Executive Director of Project Management & Delivery

Society for College and University Planning; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas at Austin seeks an Executive Director of Project Management & Delivery to lead the design, procurement, construction, activation, and occupancy of UT Dell Medical Center and affiliated projects. The role requires executive accountability to ensure scope, budget, schedule, quality, safety, and stakeholder alignment.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive capital delivery experience for large academic medical centers or healthcare campuses, with strong governance navigation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, construction management or closely related field.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience leading large, complex capital programs from design through occupancy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the University’s designated design and construction executive; lead accountability for UT Dell Medical Center and affiliated projects program.
• Provide executive leadership across a portfolio of complex, interdependent projects and coordinate with university leadership, UT Dell Medicine, consultants, contractors, and program management teams.
• Drive design completion, procurement, construction, activation, and occupancy; remove barriers and drive delivery partner accountability.

Skills

Capital project leadership

Executive leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in architecture, engineering, construction management or closely related field

Job description

Executive Director of Project Management & Delivery

Austin, TX

Posted: 11/2/26
Deadline: 1/31/27

About This Organization

University of Texas at Austin

Job Duties

The University of Texas at Austin seeks an Executive Director of Project Management & Delivery focused on the UT Dell Medical Center & Affiliated Projects.

The Executive Director of Project Management & Delivery serves as the University’s designated design and construction executive and lead point of accountability for the successful delivery of the UT Dell Medical Center and affiliated projects program. The program includes the Academic Medical Center, Central Utility Plant, Site Infrastructure Development, and associated enabling projects that will support the future of healthcare, research, education, and patient care on the UT Dell Campus for Advanced Research.

Building on years of collaborative planning, the UT Dell Medical Center is advancing into construction in fall 2026 on its path to welcoming its first patients in fall 2030. The Executive Director will carry that momentum forward, leading the construction and delivery phase of one of the most significant academic medical center projects in the nation.

The Executive Director serves as the University’s lead owner representative and is accountable for achieving approved program objectives related to scope, budget, schedule, quality, safety, risk, design and construction interdependencies with operational readiness, and stakeholder alignment. The position provides executive leadership across a portfolio of highly complex and interdependent projects and serves as the primary point of accountability between University leadership, UT Dell Medicine leadership, consultants, contractors, and third-party program management teams.

The Executive Director leads from the front, maintaining a visible presence throughout design completion, procurement, construction, activation, and occupancy while driving critical decisions, resolving issues, removing barriers, and holding delivery partners accountable for performance. This individual serves as the University’s primary driver of project outcomes, ensuring alignment between executive objectives and field execution.

The ideal candidate is a proven capital delivery executive with extensive experience delivering large-scale academic medical centers, healthcare campuses, hospitals, research facilities, central utility plants, and related infrastructure programs. Success in this role requires exceptional expertise in construction delivery , procurement, commercial strategy, project controls, risk management , and healthcare facility activation, combined with the executive presence, political acumen, and emotional intelligence necessary to navigate complex institutional environments where governance structures, stakeholder interests, and organizational priorities frequently intersect.

Required Qualifications

The successful candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, construction management or a closely related field, and at least 15 years of progressively responsible experience leading large, complex capital programs from design through occupancy.

The University of Texas at Austin has retained Opus Partners to support this recruitment. KennaBoyd, Partner, and Marisea Rivera, Senior Associate, are leading the search.

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The university is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities and admissions.