VP of Design & Construction

Summary

Our client is an established real estate development firm with projects throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County . They are seeking an experienced Vice President of Design & Construction to provide strategic leadership and oversight across the design and construction lifecycle of their development projects.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an accomplished real estate development and construction professional who can oversee projects from early-stage planning and design through construction and final delivery. The successful candidate will work closely with ownership and other key stakeholders while managing architects, engineers, general contractors, consultants, and additional project partners to ensure projects are executed to the firm's standards.

The Vice President of Design & Construction will play an integral role in project planning, design management, budgeting, scheduling, construction oversight, and risk management. This individual should combine strong technical construction knowledge with the commercial judgment and leadership capabilities required to successfully represent an owner/developer throughout the development process.

This position is based in Irvine, CA , supporting projects primarily throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County , with an anticipated hire within the next 30 days .

Duties & Responsibilities

- Design & Preconstruction Leadership

Lead and oversee the design and preconstruction phases of development projects.

- Manage and coordinate architects, engineers, consultants, and other design professionals throughout the design process.

- Review design documents for constructability, cost, quality, schedule, and alignment with project objectives.

- Provide strategic input during conceptual design, design development, and construction documentation.

- Lead value engineering efforts while maintaining the overall design intent and quality of each project.

- Identify potential design and construction risks early in the development process and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.

- Construction Management & Project Delivery

Provide executive-level oversight of construction projects from preconstruction through completion and closeout.

- Oversee general contractors and other project partners to ensure construction is progressing in accordance with approved plans, budgets, schedules, and quality standards.

- Monitor project performance and proactively address construction, scheduling, cost, and coordination challenges.

- Conduct regular project reviews and site visits to assess progress, quality, safety, and overall execution.

- Ensure timely resolution of field issues, design conflicts, RFIs, change orders, and other project-related matters.

- Drive projects toward successful completion while maintaining accountability across internal and external project teams.

- Budgeting & Cost Management

Develop, review, and manage construction budgets throughout the development lifecycle.

- Evaluate contractor pricing, estimates, bids, change orders, and cost proposals.

- Monitor project costs and forecasts and identify potential budget impacts before they become critical.

- Partner with ownership and project stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding project scope, cost, schedule, and quality.

- Support contractor and consultant procurement, negotiations, and selection as required.

- Scheduling & Project Controls

Establish and monitor project schedules in coordination with contractors, consultants, and internal stakeholders.

- Track key project milestones, critical path activities, and long-lead items.

- Identify potential schedule risks and implement strategies to maintain project timelines.

- Provide clear reporting to ownership and leadership regarding project progress, budgets, schedules, risks, and key decisions.

- Consultant & Contractor Management

Lead the selection, coordination, and management of architects, engineers, general contractors, and specialty consultants.

- Establish clear expectations for project performance, communication, documentation, and accountability.

- Build productive relationships with project partners while ensuring the owner's interests remain protected.

- Review consultant and contractor performance and address issues affecting project execution.

- Facilitate effective communication between design teams, construction teams, ownership, and other stakeholders.

- Executive Leadership & Development Strategy

Serve as a senior construction and design resource to ownership and company leadership.

- Provide strategic recommendations regarding project feasibility, design, construction methodology, cost, scheduling, and risk.

- Support the evaluation of prospective development opportunities from a design and construction perspective.

- Help establish and continuously improve company standards, processes, and best practices for design and construction management.

- Represent the ownership group professionally in meetings with contractors, consultants, municipalities, and other project stakeholders.

Qualifications & Requirements

- Required Experience

Significant experience leading design and construction for real estate development projects .

- Proven experience managing projects from design and preconstruction through construction, completion, and closeout.

- Strong owner-side, developer-side, or comparable construction leadership experience.

- Demonstrated experience managing architects, engineers, general contractors, consultants, and other external project partners.

- Strong experience with construction budgeting, scheduling, procurement, change management, and project controls.

- Experience overseeing multiple stakeholders and complex project requirements.

- Southern California construction and development experience strongly preferred.

- Technical & Construction Knowledge

Comprehensive understanding of the full real estate development, design, and construction lifecycle.

- Strong knowledge of construction methods, materials, sequencing, estimating, and constructability.

- Ability to review and interpret architectural, structural, civil, MEP, and construction documents.

- Strong understanding of construction contracts, RFIs, submittals, change orders, schedules, and project documentation.

- Working knowledge of permitting, entitlement, and regulatory processes as they relate to project design and construction.

- Ability to evaluate construction budgets, estimates, bids, and contractor proposals from an owner's perspective.

- Leadership & Professional Skills

Executive-level leadership and decision-making capabilities.

- Strong commercial judgment with the ability to balance design quality, cost, schedule, and risk .

- Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.

- Ability to effectively represent ownership when working with contract