Associate Director - Higher Education

The role

You will oversee a portfolio of higher education projects and lead a team of project managers. This player-coach role involves managing academic buildings, research facilities, and campus infrastructure while maintaining client relationships.

What you will do

• Oversee delivery of multiple concurrent academic buildings, research facilities, student housing, campus infrastructure, and multi-building capital programs.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of project managers and assistant PMs.
• Serve as the primary relationship owner for university administrators, college facilities departments, and higher education boards.
• Support business development efforts through proposals and interviews.
• Ensure projects comply with state higher education construction requirements, campus master plans, and institutional standards.
• Collaborate with firm leadership on resource allocation, hiring, and operational improvements.
• Step in as senior project leadership on complex or high-visibility engagements.
• Travel to project sites and client locations as needed.

Required qualifications

• 12-18 years in construction project management, program management, or owner's representation.
• Track record managing $50M+ higher education capital projects or portfolios of multiple concurrent projects.
• Experience supervising and developing project managers or junior staff.
• Strong working relationships with university administrators, college facilities departments, and higher education boards.
• Excellent communication skills—written, verbal, and presentation.
• Willingness to travel to project sites and client locations as needed.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.

Nice to have

• Owner's representative or program management consulting background.
• Extensive experience in colleges, universities, and research institutions.
• Experience with research facility construction, campus infrastructure programs, and institutional governance processes
• CCM, PMP, PE, RA, or LEED AP certification.

Benefits

• A leadership role with real influence over how your team and portfolio operate.
• Competitive compensation plus performance-based incentives.
• Equity participation opportunity as you grow with the firm.
• A technology-forward platform.
• A path to Director as the firm expands.
• Flexibility to work remotely while traveling to project sites as needed.

About the company

Brookwood Group has been protecting owner interests in construction since 1989. The firm manages construction programs across healthcare, education, government, and commercial sectors.