Project Executive – Civic / Higher Education

NW Recruiting Partners; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

HSA/FSA, Employee Assistance Program,

401(k) with matching

Generous ESOP program

Paid time off and paid holidays

Job summary

NW Recruiting Partners seeks a Project Executive to lead civic and higher education projects from planning through closeout. You will drive client satisfaction, team performance, financial results, and risk management while maintaining project quality and safety.

The role requires strong leadership, deep civic/higher education construction knowledge, and a proven ability to develop teams and long-term client relationships across campuses and agencies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible construction experience leading complex projects.
• Experience in civic construction and/or higher education projects.
• Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders in active or occupied environments.
• Knowledge of preconstruction, estimating, scheduling, contracts, and safety.
• Experience with GC/CM, CM/GC, design-build, or negotiated methods preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and accountability for multiple projects in varying phases of planning, preconstruction, construction, and closeout.
• Partner with clients, design teams, consultants, and internal leaders to set goals and strategies.
• Oversee project financial performance, including budgets, forecasts, cost controls, and cash flow.
• Guide contract review, risk allocation, and issue resolution with operations leadership and legal resources.
• Ensure schedules, procurement plans, staffing plans, quality programs, and recovery strategies.
• Review project performance with PMs and Superintendents, addressing schedule, cost, safety, and client concerns.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Team development

Risk management

Contract negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field

Tools

BIM/VDC tools

Job description

Project Executive – Civic / Higher Education

Our client, a well-established and employee-owned contractor, is seeking an experienced Project Executive to provide leadership and oversight across complex civic and/or higher education projects.

The Project Executive will lead multiple projects from early planning and preconstruction through closeout, with responsibility for client satisfaction, team performance, financial results, risk management, and operational consistency. The ideal candidate will bring strong leadership experience, deep knowledge of civic or higher education construction, and a proven ability to develop teams and long-term client relationships.

Project Executive Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and accountability for multiple projects in varying phases of planning, preconstruction, construction, and closeout.
• Partner with clients, design teams, consultants, and internal leaders to establish project goals, delivery strategies, and clear expectations.
• Oversee project financial performance, including budgets, forecasts, cost controls, change management, cash flow, and overall profitability.
• Guide contract review, negotiation, risk allocation, and issue resolution in collaboration with operations leadership and legal resources when appropriate.
• Ensure project teams develop and maintain effective schedules, procurement plans, staffing plans, quality programs, and recovery strategies when needed.
• Review project performance with Project Managers and Superintendents, addressing schedule, cost, safety, quality, and client concerns, early.
• Promote a strong safety culture and reinforce accountability across project teams and trade partners.
• Support preconstruction, estimating, and pursuit teams with constructability, phasing, logistics, risk analysis, budgets, proposals, and interviews.
• Build long-term relationships with owners, campus stakeholders, public agencies, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and community partners.
• Help identify and secure future work within targeted civic and higher education markets.
• Identify staffing needs and mentor, coach, and develop Project Managers, Project Engineers, and other emerging leaders.
• Promote consistent business systems, lessons learned, and cross-project collaboration to improve operational performance.

Project Executive Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or a related field, or the equivalent in professional experience.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible construction experience, including leadership of complex projects and project teams.
• Demonstrated experience in civic construction and/or higher education projects.
• Experience managing work in active or occupied environments and coordinating multiple stakeholders, phasing requirements, and complex logistics.
• Strong knowledge of preconstruction, estimating, scheduling, contracts, cost management, change management, quality, and safety.
• Experience with public procurement and collaborative delivery methods such as GC/CM, CM/GC, design-build, or negotiated work, is preferred.
• Proven ability to manage risk, resolve conflict, and maintain trusted client relationships while protecting project and company interests.
• Working knowledge of project management, scheduling, and BIM/VDC tools.
• Strong leadership, communication, decision-making, and team-development skills.

Company Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• HSA/FSA, Employee Assistance Program, Life, Disability, and Pet Insurance
• 401(k) with matching
• Generous ESOP program
• Paid time off and paid holidays

Compensation: $180K - $240K salary (DOE), plus bonus