Director of Construction - DER
Listed on 2026-02-16
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Management
Operations Manager, Program / Project Manager -
Engineering
Operations Manager
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?
The Opportunity with Mc KinstryWe are seeking a Director of Construction - DER to support our growing Eco District Services - DER National team in Seattle, WA. 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 input, execution strategy, staffing plans, and risk assessments during bid and proposal phases.
- Participate in bid reviews, risk workshops, and contract reviews to ensure executable project scopes.
- Support growth of McKinstry's national DER EPC platform through disciplined execution and repeat client success.
- Demonstrated proficiency in leading national construction operations for renewable energy or infrastructure EPC projects.
- 12+ years of progressive construction leadership experience, with at least 5+ years in a senior leadership role.
- Proven experience delivering solar, BESS, EV infrastructure, microgrids, or fuel cell projects at scale.
- Strong background working with Independent Power Producers, C&I clients, and utility customers.
- Deep understanding of EPC contracting, risk management,…
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