Head of Headquarters Development - FirstBank Corp.

FirstBank; San Juan (PR); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstBank Corp in Puerto Rico is seeking an experienced Owner’s Representative for Project APEX, the bank’s new corporate headquarters campus. You will provide strategic leadership, oversee the full project lifecycle, align with scope, budget, schedule, and quality, and report to executives.

This high-visibility role requires coordinating with executives, partners, consultants, contractors, and regulators, driving governance, risk management, and financial stewardship to ensure on-time occupancy

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil, Structural, Mechanical, or related discipline or Architecture.
• Active professional license (PE or Licensed Architect) in Puerto Rico or ability to obtain within 6 months.

Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end leadership and accountability for planning, design, permitting, construction, commissioning, and occupancy of the new corporate headquarters campus.
• Ensure delivery of the project in accordance with approved scope, budget, schedule and quality.
• Establish governance frameworks, reporting structures and performance metrics for the project.
• Serve as the Bank's primary representative and advocate through all phases of the project lifecycle.

Skills

Project leadership

Budgeting & cost control

Stakeholder management

MS Project/Primavera P6/Procore

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil/Architectural/Engineering

Master's degree desirable

Tools

MS Project

Primavera P6

Procore

Job description

At FirstBank Corp, we strive to be trusted advisors to our clients, and our employees are the ones that ensure we deliver on our promise of excellence in personalized customer service. Our more than 3,100 employees in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Florida share a passion for excellent customer service. We are proud of our team because they are continuously surpassing our client’s expectations.

Do you have a passion for helping customers, building relationships, and delivering extraordinary, personalized customer service? If your answer is yes, FirstBank is the number one place for you.

A Brief Overview

Serve as the FirstBank Corp designated Owner’s Representative and single point of accountability for the successful delivery of Project APEX, FirstBank Puerto Rico’s new corporate headquarters campus. Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all phases of the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with approved scope, budget, schedule, quality, and business objectives. Act as the primary liaison among executive leadership, project partners, consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies, while driving governance, financial stewardship, risk management, and stakeholder alignment. This highly visible role maintains regular interaction with the COO and CEO, providing project updates, facilitating key decisions, and escalating critical issues to support the successful execution of this landmark capital investment.

What you’ll do

• Provide end-to-end leadership and accountability for the planning, design, permitting, construction, commissioning, and occupancy of the new corporate headquarters campus.
• Ensure delivery of the project in accordance with approved scope, budget, schedule, quality standards, and strategic objectives.
• Establish project governance frameworks, reporting structures, performance metrics, and decision-making protocols.
• Serve as the Bank's primary representative and advocate throughout all phases of the project lifecycle.

Capital Budget & Financial Management

• Oversee development, forecasting, administration, and control of the project's capital budget, contingency reserves, and owner-funded expenditures.
• Monitor project costs, cash flow, payment applications, change orders, and financial performance indicators.
• Coordinate with Finance, Legal, and external funding stakeholders to ensure compliance with financing requirements and funding disbursement processes.
• Lead value engineering and cost management initiatives while maintaining project objectives and quality standards.

Program & Schedule Management

• Direct the execution of an integrated, fast-track project delivery strategy with overlapping design, permitting, procurement, and construction phases.
• Maintain and monitor the master project schedule, identifying critical path activities and potential schedule impacts.
• Develop and implement mitigation plans to address delays, permitting challenges, and execution risks.
• Ensure timely project delivery through disciplined milestone management and performance monitoring.
• Lead the management of the Progressive Design-Build partnership and oversee all architectural, engineering, construction, and specialty consulting engagements.
• Negotiate, administer, and enforce project-related agreements, including contract modifications, claims, and change management processes.
• Review and approve project proposals, technical recommendations, scope adjustments, and commercial terms.
• Ensure alignment of external partners with project objectives, performance expectations, and accountability standards.
• Direct interior planning, space programming, and workplace strategy for corporate offices, customer-facing facilities, employee amenities, and public spaces.
• Partner with business leaders to identify operational requirements and translate them into effective design solutions.
• Ensure workplace environments support organizational goals, employee experience, operational efficiency, and future growth.

Executive Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Develop executive-level reports, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations for senior leadership and the Board of Directors.
• Communicate project performance, key decisions, emerging risks, and strategic considerations to executive stakeholders.
• Facilitate governance meetings and support timely decision-making regarding project scope, budget, schedule, and risk trade-offs.
• Build alignment among internal and external stakeholders with competing priorities and interests.

Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, environmental regulations, permitting requirements, accessibility standards, sustainability objectives, and corporate security requirements.
• Oversee quality assurance, testing, inspections, commissioning activities, and readiness assessments.
• Promote adherence to resilience-focused design standards and industry best practices throughout project execution.
• Lead the identification, assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of project risks related to cost, schedule, design, constructability, regulatory approvals, and stakeholder impacts.
• Provide executive leadership with proactive risk assessments and recommendations to support informed decision-making.
• Escalate critical issues and implement corrective actions to protect project objectives and business interests.

Additional Responsibilities

Perform other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

Bachelor's degree in Civil, Structural, Mechanical, or related discipline or Architecture from an accredited university is required for this position. At least 11 years of progressive experience in construction project management, with at least 5 years managing large-scale commercial or institutional projects (>$50MM in value). Master's Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Project Management, or MBA is desirable.

Active professional license (PE or Licensed Architect) valid in Puerto Rico or ability to obtain within 6 months of hire is required for this position. Project Management Professional (PMP), LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) certifications are desirable.

• Strong written and verbal communication for reports, presentations, in Spanish and English.
• Demonstrated experience as an owner's representative or internal project manager on headquarters, corporate campus, Class A office tower, or equivalent institutional construction projects
• Proven track record managing Progressive Design-Build or similar integrated delivery methods with open-book cost control.
• Direct experience with budget management on projects exceeding $100MM, including cost estimation, value engineering, cash flow management, and contingency planning.
• Experience managing multi-phase, fast-track construction schedules with overlapping design, permitting, and construction activities
• Hands-on experience with interior space planning and programming for corporate/institutional environments.
• Familiarity with Puerto Rico construction regulations, permitting processes (multi-agency), and local market conditions is strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of architectural and engineering design processes, construction methods, materials, and building systems (structural, MEP, envelope, interiors).
• Ability to translate complex architectural, engineering, and construction concepts into clear, actionable insights for executive decision-making.
• Expertise in project management tools and methodologies (MS Project, Primavera P6, Procore, or equivalent).
• Strong financial acumen — budgeting, forecasting, earned value analysis, and cost control on large-scale capital projects
• Contract administration expertise — AIA, DBIA, and/or custom design-build agreements
• Knowledge of sustainable design practices, LEED certification processes, and energy-efficient building systems
• Understanding of hurricane-resistant construction standards and resilience-focused design relevant to the Caribbean

Physical Demands

• Frequent site visits to the construction site throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ability to navigate active construction sites, including walking on uneven terrain, climbing ladders/stairs, and wearing required PPE.
• Occasional extended hours during critical project milestones (design reviews, permitting deadlines, construction phase transitions).
• Occasional travel may be required for vendor meetings, material inspections, or benchmarking visits

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills required of personnel so classified. The reporting relationship may not reflect the most recent changes to the corporate reporting structure.