Director of Construction - DER

Build the future, spark innovation and align your career with purpose.

McKinstry is innovating the waste and climate harm out of the built environment and creating lasting impact. Together, we’re building a thriving planet.

Buildings are a leading contributor to the climate crisis, generating nearly 40% of total global energy-related carbon emissions. We’re making a lasting impact on our industry and within our communities by addressing the climate, affordability and equity crises through:

• renewables and energy services
• engineering and design
• construction and facility services

To get where we’re going, we need big thinkers, problem solvers and collaborative mindsets. Does that sound like you?

We are seeking a Director of Construction - DER to support our growing Eco District Services - DER National team in Dallas, TX. This position is responsible for leading the Western US construction execution for Distributed Energy Resource (DER) projects, ensuring best-in-class safety, quality, financial, schedule, and client satisfaction outcomes across a diverse portfolio of renewable and resilient energy infrastructure projects.

Additional responsibilities may include:

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for construction execution across DER technologies, including solar PV, BESS, EV infrastructure, microgrids, and fuel cells.
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with contract requirements, technical standards, and client expectations.
• Establish and enforce consistent construction management standards, processes, and KPIs across the DER portfolio.
• Lead construction execution for EPC, Design-Build, and fixed-price projects, including self-perform and subcontracted scopes.
• Oversee construction planning, mobilization, execution, commissioning, and turnover activities across multiple regions.
• Ensure effective integration between engineering, procurement, and construction functions to support predictable project delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement in construction productivity, cost control, schedule performance, and risk management.
• Serve as a visible safety leader and champion a zero-incident culture across all DER construction activities.
• Partner with McKinstry Safety and Quality teams to ensure compliance with all OSHA, site‑specific, and client safety requirements.
• Ensure quality management plans are implemented and adhered to across all projects.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for safety incidents, quality issues, and near misses.
• Ensure commissioning, testing, and turnover processes meet contractual, regulatory, and client standards.
• Maintain project portfolio financial accountability for construction execution performance, including cost forecasting, margin protection, and change management.
• Review and approve construction budgets, schedules, and staffing plans.
• Monitor project financial health, cash flow, and earned value metrics across the portfolio.
• Ensure disciplined change order management and claims mitigation.
• Support accurate forecasting and reporting to executive leadership.
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and lead Construction Managers, Project Managers, Superintendents, and field leadership.
• Build scalable construction teams capable of delivering complex, multi‑site and utility‑scale DER projects nationally.
• Set clear performance expectations and hold teams accountable to McKinstry values and operational standards.
• Foster collaboration across construction, engineering, development, and supply chain teams.
• Support workforce planning aligned with projected growth in DER markets.
• Serve as an executive point of contact for key IPP, C&I, and utility clients during construction execution.
• Build and maintain trusted client relationships through proactive communication and issue resolution.
• Ensure client satisfaction through consistent delivery of contractual, technical, and commercial commitments.
• Participate in project kickoffs, executive progress reviews, and closeout meetings as required.
• Partner with Development, Sales, and Estimating teams during pursuit, preconstruction, and contract negotiations.
• Provide…