Director of Design and Construction

Fitch Irick Corporation; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Fitch Irick Corporation in Charlotte, NC seeks a Director of Design & Construction to lead and scale in-house design and construction for a growing affordable housing pipeline. You will serve as the senior owner’s representative, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery with high design quality and compliance.

The role requires a licensed architect, 10+ years of experience, and a proven ability to build and mentor a design team while expanding the in-house capability for garden-style, mid-rise,

Qualifications

• Professional degree in Architecture (B.Arch or M.Arch) from an accredited program.
• Licensed Registered Architect (RA) in good standing, currently licensed in North Carolina or South Carolina, or able to obtain licensure promptly.
• NCARB Certificate holder, or eligible, with the ability to secure reciprocal licensure across Fitch Irick’s active markets.
• 10+ years of progressive experience across architectural practice and construction or owner-side project management.
• Experience leading design and construction for multifamily housing, including garden-style and mid-rise/podium or wrap construction types.
• Proven ability to hire, develop, and lead professional staff.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Familiarity with affordable housing, LIHTC, or publicly funded developments.
• Owner/developer-side experience managing consultants and general contractors.
• Experience developing prototype or standardized product designs for a repeatable pipeline.
• Occupied rehabilitation experience, including phasing, relocation planning, and existing-conditions assessment.
• Senior housing design experience, including Fair Housing, ADA, and Section 504 accessibility compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for the design and construction phases of the development portfolio.
• Establish and maintain design, construction, and project management standards across all projects.
• Build scalable systems, templates, and controls to grow from ~1,000 to 2,500 units delivered annually.
• Contribute to feasibility analyses, schedules, and budgets during early development.
• Identify risks and develop mitigation strategies related to cost, schedule, constructability, and delivery.
• Advise the Chief Development Officer on pipeline capacity, staffing needs, and consultant selection.
• Direct and oversee architects, engineers, and consultants through all design phases.
• Develop and own a prototype and product standards program spanning garden-style and podi um/ wrap construction types.
• Ensure design solutions align with budgets, funding requirements, resident experience, and long-term asset performance.
• Lead value engineering efforts and major design decisions.
• Review and approve design deliverables, cost estimates, and constructability analyses.
• Ensure compliance with building codes, accessibility requirements, sustainability goals, and funder design standards.
• Oversee project budgets, schedules, and reporting across the portfolio.
• Serve as senior owner’s representative during construction.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Decision making

Design leadership

Team building

Education

Architectural degree (B.Arch/M.Arch)

Licensed RA (NC/SC)

