Vice President of Construction & Development

Description

Who We Are:

HPI is a full-service commercial real estate firm serving Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston with over 30 years of experience developing, managing, and investing in commercial real estate. This 360-degree perspective gives us the expertise to maximize investment value while navigating any real estate challenge. Backed by the best staff in the industry, our mission is to build trusting relationships with our clients through proven results, professional integrity, and exceptional service. 

Position Summary

The Vice President of Construction and Development is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for HPI’s commercial construction, redevelopment, tenant improvement, and development activities. This position oversees projects from initial planning, budgeting, and feasibility through design, permitting, construction, and final delivery, ensuring projects are completed on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with HPI’s quality standards and investment objectives.

The Vice President works closely with executive leadership, asset management, property management, leasing, finance, architects, engineers, general contractors, municipalities, legal counsel, and other stakeholders to execute construction and development strategies that enhance property value, support tenant satisfaction, and advance HPI’s business objectives.

Requirements

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership and Department Management

• Develop and implement construction and development strategies aligned with HPI’s corporate objectives and real estate investment plans.
• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to construction and development personnel, project managers, and external project partners.
• Establish departmental goals, performance standards, project controls, and reporting procedures.
• Evaluate staffing needs, organizational structure, resource allocation, and opportunities to improve departmental efficiency.
• Provide executive leadership with regular updates regarding project performance, capital requirements, risks, and strategic opportunities.

2. Construction and Development Project Management

• Oversee commercial construction, ground-up development, redevelopment, renovation, capital improvement, and tenant improvement projects.
• Manage the full project lifecycle, including feasibility analysis, due diligence, design development, budgeting, permitting, bidding, procurement, construction, and project closeout.
• Establish project schedules, budgets, milestones, quality standards, and performance expectations.
• Monitor project progress and implement corrective action when schedule, budget, quality, or scope objectives are at risk.
• Coordinate project handoffs to property management and ensure appropriate documentation, warranties, training, and operational readiness.
• Ensure construction activities are coordinated with leasing brokers, tenant occupancy expectations, building operations, and existing property requirements.
• Attend sales pitches and strive to earn external business.

3. Budgeting and Financial Oversight

• Prepare and oversee project budgets, construction cost estimates, cash flow projections, and capital expenditure forecasts.
• Review and approve project proposals, change orders, contractor pay applications, purchase orders, and other expenditures within delegated authority.
• Monitor project costs, contingencies, commitments, and forecasted costs to complete.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and value-engineering alternatives without compromising safety, functionality, or quality.
• Partner with finance, accounting, asset management, and investment teams to evaluate project returns, financial feasibility, and capital allocation.
• Provide accurate financial reporting and timely notification of material budget variances.

4. Design, Planning, and Entitlements

• Oversee coordination with architects, engineers, consultants, and design professionals to develop project plans consistent with HPI’s standards and investment objectives.
• Evaluate risks, site conditions, project feasibility, preliminary budgets, schedules, and potential development constraints.
• Coordinate zoning, permitting, entitlement, utility, environmental, and other governmental approval processes as applicable.
• Review construction documents, specifications, proposed materials, and building systems for functionality, constructability, cost efficiency, and long-term operating performance.
• Support due diligence and feasibility assessments for potential acquisitions, redevelopment opportunities, and new development projects.

5. Contractor and Vendor Management

• Establish and maintain relationships with qualified general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, and other construction professionals.
• Oversee contractor selection, competitive bidding, contract negotiations, and procurement strategies.
• Evaluate contractor qualifications, pricing, schedules, safety metrics, and past performance.
• Ensure construction contracts, scopes of work, insurance requirements, warranties, and change management procedures are appropriately documented.
• Hold project partners accountable for contractual obligations, performance standards, schedule commitments, and quality expectations.
• Resolve contractor disputes, project delays, and construction-related issues in coordination with legal counsel and executive leadership when necessary.

6. Quality Control and Compliance

• Ensure projects comply with applicable building codes, accessibility requirements, environmental regulations, zoning ordinances, permitting requirements, and other applicable laws.
• Oversee identification and mitigation of construction, financial, contractual, environmental, and operational risks.

7. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with property management, leasing, asset management, finance, accounting, and investment teams to align construction activities with property-level and portfolio objectives.
• Support leasing initiatives through tenant improvement budgeting, preliminary space planning, construction coordination, and delivery schedule management.
• Work with property management to identify capital improvement priorities and evaluate building systems, deferred maintenance, and long-term capital needs.
• Coordinate construction activities to minimize disruption to tenants, occupants, and ongoing property operations.
• Communicate project status, decisions, and material changes to internal stakeholders in a timely and professional manner.

8. Reporting and Project Management

• Develop and maintain standardized project reporting, including budget status, schedule performance, cost forecasts, risk assessments, and project milestones.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators for construction and development activities.
• Evaluate completed projects to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improved processes and performance.
• Maintain appropriate project records, contracts, approvals, budgets, schedules, and closeout documentation.
• Proactively track permit expirations and other relevant deadlines.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Real Estate Development, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education and directly relevant professional experience may be considered.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in commercial construction, real estate development, construction management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience managing teams, complex projects, or multiple concurrent construction and development initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience managing commercial real estate projects from planning and budgeting through construction completion and turnover.
• Experience overseeing project budgets, contractor relationships, construction contracts, schedules, and risk management.
• Experience with commercial office, industrial, retail, mixed-use, or other commercial real estate assets preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong and steady leadership, organizational, and team development capabilities.
• Comprehensive understanding of commercial construction methods, building systems, project scheduling, budgeting, and cost control.
• Knowledge of real estate development processes, including due diligence, entitlements, permitting, design, procurement, and construction delivery.
• Ability to interpret construction drawings, specifications, contracts, budgets, and project schedules.
• Strong financial analysis, negotiation, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities while maintaining accountability for results.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to build productive relationships with executives, tenants, investors, contractors, consultants, and government representatives.
• Proficiency in project management, scheduling, budgeting, and construction reporting software.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, ethical business practices, and continuous improvement.

Performance Expectations and Key Performance Indicators

Performance will be evaluated based on the following, as applicable to the assigned portfolio and delegated responsibilities:

• Delivery of projects within approved budgets and established schedules.
• Accuracy of project cost estimates, financial forecasts, and reporting.
• Construction quality, building functionality, and successful project closeout.
• Effective management of contractors, consultants, and internal project teams.
• Compliance with building codes and contractual requirements.
• Timely completion of tenant improvements and coordination with leasing commitments.
• Identification and mitigation of project risks and cost overruns.
• Achievement of development objectives and approved financial targets.
• Effective collaboration with property management, asset management, leasing, and executive leadership.
• Development and retention of a high-performing construction and development team.

Working Conditions

This position requires a combination of office-based work, construction site visits, project meetings, and travel to HPI properties and development sites as needed. Site visits may involve exposure to active construction environments.

Why HPI Real Estate

Our values of passion, teamwork, and a Texas-sized competitive spirit are what make our team the best in the industry. We take pride in our homegrown culture that encourages opportunities for professional and personal growth. If you share these values and are looking to work for the leading commercial real estate firm in Texas, you have come to the right place. We invest in our employees and offer exceptional benefits like:

- Health, dental and vision insurance 

- 401k with a safe harbor company match 

- PTO and paid company holidays 

- Paid life insurance 

- Maternal/Paternal leave

HPI provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of