Senior Director Construction

XCORP AvalonBay Communities Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation and holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Employee stock purchase plan

Apartment discount

Job summary

AvalonBay is seeking a Senior Director to lead ground-up multifamily development delivery from preconstruction through stabilization. You will set standards, govern projects, and drive cross-functional alignment with Development, Design, Asset Management, Procurement, Finance, and Operations.

Responsibilities include leading budgets, forecasts, and contract awards while ensuring quality, financial objectives, and pro formas are met across multiple markets.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive construction leadership experience.
• Ground-up multifamily, mixed-use, residential, or commercial development experience.
• Proven experience leading large-scale development portfolios across multiple regions.
• Experience building and developing construction organizations.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects with substantial capital investments.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for planning, execution, and delivery of ground-up multifamily development projects.
• Establish construction standards, procedures, governance, and best practices across projects and regions.
• Partner with Development, Design, Asset Management, Procurement, Finance, and Operations to align construction with business objectives.
• Identify and mitigate portfolio-level risks related to schedule, budget, labor, procurement, and delivery.
• Lead preconstruction planning, budgeting, value engineering, and constructability reviews.
• Oversee budgets, schedules, forecasts, and overall construction performance across active developments.

Skills

Leadership

Portfolio management

Budgeting

Procurement

Contract negotiation

Executive communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

MS Project

Primavera P6

Cost control software

Job description

Senior Director, Ground‑Up Construction – responsible for overseeing the delivery of multifamily development projects from preconstruction through stabilization.

Responsibilities

Enterprise Construction Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for the planning, execution, and delivery of a portfolio of ground‑up multifamily development projects.
• Establish construction standards, operating procedures, governance structures, and best practices across all projects and regions.
• Partner with Development, Design, Asset Management, Procurement, Finance, and Operations leaders to align construction execution with business objectives.
• Identify and mitigate portfolio‑level risks related to schedule, budget, labor availability, procurement, and project delivery.

Project & Portfolio Oversight

• Provide executive oversight of project budgets, schedules, forecasts, and overall construction performance across multiple active developments.
• Lead preconstruction planning efforts, including budgeting, value engineering, procurement strategies, and constructability reviews.
• Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with quality standards, financial objectives, and development pro formas.
• Review and approve major contract awards, change orders, and project financial forecasts.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Directors, Project Executives, Project Managers, and construction professionals across multiple markets.
• Drive workforce planning, recruiting, succession planning, performance management, and leadership development initiatives.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Financial & Operational Management

• Oversee construction budgets totaling hundreds of millions of dollars in annual development activity.
• Monitor project financial performance, cash flow forecasts, contingency management, and cost reporting.
• Evaluate bids, negotiate major contracts, and ensure the organization achieves competitive pricing and strong project outcomes.
• Drive operational efficiencies and implement processes that improve predictability, scalability, and project performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Business, or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive construction leadership experience, with significant responsibility for ground‑up multifamily, mixed‑use, residential, or commercial development projects.
• Demonstrated experience leading large‑scale development portfolios and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience leading and developing construction organizations across multiple geographic regions.
• Proven success managing complex projects with substantial capital investment and executive‑level visibility. Multifamily development experience strongly preferred.
• Expert knowledge of ground‑up construction processes, building systems, delivery methods, scheduling, procurement, and risk management.
• Strong understanding of project financials, including development pro formas, forecasting, budgeting, and cost control.
• Exceptional leadership and organizational management capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and drive alignment across diverse business functions.
• Strong contract administration, negotiation, and vendor management experience.
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, communication, and executive presentation skills.
• Ability to oversee a geographically dispersed portfolio while managing competing priorities and strategic initiatives.

EEO Statement

AvalonBay is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an inclusive and diverse work environment free of discrimination and harassment. The company does not consider race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, military or veteran status, or any other protected status in employment decisions. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with legal requirements.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits include health, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with company match; paid vacation and holidays; tuition reimbursement; employee stock purchase plan; and more. Additional benefits such as a 20% discount on AvalonBay apartment homes are also available.