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Excel

Job description

POSITION SUMMARYThe Director of Design & Construction provides strategic and hands-on leadership for the design, construction, and close-out of Fitch Irick’s affordable housing development pipeline. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role serves as the senior owner’s representative through design and construction, and is accountable for delivering projects on time, on budget, and in full compliance with funding, regulatory, and quality standards.This is a build-the-function role, not a maintain-the-function role. Fitch Irick is currently starting 800–1,000 units per year and scaling toward 2,500 units annually. The Director will design the systems, standards, and team required to absorb that growth — recruiting and mentoring their own project management bench rather than inheriting one.The pipeline is presently weighted toward new construction — garden-style walk-up, mid-rise and wrap product, and senior housing — with acquisition and rehabilitation representing a growing share of future activity. Fluency across both new development and occupied rehabilitation is increasingly important to this role.We are seeking a licensed architect for this position. The ideal candidate brings a designer’s judgment to owner-side execution: someone who can sit across the table from an architect of record as a peer, drive design quality and constructability upstream where it is cheapest to influence, and — over time — build an internal design capability within the company.THE OPPORTUNITY: BUILDING IN-HOUSE DESIGN CAPABILITYFitch Irick is a vertically integrated affordable housing platform. Design is the function we intend to bring in-house, and this role leads that effort.We are explicit about this ambition because it should shape who applies. The immediate mandate is to establish disciplined design and construction management at scale — the standards, controls, and team that make a growing pipeline predictable. As that foundation holds, this leader will be positioned to develop the business case for, and then lead, an in-house architectural division: defining its scope, staffing model, licensure footprint, and role in the development process.Sequencing matters. We are not asking one person to do all of this at once, and we are not looking for someone who wants to skip the first phase. We are looking for a leader who executes the near-term work exceptionally well and has the ambition and capability to build what comes next.Prior experience founding, leading, or scaling an architectural studio or in-house design group is a meaningful differentiator.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESPortfolio & Strategic LeadershipProvide overall leadership for the design and construction phases of the development portfolioEstablish and maintain design, construction, and project management standards across all projectsBuild the scalable systems, templates, and controls required to grow from ~1,000 to 2,500 units delivered annuallyContribute to project feasibility analysis, schedules, and budgets during early developmentIdentify risks and develop mitigation strategies related to cost, schedule, constructability, and deliveryAdvise the Chief Development Officer on pipeline capacity, staffing needs, and consultant selectionEvaluate contracting approaches and recommend the appropriate delivery method by project typeDesign LeadershipDirect and oversee architects, engineers, and consultants through all design phasesDevelop and own a prototype and product standards program spanning garden-style and podium/wrap construction types to reduce design cycle time and cost across a repeatable pipelineEnsure senior housing designs address accessibility, aging-in-place, and resident-services requirements beyond code minimumsEnsure design solutions align with project budgets, funding requirements, resident experience, and long-term asset performanceLead value engineering efforts and major design decisionsReview and approve design deliverables, cost estimates, and constructability analysesEnsure compliance with building codes, accessibility requirements, sustainability goals, and funder design standardsConstruction OversightProjects are delivered through third-party general contractors.Serve as senior owner’s representative during constructionOversee general contractor performance related to schedule, cost, quality, and safetyStrengthen the general contractor bench through prequalification, bid strategy, and contract structure to support pipeline growthEvaluate major change orders and recommend a course of action to the assigned project Developer, including cost and schedule impact analysisReview pay applications and construction cost reportsParticipate in key construction meetings, site visits, and milestone inspectionsResolve escalated construction and design issues in coordination with project teamsRehabilitation & PreservationLead design and construction scoping for acquisition/rehabilitation projects, including physical needs assessments and existing-conditions due diligenceDirect planning for occupied rehabilitation — phasing, unit turn sequencing, and resident relocation coordinationOversee environmental and hazardous materials protocols, including lead-based paint and asbestos abatementEnsure rehabilitation scopes satisfy accessibility retrofit obligations and funder capital needs requirementsProject Controls & Close-OutOversee project budgets, schedules, and reporting across the portfolioEnsure timely completion of inspections, punch lists, and substantial completionDirect project close-out activities, including warranties, as-builts, and final documentationCoordinate and support agency close-out requirements, including cost certifications and lender/funder documentationTeam Building & DevelopmentRecruit, hire, and lead a new team of Design & Construction Managers and/or Project Managers sized to the growing pipelineDefine roles, workload allocation, and career paths as the function scalesMentor and develop staff, providing guidance on project execution and professional growthLead the evaluation of architects, engineers, and construction consultants, and manage those relationships once engagedBuild and maintain strong relationships with general contractors and public agency partnersCross-Functional CollaborationEach project is led by an assigned project Developer. The Director provides technical evaluation and recommendations; the Developer holds decision authority on the following:Selection of design consultants — lead the qualification, interview, and evaluation process and recommend the teamSelection of general contractors — lead prequalification and bid evaluation and recommend the awardChange orders — analyze merit, cost, and schedule impact and recommend acceptance, negotiation, or rejectionPartner with Development leadership on project planning, entitlements, and funding strategiesCoordinate with Finance on budgets, cash flow, and draw processesSupport Asset Management during transition from construction to stabilized operationsProvide regular portfolio-level reporting to senior leadershipQUALIFICATIONSRequiredProfessional degree in Architecture (B.Arch or M.Arch) from an accredited programLicensed Registered Architect (RA) in good standing, currently licensed in North Carolina or South Carolina, or able to obtain licensure promptlyNCARB Certificate holder, or eligible, with the ability to secure reciprocal licensure across Fitch Irick’s active markets — currently North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia — and across additional states as the platform expands10+ years of progressive experience across architectural practice and construction or owner-side project managementDemonstrated experience leading design and construction for multifamily housing, including garden-style and mid-rise/podium or wrap construction typesProven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and teamsStrong command of construction documents, budgeting, scheduling, and contract administrationExperience hiring, developing, and leading professional staffExcellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skillsPreferredSignificant experience with affordable housing, LIHTC, or publicly funded developmentsExperience founding, leading, or scaling an architectural studio or in-house design groupOwner/developer-side experience managing consultants and general contractorsExperience developing prototype or standardized product designs for a repeatable pipelineOccupied rehabilitation experience, including phasing, relocation planning, and existing-conditions assessmentSenior housing design experience, including Fair Housing, ADA, and Section 504 accessibility complianceFamiliarity with HUD, RAD, or Section 8 recapitalization and preservation transactionsFamiliarity with agency inspections, cost certifications, and complex close-out requirementsAdditional credentials such as PE, PMP, CCM, LEED AP, or CPHCExperience developing or refining organizational design and construction standardsCOMPENSATION & BENEFITSCompensation is competitive and commensurate with experience, licensure footprint, and depth of affordable housing background, with upward growth expectations as the platform scales and the role expands.Fitch Irick offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plan participation, paid time off, and support for professional licensure, continuing education, and industry association membership.WORK ENVIRONMENTThis role is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is an in-office position and is not available on a remote basis. Relocation assistance is available for candidates outside the region.Combination of office, job site visits, and meetings with internal and external partnersRegional travel required based on project locations