Director, Construction – Retail Store Development (North America)

About the Role

The Director of Construction is responsible for the strategic planning, coordination, and execution of all construction activities across the retail store fleet in North America, including New Store Openings, Major Remodels, and potentially Minor Remodels.

Guided by long-term business objectives and enterprise growth strategies, this role shapes the future direction of the Construction function and significantly influences store development and capital investment strategies. The Director establishes policies, standards, and operating models that drive sustainable performance and portfolio-level results.

This position requires comprehensive technical expertise in retail construction and deep working knowledge of related disciplines including real estate, finance, legal, operations, and regulatory compliance. The Director applies advanced professional judgment to manage risk related to cost, quality, schedule, and compliance while ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and brand standards.

The Director leads multi-layered, geographically dispersed teams and ensures strong alignment between corporate strategy and field execution. This role regularly influences senior leadership decisions and represents the company in high-impact internal and external engagements.

What You'll Do

Strategic & Enterprise Leadership

• Develop and execute multi-year construction and capital investment strategies aligned with corporate objectives.

• Contribute significantly to the future direction of the Construction sub-function and Store Development function.

• Establish, maintain, and evolve governance frameworks, operating models, and construction policies.

• Translate enterprise strategy into scalable execution plans and performance expectations.

• Represent Construction in enterprise planning, capital governance, and investment forums.

Project Planning & Delivery

• Oversee planning, execution, and closeout of new stores, major remodels, and potentially minor remodels.

• Ensure consistent delivery against approved scope, budget, schedule, and quality standards.

• Manage high-impact, complex, and time-sensitive projects critical to business performance.

• Lead teams in solving novel and abstract problems without established precedents.

Financial & Portfolio Management

• Own end-to-end accountability for project capital planning, budgeting, forecasting, and results.

• Monitor portfolio performance and optimize capital deployment.

• Perform advanced financial and quantitative analysis to support strategic decisions.

• Balance short-term execution priorities with long-term asset and portfolio sustainability.

Vendor, Partner & External Relations

• Lead competitive bidding, negotiation, and contract award processes.

• Develop and maintain a high-performing, cost-competitive network of general contractors, suppliers, and consultants.

• Conduct formal and informal vendor performance evaluations.

• Negotiate complex commercial, contractual, and regulatory matters at senior levels (VP+).

• Represent the company in dealings with landlords, municipalities, regulatory agencies, and strategic partners.

• Build and leverage industry relationships to monitor and respond to market and competitor trends.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Serve as primary construction liaison to Real Estate, Legal, Finance, Store Operations, Field Leadership, Loss Prevention, and Technology.

• Ensure seamless integration of construction activities within broader enterprise processes.

• Align construction execution with operational readiness, brand requirements, and customer experience goals.

• Anticipate and adapt to evolving business partner needs.

Quality, Risk & Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain expert knowledge of applicable building codes, labor laws, environmental standards, accessibility requirements, and landlord obligations.

• Interpret and apply regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada.

• Assess and mitigate enterprise-level risks related to cost, schedule, safety, and compliance.

• Ensure consistent application of quality and safety standards across the portfolio and general contractor network.

Team Leadership & Organizational Management

• Lead and manage multiple teams of construction managers, project managers, and technical professionals whether in-house or outsourced.

• Provide leadership, guidance, and performance management to direct reports and team members.

• Allocate resources and workload to support portfolio priorities.

• Develop leadership pipelines, succession plans, and scalable organizational structures.

• Drive engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Innovation & Problem Solving

• Evaluate complex and dynamic situations using multiple internal and external data sources.

• Filter, prioritize, analyze, and validate information to support sound decision-making.

• Develop new techniques, tools, and frameworks to improve delivery and performance.

• Introduce and lead change initiatives effectively in fast-changing environments.

Reporting & Governance

• Provide executive-level reporting on portfolio performance, risks, and forecasts.

• Maintain KPIs and dashboards to support transparency and governance.

• Support senior leadership in long-term capital planning and enterprise initiatives.

Who You Are

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field (required).

• Advanced degree or professional certifications (preferred).

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive construction management experience in multi-site retail or commercial development.

• 5+ years in senior leadership or director-level roles.

• Proven experience managing large, geographically dispersed portfolios.

• Experience operating in both U.S. and Canadian markets preferred.