Executive Director of Capital Planning and Modernization

The Executive Director of Capital Planning & Modernization provides enterprise-level leadership, strategic direction, and owner governance for Portland Public Schools’ capital improvement and school modernization portfolio and executive oversight of the District’s real estate, planning and design, and non-capital construction functions.

The Executive Director, reporting to the Senior Chief of Operations, serves as the District’s senior owner representative for voter-approved capital programs, ensuring that significant public investments advance District priorities, educational and operational needs, long-range facility strategy, and commitments made to voters and the community. Rather than providing day-to-day construction or project management for bond-funded projects, the Executive Director holds the external program manager and other major partners accountable for performance and ensures appropriate District oversight of portfolio scope, budget, schedule, quality, risk, compliance, and outcomes.

The Executive Director also provides executive oversight of the District’s real estate portfolio, planning and design activities, and non-capital construction program.

The Executive Director advises executive leadership and the Board of Education on complex capital and real estate decisions, emerging risks, competing priorities, and long-term investment strategies. The position ensures PPS maintains the institutional knowledge, governance systems, owner capabilities, and planning discipline necessary to successfully deliver current voter-approved commitments, manage its physical asset portfolio, and prepare for future capital needs.

• Provide executive leadership for the District’s capital improvement and school modernization portfolio, establishing strategic priorities, governance frameworks, performance expectations, and decision‑making structures aligned with District goals, long‑range facility needs, and commitments to voters and the community. "E"
• Translate District strategy and facility needs into an integrated capital investment strategy; advise executive leadership and the Board on priorities, sequencing, affordability, tradeoffs, and long‑term implications of major capital decisions. "E"
• Govern portfolio performance and risk across projects, establishing measures and escalation thresholds for scope, schedule, budget, contingency, quality, compliance, and other key outcomes; direct corrective strategies when performance deviates from expectations. "E"
• Evaluate significant changes to project scope, budgets, sequencing, delivery strategies, and capital priorities; make or recommend decisions within delegated authority and elevate consequential matters to executive leadership or the Board. "E"

• Serve as the District’s executive owner representative and primary executive accountable for oversight and performance of the external Owner’s Representative/Program Manager portfolio of work . "E"
• Establish clear roles, decision rights, deliverables, performance expectations, and accountability among the District, Owner’s Representative/Program Manager, architects, engineers, contractors, and other capital program partners. "E"
• Evaluate the Owner’s Representative/Program Manager against contractual obligations and District expectations for cost, schedule, forecasting, risk, project controls, quality, reporting, and overall program performance. "E"
• Maintain sufficient independent District oversight to critically evaluate external recommendations, assumptions, forecasts, and risks; establish escalation protocols and require corrective or recovery actions when significant performance concerns arise. "E"