Senior Real Estate Planning & Development Program Manager

UL Standards & Engagement; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 119,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement seeks a Senior Real Estate Planning & Development Program Manager to lead planning, controls, and governance for a complex capital program, coordinating cross-functional teams and external partners.

Based in Columbia, MD or DC, the role requires 8+ years in real estate/capital program delivery, PMP desired, and strong PMIS experience (Kahua/Procore/e-Builder). The position offers competitive pay and benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in real estate, architecture, engineering, construction management or business administration.
• PMP certification is desired.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in real estate development, capital project delivery, or related fields.
• Experience with large, multi-stakeholder capital programs (>$100M).
• Experience developing program controls (master schedules, cost models, risk registers, dashboards).
• Experience with science/research institutions or public policy is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and development activities for complex real estate and capital projects and translate objectives into program requirements.
• Manage program staff, consultants, designers, advisors, and delivery partners to meet objectives and quality standards.
• Lead program-level planning, controls, and governance across the full lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain program controls including schedules, cost models, risk registers, and dashboards.
• Administer governance processes to support accountability and timely decisions.
• Support contract development, compliance monitoring, and performance management for vendors.
• Coordinate internal and external stakeholders to maintain program alignment.
• Oversee PMIS implementation and document control workflows for scalable delivery.
• Manage multiple concurrent workstreams with scope, schedule, cost, and risk oversight.
• Contribute to additional real estate and cross-functional initiatives as needed.

Skills

Capital program management

Schedule development

Cost modeling

Risk management

Governance frameworks

PMIS platforms

Stakeholder alignment

Communication skills

Education

Real estate

Architecture

Engineering

Construction management

Business administration

Tools

Kahua

Procore

e-Builder

Job description

Job Description

At UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement, we know why we come to work.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Real Estate Planning & Development Program Manager at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement, based in our Columbia, MD or our Washington, DC, office. The Senior Real Estate Planning & Development Program Manager leads program planning, controls, and governance for UL Research Institutes’ and UL Standards & Engagement’s complex capital program. This role develops and maintains the program controls framework, coordinates cross-functional teams, and ensures effective governance, decision-making, and stakeholder alignment across internal functions and external partners.

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

At UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk, created new safety standards and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

What you’ll learn and achieve:

As the Senior Real Estate Planning & Development Program Manager you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Lead planning and development activities for complex real estate and capital projects, translating organizational objectives into program requirements, design criteria, and implementation strategies.

• Manage program staff, consultants, designers, advisors, and delivery partners to ensure achievement of program objectives, contractual obligations, performance expectations, and quality standards.

• Lead program-level planning, controls, and governance across the full capital program lifecycle, ensuring alignment with objectives and requirements.

• Develop and maintain program controls, including integrated master schedules, cost models, risk registers, reporting dashboards, and program status reporting.

• Administer governance processes, including charters, escalation protocols, phase-gate reviews, decision logs, and risk escalation frameworks to support accountability and timely decision-making.

• Establish and maintain compliance processes related to internal policies, contract requirements, funding obligations, approvals, audit readiness, and documentation standards.

• Support contract development, administration, compliance monitoring, and performance management for consultants and service providers.

• Facilitate coordination among internal stakeholders and external partners, driving alignment, documenting decisions, resolving issues, and maintaining program consistency.

• Oversee implementation and optimization of Project Management Information Systems (PMIS), document control workflows, standardized templates, processes, and tools to support scalable program delivery.

• Manage multiple concurrent workstreams, monitoring scope, schedule, cost, risk, and Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) compliance while ensuring successful program delivery and alignment with priorities.

• Contribute to and/or lead other real estate planning and development–specific andcross‑functionalinitiatives as needed.

What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement:

For the organizations across the UL enterprise, corporate and social responsibility isn’t new. We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

• People : Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require.

• Interesting work : Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.

• Grow and achieve : We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.

• Values : Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

• Total Rewards : All employees at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes :

• Comprehensive knowledge of the capital program/project lifecycle and responsibilities of all parties across all phases of delivery.

• Advanced capability in schedule development, cost modeling, earned value concepts, change management, and risk management practices.

• Strong understanding of governance frameworks, escalation structures, and structured decision‑making processes within complex programs.

• Familiarity with Owner-Developer-Architect-Contractor team structures and industry-standard contract frameworks (e.g., AIA).

• Proficiency in PMIS platforms and document control systems supporting large capital programs (e.g., Kahua, Procore, e-Builder, or equivalent).

• Ability to integrate complex data sets (schedule, cost, risk, stakeholder inputs) into clear, actionable insights.

• Demonstrated ability to align cross‑functional teams and external partners.

• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to produce structured, accurate, and concise documentation.

• Ability to recognize when issues exceed delegated authority and elevate appropriately with clear framing and recommendations.

• Proven ability to manage concurrent priorities and maintain control across multiple program workstreams.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Bachelor’s degree in real estate, architecture, engineering, construction management, business administration, or a related field.
• PMP certification is desired.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in real estate development, capital project delivery, capital program management, owner’s representative services, or related fields, including at least 4 years of people leadership and management experience.
• Experience with large, multi‑stakeholder capital programs exceeding $100M in value
• Experience developing program controls from the ground up (i.e., master schedules, cost models, risk registers, reporting dashboards)
• Experience working with scientific research, academic or research institutions, and experience working with public policy, nonprofit, and/or mission‑driven organizations are desired.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well‑being.

Learn more about us and the offered benefits, visit our websites at UL.org and ULSE.org.

Salary Range:

$119,260.28-$163,982.88

Pay type:

Salary