Senior Director of Construction

Quality Branded; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Quality Branded in New York City seeks a Senior Director of Construction to lead internal construction efforts across new builds, planned projects, and emergencies. You will manage budgets, schedules, permit processes, and vendor relationships, ensuring alignment with design intent and operational needs.

You will direct owner-supplied procurement and coordinate with external PMs, GCs, and landlords, while reporting progress to senior leadership and maintaining risk transparency.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in construction, preferably restaurant or hospitality.
• Experience as owner or owner2s representative is preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, budgets, and schedules.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Quality Brandeds internal construction owner across new builds, planned projects, and emergencies.
• Partner with the CDO on predevelopment, lease review, and work letter negotiation.
• Lead due diligence, project setup, budgeting, scheduling, permitting, bidding, contractor oversight, documentation, and close out.
• Own budgets on directly managed projects and challenge those from external PMs, GCs, and vendors.
• Direct bids, vendor and contractor selection, and contractor performance; maintain a roster of trusted trades and consultants.
• Own owner-supplied procurement — furniture, lighting, specialty fixtures — from purchasing through delivery and installation.

Skills

Construction management

Budgeting & forecasting

Vendor & contractor management

Project scheduling

Stakeholder communication

Job description

Quality Branded is a group of upscale restaurants, which are owned and managed by father-son restaurateurs Alan and Michael Stillman with chef Craig Koketsu, including the flagship location of Smith and Wollensky, Quality Meats, Quality Italian New York and Denver, Quality Bistro, Zou Zou's, Chez Zou, Don Angie, San Sabino, Twin Tails, and Bad Roman NY and LA. Quality Branded provides equal opportunity with regard to all terms and conditions of employment.

About the Role

The Senior Director of Construction (SDC) serves as Quality Branded’s internal construction owner across new builds, in unit planned projects, construction related emergencies, and project specific owner supplied procurement. The role is accountable for due diligence, lease and work letter support, budgets, schedules, permitting, external PM oversight, contractor and vendor management, reporting, and handover to Operations. The SDC partners closely with the Senior Director of Design to keep design intent feasible, coordinated, and aligned with budget and schedule.

This role is meant to provide the internal leadership needed to direct external and internal partners, maintain standards, manage hands‑on construction priorities where needed, and elevate risks clearly with options and recommendations

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as Quality Branded's internal construction owner across new builds, planned projects, and emergencies.
• Partner with the CDO on predevelopment, lease review, and work letter negotiation — landlord obligations, utility needs, delivery conditions, schedule risk, and cost implications.
• Lead due diligence, project setup, budgeting, scheduling, permitting, bidding, contractor oversight, documentation, and close out.
• Own budgets on directly managed projects and challenge those from external PMs, GCs, and vendors, including change orders, contingency, allowances, and cash flow.
• Manage external PM partners, holding them to accurate reporting, open decision logs, and timely escalation.
• Direct bids, vendor and contractor selection, and contractor performance; maintain a roster of trusted trades and consultants.
• Own owner-supplied procurement — furniture, lighting, specialty fixtures — from purchasing through delivery and installation, with Design, Finance, and external PMs.
• Serve as the construction counterpart to the Senior Director of Design and the filter for leadership requests, translating ideas into scope, cost, and schedule before work goes active.
• Support restaurant-level execution with construction guidance, approved vendors, scope and pricing reviews, capital planning input, and emergency support.
• Take direct oversight of projects requiring permitting, landlord, design, or multi‑trade coordination.
• Report concisely on status, budget, schedule, risks, open decisions, and recommendations.
• Coordinate handover to Operations — punch lists, warranties, attic stock, manuals, close out documents, and vendor contacts.

Position Requirements:

• In office position in New York City
• Travel and/or extended travel may be required for out-of-state projects.
• Available to work various shifts, weekends, and holidays during critical project phases.
• Comfortable conducting site visits in active construction environments.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes:

• 10+ years of construction experience strongly preferred, ideally in restaurant, hospitality, high end retail, hotel, grocery, or other design driven commercial interiors.
• Owner side, owner’s representative, client side, or multi‑unit hospitality construction experience strongly preferred.
• Experience managing multiple projects concurrently, including major builds, smaller planned projects, and hands on construction priorities.
• Strong financial fluency and ability to manage budgets, forecasts, commitments, change orders, contingencies, owner supplied procurement costs, and cash flow with precision.
• Experience managing external PMs, GCs, contractors, vendors, consultants, landlords, internal stakeholders, and owner supplied procurement, including logistics, delivery tracking, installation coordination, and issue resolution.
• Ability to prioritize, problem solve, make prompt field decisions, and communicate clearly in English with contractors, vendors, consultants, employees, operators, and senior leadership.
• Hands on, detail oriented, composed under pressure, and comfortable operating in a high visibility entrepreneurial environment.

Quality Branded provides equal opportunity with regard to all terms and conditions of employment.