Director, Vertical Capital Projects Leader

Harris County; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 185,000 - 199,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Wellness program

Professional development

FSAs

457 plan

Retirement pension

Transit assistance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

PSLF eligibility

Job summary

Harris County is seeking a Director, Capital Projects to lead the vertical construction program within the Office of the County Engineer. You will guide multi-project delivery from design through warranty, ensuring compliance with codes and county criteria while balancing schedule and budget.

The role requires a strong engineering background, public-sector experience, and PMP or equivalent project controls expertise. It is a full-time, executive-facing position based in Houston, Texas.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or a closely related field.
• Registered Professional Engineer in Texas or eligible and able to obtain Texas P.E. within six months of employment.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain within six months, registration as a Registered Architect in the State of Texas or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for OCE’s vertical capital projects portfolio, overseeing multiple concurrent projects across all phases of design and construction.
• Establish division-wide project delivery standards, performance expectations, and priorities in alignment with County policies and OCE objectives.
• Exercise authority over the full lifecycle of vertical capital project delivery, including planning, design, permitting, procurement, construction, inspection, closeout, and warranty phases.
• Oversee and ensure compliance with building codes, life-safety requirements, accessibility standards, and County design criteria.
• Prepare, review, and support Commissioners Court agenda items, including professional services contracts, construction contracts, amendments, additional fees, change orders/field alterations, and funding requests.
• Provide strategic oversight and executive-level guidance to project managers and team leads on negotiations, scope development, risk management, and contractor performance.
• Establish and oversee quality assurance and quality control standards to ensure consistency, accuracy, and quality of project deliverables.
• Serve as a senior point of coordination and escalation for internal County departments, consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Direct, mentor, and hold accountable team leads, project managers, and technical staff for performance, professional development, and project outcomes.
• Determine staffing strategies and allocate resources across projects to support workload balance, efficiency, and timely delivery.
• Oversee project performance through management systems and review reporting on schedule, budget, risks, and delivery metrics for leadership.
• Provide leadership support during emergency response, recovery efforts, or high-priority County initiatives as required.

Skills

Vertical construction knowledge

Project controls software

Leadership

Budget and schedule management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Education

Engineering/Architecture/Construction Management degree

Texas PE license or architect registration eligibility

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Project management software

Job description

Harris County is seeking a Director, Capital Projects to lead the vertical construction program within the Office of the County Engineer. You will guide multi-project delivery from design through warranty, ensuring compliance with codes and county criteria while balancing schedule and budget.

The role requires a strong engineering background, public-sector experience, and PMP or equivalent project controls expertise. It is a full-time, executive-facing position based in Houston, Texas.