Director of Construction and Design, New Construction (De Novo)

Heartland Dental LLC; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Heartland Dental LLC is seeking a Director of Construction and Design to lead nationwide new unit rollouts, overseeing both Construction and Design teams. The role focuses on delivering high-quality de novo projects on time and within budget, aligning with brand standards while managing cost and risk.

The successful candidate will have 10+ years in high-growth retail or QSR construction/design, strong leadership, contract negotiation skills, and extensive project management software experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Architecture, or Engineering required; 10+ years of commercial/corporate construction experience preferred.
• Experience leading fast-paced construction and design teams for a multi-unit brand.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to tailor to diverse audiences.
• Experience negotiating contracts and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop vision and strategy for Construction and Design to scale to 100+ new opens annually.
• Mentor and develop Sr. Managers and Construction/Design teams.
• Oversee all facets of de novo construction, including budget, schedule, GC qualification, and VE opportunities.
• Prepare and present project status reports on budget and schedule; manage risk and quality.

Skills

Leadership

Construction management

Design management

Contract negotiation

Project management software

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Architecture, or Engineering

Tools

Lucernex

Procore

Ariba

ServiceChannel

Job description

Director of Construction and Design, New Construction (De Novo)

Heartland Dental is looking for an accomplished construction and design leader ready to take on a high-impact role. As Director of Construction and Design, you'll lead both the Construction and Design Teams, helping plan, deliver, and optimize a nationwide new construction rollout strategy that supports more than 100 new office openings each year.

Heartland Dental is the nation's largest dental support organization, providing non-clinical administrative support services to more than 3,100 supported doctors across 39 states and the District of Columbia in 1,900+ dental offices. Each Heartland Dental supported office is unique to the community and the patients they serve. Supported doctors are the clinical leaders of their practice, retain full clinical autonomy, and establish their own care philosophies. All Heartland Dental supported doctors are united by a common goal: delivering the highest quality dental care and patient experiences.

The Director of Construction and Design leads, organizes, and develops the Construction and Design Teams in new unit growth. Responsible for managing construction and design activities and delivering high quality new units that align with brand design standards while controlling cost and maintaining critical path schedules. In this role, you will report to the Sr. Director of Design and Construction, while directly managing the Sr. Manager of Construction and Sr. Manager of Design, with Construction Managers and Design Managers rolling up under this team. This position works closely with the internal Real Estate, Operations, and Facilities teams. The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of relevant experience in high-growth retail or QSR construction and design.

Below is an overview of the duties and responsibilities you would take on in this role:

• Develop the vision, strategy, processes, and resources for the Construction and Design departments to scale to support 100+ new opens annually.
• Directly oversee, mentor, and develop the Sr. Manager of Construction and Sr. Manager of Design, ensuring strong leadership and development of the Construction Managers and Design Managers within their teams.
• Manage all facets of construction for the de novo portfolio including, but not limited to; budget, schedule, General Contractor qualification, VE opportunities, process/schedule improvement.
• Prepare & present project status reports with team on budget, schedule, and running cost-to-date at regular intervals and ad-hoc as required.
• Utilize cross-functional feedback and develop relationships with other Heartland teams to elevate construction and design quality and delivery conditions.
• Strategically plan and review Owner-Contractor contract documents and qualifications, pre-bid conferences, and evaluations.
• Develop and implement a quality audit program, monitor contractor corrective actions, and ensure a quality project conforming to plans and specifications.
• Develop strategic reporting on external environmental pressures including construction industry trends, regional escalators, and supply chain constraints.
• Collaborate with Field Operations to ensure efficient handoff from construction completion to operating clinic.
• Delegate and strategically plan job assignments to facilitate both rapid growth and efficient construction management.
• Own development program management across the new unit pipeline, ensuring alignment between site selection, design, permitting, and construction milestones to hit target open dates.
• Collaborate on forward-looking delivery status from a large bench of developers.
• Contribute to regularly scheduled standards management, value engineering, and quality improvement exercises.
• Demonstrate ability to identify project risks, develop risk mitigation & contingency plans, & implement action plans to reduce or eliminate project risks and communicate the same to department leadership.
• Inspect select construction-in-progress for adherence to construction documents and specifications in support of the construction team.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (BA/BS/BEng/BArch) from a college or university in Construction Management, Architecture, or Engineering and 10+ years of commercial/corporate construction experience; other combinations of experience and education may be considered with demonstrated leadership experience.
• Experience managing fast-paced construction and design teams for a multi-unit brand.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to tailor those to a wide variety of audiences.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with Operations, peers, and cross-functional stakeholders to drive alignment and results.
• Strong ability to review and negotiate contracts.
• Experience working in a remote and traveling environment.
• Extensive project and program management experience.
• Extensive knowledge of building construction, building design & project management methodologies.
• Project Management related software experience (e.g., Lucernex, Procore, Ariba, ServiceChannel, etc.).
• Ability to travel overnight up to 50%.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience in Retail Construction or Design Management.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent communication and cross functional collaboration skills.
• Strategic thinker with a focus on process improvement and operational excellence.
• Proven ability to drive results in a fast paced, growth oriented environment.
• Adaptable and effective in managing change and evolving business needs. AutoCAD/Revit literacy strongly preferred.