Director of Construction

Overview

Step into a leadership role where your expertise in construction directly supports wildlife conservation and community engagement. As Director of Construction, you'll oversee transformative projects that shape the future of animal habitats, guest experiences, and sustainable infrastructure across the Columbus Zoo Family of Parks. Your work will ensure that every project reflects the highest standards of quality, safety, and mission alignment.

Responsibilities

Project Management & Execution

• Manage the planning, scheduling, and execution of all capital improvement, renovation, and new construction projects across the Columbus Zoo Family of Parks (CZFP).
• Ensures that assigned construction projects are brought in on budget, on time and built to specifications by providing field supervision, quality control oversight and contractual construction procedure expertise.
• Act as the in-house general contractor on select projects, overseeing day-to-day construction operations, coordinating subcontracts and subcontractors, managing procurement, and ensuring work is performed to specification, on schedule, and within budget.
• Develop and maintain detailed construction reports, including progress updates, budget tracking, risk assessments, and project timelines; regularly present findings to senior leadership and other stakeholders to ensure transparency and informed decision-making.
• Assists in developing cost estimates for planned construction activities to support the prioritization of physical improvements and accurate capital budgets.

Compliance & Administration

• Ensure all construction activities comply with local, state, and federal building codes, ADA standards, OSHA safety regulations, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation requirements.
• Acts as CZFP's Prevailing Wage Coordinator.
• Manages construction administration procedures on assigned projects including but not limited to review of contracts, change orders, construction claims, payments, substantial completion and lien waivers.

Stakeholder Coordination & Communication

• Participates in preparation of bid packages and construction contracts and in the evaluation and selection of contractors' and General Contractor's proposals and bids.
• Acts as liaison between independent contractors and the organization in resolving issues by ensuring effective communication among all parties, by making the contactors responsible for their contract obligations and by taking appropriate corrective action where necessary.
• Provides the Vice President of Planning, Construction and Facilities with advice and support in long-term master planning and infrastructure assessments to ensure the zoo remains resilient and future ready.
• Assists the collective planning, construction and facilities teams by providing construction related support regarding appropriate project delivery systems, building material and systems standards; value engineering and permitting and testing procedures.

Mission Support & Guest Experience

• Integrate environmentally sustainable practices and innovative solutions into construction projects to support the conservation mission.
• Perform Guest Experience Duty as assigned, walking the park to assess operations from a guest perspective and ensure a high-quality visitor experience.
• Constantly strives to further the mission of the organization Empowering People. Saving Wildlife and avidly supports the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Zoombezi Bay, Safari Golf Club, The Wilds, and the Columbus Center for Wildlife Conservation.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• B.S. in construction management, engineering, or architecture required. Equivalent work experience may be substituted for degree.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in construction management/project estimating.
• Certifications such as PMP (Project Management Professional), CCM (Certified Construction Manager), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation, or other similar certifications is preferred.

Technical & Operational Skills

• Detailed experience with project management software (e.g., Procore, AutoCAD, Revit, MS Project) and digital construction documentation.
• Skilled in managing multimillion-dollar budgets, cost estimation, value engineering, and financial reporting.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends and holidays as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to independently plan and manage work in an efficient, cost-effective manner with minimal oversight.

Leadership & Communication

• Proven leadership abilities with a minimum of 2 years of relevant supervisory experience required.
• Proven ability to prioritize work and oversee multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for reporting to executives, presenting to boards, and engaging with donors or community stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively work with internal departments (animal care, education, guest services, etc.) and external partners (architects, contractors, engineers, etc.) to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships regarding company business required.

Compliance & Readiness

• Ability to provide excellent guest service by positively interacting with guests and upholding the guest service standards required.
• Proof of negative TB screening prior to placement and annually thereafter required.
• Possession of a valid state-issued motor vehicle operator's license and a good driving record required.
• Ability to adhere to the Columbus Zoo Family of Park's (CZFP) drug-free workplace policy including but not limited to pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion and follow-up treatment required.
• Ability to successfully complete a criminal history background check annually required.