Senior Director, Construction & Development

Museum of Ice Cream; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Annual bonus

Stock options

PTO and sick time

Medical, dental, vision

Employee development opportunities

16 free museum tickets per year

50% off retail products

Job summary

Museum of Ice Cream in Los Angeles is seeking a Construction and Development Lead to oversee the expansion of its museums. You will manage the entire pipeline of new openings, ensuring cost-effective and timely construction.

The ideal candidate has 15+ years of experience in managing complex construction projects and a strong background in contract administration. This role includes collaboration with design teams and oversight of project budgets, timelines, and contractor relationships, ensuring each venue meets the company’s standards.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in construction project management, managing complex builds over 15,000 sq ft.
• Experience negotiating work letters and tenant improvement allowances.
• Proficient in contract administration and project scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Manage the general contractor relationship and construction timelines.
• Coordinate with the design team from the concept phase.
• Track budgets and manage cost risks across projects.

Skills

Construction project management

Contract administration

Expertise in construction methodologies

Negotiation skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management

Master’s degree in architecture or construction management

Tools

Procore

MS Project

Primavera

Job description

Museum of Ice Cream is scaling its permanent museum footprint from five locations to ten-plus over the next three years. Los Angeles opens as our flagship. Orlando and Atlanta follow in the same calendar year. Each location is a 15,000–30,000 square foot permanent experiential venue — immersive environments, themed food and beverage, retail, and play-forward activations built to operate at high volume, day in and day out.

My role is the construction and development authority for that entire pipeline. I will transition into full ownership of the new museum opening process, build out the repeatable infrastructure, and serve as the owner’s representative across every active project. I will partner with the Head of Design and Production, who owns the creative and experiential vision, and provide the check on complexity, cost, and buildability at every stage.

This position is a construction and development leadership role, not a production or technical design role. MOIC has dedicated teams for experience design, production, and technical design; I do not manage those functions.

Responsibilities

• Owns and manages the general contractor relationship, bid process, and contract structure on every project.
• Drives the construction timeline from lease execution through turnover and punch list.
• Ensures every work letter negotiation positions MOIC correctly before a lease is signed.
• Selects and manages the GC, subcontractor, and vendor ecosystem across all active markets.
• Coordinates with the design team from the earliest concept phase — not to constrain vision, but to price reality into it before decisions are locked.
• Serves as the internal check on design decisions that drive cost without proportionate guest experience or brand value.
• Finds cost‑effective construction and specification solutions that achieve the intended aesthetic and experiential effect.
• Lead all base construction project management for new museum openings. Own the full project timeline from site handover through construction completion, FF&E installation, and punch list.
• Manage general contractors, architects and consultants across all active projects.
• Build and maintain integrated schedules that sequence base construction, tenant improvement, experience installation, and food and beverage fit‑out.
• Track and manage budgets across all projects — flag cost risk early, drive value engineering decisions in partnership with the design team.
• Partner with the real estate and legal team to ensure every work letter captures the right landlord obligations before execution.
• Review and negotiate tenant improvement allowance structures, base building delivery conditions, and landlord work scopes.
• Identify building issues and lease terms that create downstream construction risk — access, code compliance, MEP capacity, structural limitations.
• Investigate and understand AHJ requirements related to department requirements, building permits, local code constraints and idiosyncrasies related to the MOIC occupancy demands.
• Engage with the Design and Production team at the earliest stage of each project to surface buildability and cost implications.
• Maintain a clear view of which design decisions drive meaningful guest experience or brand value and which add cost without proportionate return.
• Bring alternative construction and specification approaches that achieve the intended effect at lower cost and with less complexity.
• Flag curved walls, custom fabrication, non-standard materials, and specialty installations early — with real cost data attached.
• Own the relationship between the Museum in a Pint design standard and the actual cost model for each new build.
• Build the master construction playbook for MOIC — standardized specifications, preferred vendor lists, GC relationships by market, BOH setup protocols, and FF&E procurement guides.
• Design the model so each new location requires localization of finishes and theming, not reinvention of layout, systems, or base construction logic and methods.
• Document lessons learned from every opening so the next project starts smarter.
• Create the cost model that allows leadership to underwrite new sites with confidence before a lease is signed.
• Develop and maintain preferred GC, subcontractor, and consultant relationships in each market.
• Run competitive bid processes that evaluate contractors on performance and experience, not just price.
• Build relationships with specialty subcontractors relevant to MOIC’s specific build requirements: themed fabrication, specialty lighting, food and beverage equipment, play structure installation.

Must Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management or Masters degree in architecture, construction management highly preferred.
• 15+ years in construction project management, with direct experience managing complex builds at the 15,000 square foot and above scale.
• Expertise in contract administration, construction methodologies, project scheduling, permitting, and procurement.
• Working knowledge of MEP systems, commercial F&B fit-out, health code permitting, and specialty systems integration.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver large-format venues at $10M or greater project value on time and on budget across multiple simultaneous projects.
• Experience negotiating work letters, tenant improvement allowances, and landlord delivery conditions.
• Must have professional writing skills and experience managing and producing written correspondence to landlords, developers, and lease-related legal counsel.
• Experience managing the payment application process using AIA G702 and G703 process.
• Proficiency with project management software including Procore, MS Project, and/or Primavera.
• Expertise in construction methodologies, project scheduling, permitting, procurement, and contract administration including the management of responses to submittals and RFIs.
• Ability to read a set of construction documents and identify cost risk, constructability issues and evaluate different cost options to achieve design and operational intent.
• Experience selecting and managing general contractors, running competitive bid processes, and holding GC performance accountable through punch list and closeout.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills. Experience solving logistical problems and mediating conflicts on site.

Nice to Haves

• Project Management Accreditation such as CCM.
• Background from regional or location-based entertainment division, or experiential venue or flagship level F&B, social clubs, or amusement concept construction environments.
• Experience with play-forward physical environments: obstacle courses, climbing structures, immersive rooms, sensory spaces, and custom themed fabrication.
• Experience coordinating and integrating show or attraction systems such as AV, lighting control, specialty effects and interactive technology.
• Track record of pushing back on design complexity with data — not to kill ideas, but to find the path to the effect at lower cost.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Annual bonus
• Stock options
• PTO and sick time
• Medical, dental, vision
• Perks including ClassPass, commuter discounts, employee assistance program, and unlimited ice cream
• Employee development opportunities
• 16 free museum tickets per year for friends and family, with free entry for self
• 50% off retail products
• Ability to advance within the organization.

The salary range for this role is $160,000 – $200,000 USD, dependent on experience, as well as an annual bonus and options.

Museum of Ice Cream is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.