Director of Construction - DER

Build the future, sparkinnovationand align your career with purpose.

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

Buildings are a leading contributor to the climate crisis, generating nearly 40% of total global energy-related carbon emissions.

We’remaking 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 wherewe’regoing, we need big thinkers, problemsolversand 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 San Francisco, CA
. 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 constructability…