Project Director - Southeast Region

HMSHost; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) with company match

Life insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Training and career growth

Referral program

Job summary

HMSHost is seeking a Project Director to provide oversight and construction management for restaurant and retail development projects in the Southeast Region, requiring 75% travel and local residency. You will coordinate general contractors, design teams, and regulators to ensure quality, schedule, and budget adherence.

The role demands 8+ years in design/build management within food service/retail, a related degree, and strong leadership capabilities.

Qualifications

• Combination of education and experience exceeds 8 years; leadership in D&C preferred.
• 8+ years design/build management/construction experience in food service and retail industries.
• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering or construction management can count for 3 of the eight-year requirement.

Responsibilities

• Oversee field construction activities and coordinate general contractors, vendors, and external project managers.
• Direct architecture/engineering consultants from plan development through approvals.
• Manage submittals/approvals with building, aviation, and health departments; arrange deposits and bonds as required.
• Lead contractor qualification, selection, negotiation/bidding, and contracting; approve change orders within budget.
• Collaborate with Estimating and Design teams on project estimates during Analyze Phase.
• Coordinate with Procurement for timely bidding, ordering, and delivery of owner furnished items.
• Attend internal development meetings and required construction progress meetings as the construction lead.
• Provide regular construction status updates to stakeholders and airport clients.
• Manage project financial forecast; prepare construction authorization requests; report variances to leadership.
• Prepare explanations for budget overruns; assist Business Development with reimbursements.

Skills

Leadership

Construction management

Budgeting / cost control

Scheduling

Contract negotiation

Vendor coordination

Team leadership

CAD

Bluebeam

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture/Engineering/Construction Management

MBA or related Master’s degree

Hospitality/retail industry experience 3–5 years

Tools

CAD

Estimating software

Adobe Acrobat

Bluebeam

Job description

With a career at HMSHost, you really benefit! We Offer

• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Generous paid time off (vacation, flex or sick)
• Meal and Transportation Benefits
• *401(k) retirement plan with company match
• *Company paid life insurance
• *Tuition reimbursement
• Employee assistance program
• Training and exciting career growth opportunities
• Referral program – refer a friend and earn a bonus

*Benefits may vary by position so ask your recruiter for details.

Purpose:

The purpose of the Project Director is to provide project oversight and construction management services for restaurant and retail development projects while ensuring conformance to quality, schedule, and budget. The Project Director will oversee the Southeast Region and must reside locally.

Essential Functions:

• Oversees all field construction activities and leads all internal & external resources/coordination related to the construction process including general contractors, signage vendors, kitchen equipment contractors, casework/fixture vendors, A/V vendors, and external project managers
• Oversees our external architecture and engineering consultants and leads them from plan development through aviation/municipal approvals
• Oversees all aviation, building department, and health department submittals/approvals of construction documents as mandated by airport & local municipalities; partners with Project Administrators to provide required construction deposits and bonds as required
• Oversees contractor qualification, selection, negotiation/bidding and contracting on assigned construction projects. Analyzes and approves all change orders within approved budget
• Partners with Estimating and Design Team in project estimate development during the Analyze Phase to ensure accurate estimates
• Partners with Procurement team on timely bidding, ordering, and delivery of owner furnished items
• Attends and serves as construction lead for all internal development meetings (OPTIMA or similar), aviation pre-construction meetings, and required construction progress meetings
• Oversees project schedule and provides regular and timely construction status updates to internal team, external partners/vendors, brand representatives, and airport client as required
• Manages project financial forecast throughout development cycle, prepares construction authorization requests and provides regular financial forecast updates, and communicates variances to leadership as required by policy
• Prepares detailed, timely explanations for budget overrun/variance requests or post-audits; provides documentation to Business Development team, as needed, for reimbursement/relief from landlords
• Oversees project closeout process to ensure timely close-outs of projects including submission of Certified Cost Statements, As-Built Drawings, and airport mandated closeout package

Reporting Relationship

This position reports to the Senior Director, Design & Construction

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment

Education and Experience The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 8 years:

• In a leadership role: Requires 3 years of experience leading a team of D&C professionals
• In a technical role: Requires 8 years of years design/build management/construction experience in the food service and retail industries
• A bachelor’s degree in in architecture, engineering or construction management or a program related to the functional area can count for 3 of the eight-year requirement
• An MBA or a master’s level degree in a program related to the functional area can count for an additional 2 years of the eight-year requirement
• In the industry: Hospitality, F&B and/or Retail experience 3-5 years

Specialized Training

• Requires advanced project management skills to manage multiple projects and tasks effectively
• Requires demonstrated working knowledge of design, estimating, architect/general contractor oversight, scheduling, project budgeting, and cost control. Requires knowledge of CAD, estimating, and graphic software (Adobe Acrobat & Bluebeam)
• Knowledge of state and federal building codes and applicable regulations and statutes

Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits

• Business acumen and also has the mindset required to understand the long-term implications of Functional planning and to advance the organizations goals
• Demonstrated history of understanding the needs of the business, stakeholders, the employee population and individual circumstances
• Demonstrated history of creating and maintaining positive work environments through coaching, developing, and leading teams to achieve common goals

Location/Travel

• Requires ability to travel 75% of the time for meetings and to visit branch locations
• Can be located close to any major metropolitan US airport within the assigned region to optimize travel time and expenses.

Avolta, including Dufry, HMSHost Corporation, Hudson, and affiliates (“the Company”), is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity in all aspects of employment and to comply with anti-discrimination laws andregulations. The Company prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal opportunities to applicants and team members withoutregard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, age, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, national origin, disability, military service and veteran status, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances (referred to as “protected characteristics”).

Source: HMSHost