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About the Role

The Associate Director of Design & Construction provides strategic leadership for the planning, design, and delivery of capital, renovation, deferred maintenance, and infrastructure projects across Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's campus. This position oversees projects from concept through occupancy, ensuring they are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in alignment with institutional priorities, campus standards, applicable sustainability practices, and regulatory requirements. The role supports the physical realization of the Institute’s strategic priorities, including those articulated in RPI Forward and the forthcoming campus master plan.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and professional development for project management and engineering staff.
Establish departmental priorities, assign workloads, and align team goals and resources with institutional priorities.
Foster a collaborative and inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives, stakeholder engagement, and open communication.
Promote continuous improvement by evaluating processes, implementing best practices, and supporting data-informed decision-making.
Collaborate across Planning, Facilities & Campus Services and with campus and external partners to develop and implement capital project priorities and strategies.
Oversee the planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout of capital, renovation, infrastructure, and deferred maintenance projects.
Manage multiple projects simultaneously, balancing scope, budget, schedule, quality, and institutional priorities.
Develop project scopes, budgets, schedules, procurement strategies, and delivery approaches.
Identify project risks, resolve issues, and ensure successful project execution.
Support alignment of projects with the Institute's strategic priorities and campus master plan.
Coordinate consultant selection and oversee the work of architects, engineers, and specialty consultants.
Review designs for quality, functionality, maintainability, sustainability, and compliance with campus standards and applicable codes.
Manage consultant and contractor procurement, contracts, construction administration, change orders, and project closeout.
Ensure projects are completed in accordance with design intent, quality standards, safety requirements, and project schedules.
Oversee project commissioning, occupancy, and warranty closeout.
Monitor contractor and consultant compliance with OSHA and Institute Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) requirements.
Incorporate sustainable design and construction practices into projects, consistent with Institute priorities.
Develop, monitor, and forecast project budgets and expenditures throughout the project lifecycle.
Review consultant proposals, contractor bids, invoices, and payment applications.
Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, permitting requirements, environmental regulations, ADA, and life safety standards.
Ensure procurement practices comply with Institute policies and applicable funding requirements.
Serve as the primary liaison among project teams, campus clients, consultants, and contractors.
Communicate project status, facilitate decision-making, and manage stakeholder expectations throughout project delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or a closely related field.
Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience managing design and construction projects.
Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or team leadership experience.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple capital projects through planning, design, procurement, construction, and closeout.
Strong knowledge of project management, construction administration, budgeting, procurement, and applicable building codes.
Experience managing architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, and construction contracts.
Master's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or a closely related field.
Experience in higher education, research, healthcare, or other complex institutional environments.
Experience managing occupied renovation, laboratory, research, or other technically complex capital projects.
Professional licensure or certifications such as Professional Engineer (PE), Registered Architect (RA), Project Management Professional (PMP), or Certified Construction Manager (CCM).
Knowledge of sustainability practices, including LEED, WELL, or energy-efficient building design.
Knowledge of design and construction project delivery methods, construction administration, and best practices for continuous improvement in project execution.
Ability to manage multiple complex projects and competing priorities while aligning resources, schedules, and decisions with institutional goals and measurable outcomes.
Understanding of building systems, infrastructure, and applicable regulatory requirements.
Strong financial, analytical, negotiation, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated leadership, organizational, and communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusted partnerships, engage diverse perspectives, and collaborate effectively across the Institute and with external stakeholders.

Skills

Project management
Construction administration
Budgeting
Procurement
Building codes
Financial analysis
Negotiation
Decision-making
Problem-solving
Leadership
Organization
Communication
Interpersonal skills
Collaboration
Sustainability practices
LEED
WELL
Energy-efficient building design

Location

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's campus

Work Type

Business Hours: Monday - Friday
Local travel between campus locations only
Driving a personal vehicle for non-passenger use

Experience Level

Associate Director
Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience managing design and construction projects
Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or team leadership experience

Education Level

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or a closely related field
Master's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, or a closely related field

Salary/Compensations

Expected hiring range: $120,000 - $140,000

Benefits

Top notch employee health and retirement benefits
Generous paid time off program
Tuition remission
Opportunities for career growth
Comprehensive and affordable benefits package
Comprehensive and affordable retiree medical and prescription plan

About the Company

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States.
RPI brings creativity, science, and technology together to address society's greatest challenges.
RPI cultivates exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application.
RPI's strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI.
RPI is home to five schools, 32 research centers, three makerspaces, an observatory, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world.

Equal Opportunity

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is committed to the cultivation of a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and above all values learning.
We welcome candidates who bring a variety of perspectives to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's work and campus communities.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other characteristic protected by law.