Senior Director - Construction

Kaiva Corp; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaiva Tech, LLC in the DMV Area is seeking a Senior Director of Construction to provide executive oversight and strategic leadership across the construction portfolio. The role focuses on scaling operations, improving profitability, and delivering high-quality projects through standardized processes and strong governance.

The Senior Director will mentor senior project leaders, drive capture and proposal efforts, and partner with the executive team to expand existing accounts while ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent construction leadership experience.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible construction operations or leadership.
• Experience overseeing multiple projects or a portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive oversight across the Construction Business Unit.
• Develop and implement standardized construction processes and controls.
• Lead strategic growth, capture planning, and customer relationship management.
• Ensure safety, quality, and contractual compliance.
• Mentor and develop directors, project executives, and site leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

Executive communication

Project management

Risk management

Contract management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Deltek

Costpoint

Unanet

Job description

Kaiva Tech, LLC is seeking a Senior Director - Construction in DMV Area(DC/VA/MD).

Position Summary

The Senior Director of the Construction Business Unit will provide executive oversight, operational guidance, and hands‑on support across the construction portfolio. The Senior Director is responsible for strengthening the organization’s construction operations and positioning the business unit for sustainable, scalable growth.

Leadership Expectations

The Senior Director is expected to operate as a collaborative, hands‑on executive who can balance strategic leadership with direct project and team support. This individual must be comfortable establishing structure, holding teams accountable, building trusted relationships, and helping the Construction Business Unit grow without sacrificing execution quality, profitability, or customer service.

This role will develop and implement standardized best practices, tools, processes, controls, and procedures that improve project execution, financial performance, risk management, and organizational accountability. Working in close partnership with the Executive Team, Construction Business Unit leadership, and project teams, the Senior Director will identify new opportunities, strengthen customer and industry relationships, contribute to capture and proposal efforts, and facilitate the expansion of existing accounts.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Business Unit Leadership and Strategy

• Partner with executive leadership to establish and execute the strategic direction of the Construction Business Unit.
• Develop an operating model that supports growth, consistent project delivery, profitability, and accountability.
• Translate organizational objectives into measurable business unit priorities, performance expectations, and execution plans.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and guidance to directors, project executives, program managers, project managers, superintendents, and support personnel.
• Promote collaboration and alignment across operations, contracts, finance, business development, human resources, and shared services.

Operational Excellence

• Develop, document, and implement construction best practices, standard operating procedures, tools, templates, and management controls.
• Establish consistent processes for project startup, planning, scheduling, budgeting, procurement, subcontract management, change management, quality control, safety, closeout, and lessons learned.
• Implement project governance practices that provide leadership with timely and accurate visibility into project status, financial performance, risks, and corrective actions.
• Strengthen forecasting, work‑in‑progress reporting, cost‑to‑complete analysis, cash‑flow management, and project‑level financial accountability.
• Evaluate existing systems and recommend tools or process improvements that increase efficiency, consistency, and scalability.
• Ensure project teams maintain complete, accurate, and timely documentation.

Project and Portfolio Oversight

• Provide executive oversight of assigned construction projects and strategic programs.
• Conduct regular project reviews focused on schedule, cost, quality, safety, contractual requirements, staffing, procurement, and customer satisfaction.
• Identify emerging project risks and work with project teams to establish mitigation and recovery plans.
• Support the resolution of complex operational, contractual, subcontractor, customer, and performance issues.
• Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with contract requirements, organizational standards, and established financial targets.
• Assist with resource planning and the allocation of personnel across the construction portfolio.

Business Development and Relationship Management

• Partner with business development and construction leadership to identify, qualify, capture, and secure new construction opportunities.
• Support customer engagement, opportunity shaping, capture planning, proposal development, pricing strategy, presentations, and contract negotiations.
• Develop and maintain relationships with customers, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, strategic partners, and other industry stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing customer relationships, increase contract value, and secure follow‑on work.
• Provide operational and technical input into bids to ensure proposed approaches, schedules, staffing plans, and pricing assumptions are executable.
• Represent the company at customer meetings, site visits, industry events, and strategic partner discussions.

Performance Management and Continuous Improvement

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators for safety, schedule performance, profitability, forecasting accuracy, change management, quality, customer satisfaction, and project closeout.
• Analyze project and business unit performance to identify trends, recurring challenges, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead post‑project reviews and ensure lessons learned are incorporated into future project planning and execution.
• Develop training, mentoring, and professional‑development initiatives that strengthen the capabilities of construction personnel.
• Promote a culture of ownership, transparency, continuous improvement, collaboration, and high performance.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure construction activities comply with contractual requirements, applicable laws and regulations, company policies, safety requirements, and quality standards.
• Partner with Contracts, Legal, Finance, and Compliance teams to identify and manage contractual, financial, operational, and regulatory risks.
• Support compliance with federal contracting requirements when applicable, including subcontracting, documentation, reporting, and project‑specific requirements.
• Maintain appropriate management controls to protect the company’s financial, contractual, and reputational interests.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree. Equivalent construction leadership experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in construction operations, project management, program management, or business unit leadership.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing multiple construction projects or a significant project portfolio.
• Strong knowledge of construction project controls, scheduling, estimating, procurement, subcontract management, change management, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Experience developing and implementing standardized construction processes, procedures, tools, and performance controls.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage organizational change, and improve operational performance.
• Experience supporting business development, proposal development, customer engagement, or account growth.
• Strong executive communication, negotiation, problem‑solving, and relationship‑management skills.
• Ability to travel to project sites, customer locations, and company offices as required.
• Ability to obtain security clearance (if candidate does not already possess a clearance).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with federal, tribal, state, municipal, and other government construction contracts.
• Experience managing design‑build, general construction, infrastructure, electrical, telecommunications, security, or specialty construction projects.
• Professional certification such as PMP, CCM, DBIA, LEED AP, or an equivalent industry credential.
• Experience with construction management, accounting, scheduling, and project‑control systems.
• Established relationships within relevant government or commercial construction markets.
• Security Clearance (Secret or Above).

Key Performance Indicators

• Improved consistency and accountability across construction projects.
• Increased project profitability and forecasting accuracy.
• Improved schedule, cost, quality, safety, and closeout performance.
• Successful implementation and adoption of standardized construction processes and tools.
• Early identification and resolution of project risks.
• Strong customer satisfaction and increased repeat business.
• Growth in qualified pipeline, new awards, and existing customer accounts.
• Development and retention of high‑performing construction personnel.
• Effective collaboration between the Construction Business Unit and corporate support functions.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced leadership, strategic thinking, and decision‑making capabilities.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to manage project profitability and performance metrics.
• Excellent communication and executive‑level presentation skills.
• Ability to lead multiple complex priorities in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment.
• Advanced knowledge of project management methodologies, tools, and systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and enterprise systems such as Deltek, Costpoint, Unanet, or similar platforms.

Reporting Structure

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Direct Reports: Director of Construction

Working Conditions:

The position operates in a professional office, remote, field, customer‑site, or operational environment as required by the division and may require occasional travel in support of business needs.