, and communicate clearly in English with contractors, vendors, consultants, employees, operators, and senior leadership.
• Hands on, detail oriented, composed under pressure, and comfortable operating in a high visibility entrepreneurial environment.