Director of Design, Construction, and Capital Planning

About the Opportunity
Capital Planning, which includes coordination and oversight of capital construction projects, is a unit assigned to the Finance and Administration Division of the UNC System Office. The Director of Design, Construction and Capital Planning provides system-level leadership, oversight, and strategic direction for capital planning, design and construction standards, and major capital initiatives across the University of North Carolina System's constituent institutions.

This position influences billions of dollars in capital assets across the UNC System and directly impacts institutional infrastructure, academic growth, safety, compliance, and long-term financial stewardship. The Director ensures that capital investments are strategically aligned, fiscally responsible, and compliant with state and UNC system requirements. This position ensures alignment of institutional capital priorities with System strategic goals, Board of Governors policies, state capital budgeting processes, and applicable regulatory requirements. The Director serves as the primary liaison between the UNC System Office, campus facilities leadership, the State Construction Office (SCO), the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM), other state agencies, and external stakeholders regarding capital development, design standards, contracting requirements, and construction oversight. This position also maintains oversight of the systemwide capital program by reviewing and managing capital project information in Interscope.

As a member of the Finance Division, this position works directly with the Vice President for Capital Planning and Finance and collaboratively with the UNC System institutions and SCO to ensure compliance with all regulatory and legal requirements and UNC policies and procedures for capital projects and capital planning. The position also works with OSBM regarding capital budget requests and approvals.

This position is a hybrid work arrangement and will work at least three days per week onsite at the Dillon building in downtown Raleigh's Warehouse District. UNC System employees are generally required to reside in North Carolina, within a 2-hour commuting distance of their assigned duty station.

About the UNC System Office

The UNC System Office includes the offices of the President and other senior administrators of the multi-campus University of North Carolina System. The UNC System is a treasured public institution dedicated to serving the people of North Carolina through world-class teaching, research, and community engagement. Today, nearly 250,000 students are enrolled in our 16 universities across the state and at the NC School of Science and Mathematics. System Office staff is responsible for executing the policies of the UNC Board of Governors and providing University-wide leadership in the areas of academic affairs, business and financial management, long-range planning, student affairs, research, legal affairs, and government relations. The UNC System Office also has administrative oversight of a number of University affiliates, including PBS North Carolina, the North Carolina Arboretum, the NC State Education Assistance Authority, and University of North Carolina Press.

About the Team
The Finance and Administration division works as staff to the UNC
Board of Governors, president, and chief financial officer to support the
financial management of the UNC System. This includes the areas of budget
development and execution, facilities, real property, capital construction,
debt management, procurement policy, tuition and fee development, efficiency
efforts, and analysis of policy changes with a fiscal impact.

Support for university
capital planning, design, and construction is provided under the direction of
the vice president for finance and capital planning. The office is
responsible for supporting universities and affiliates in the development of
capital budget requests and approval by the Board of Governors and other
governmental entities. The office also assists in capital project
execution; coordinating with universities, affiliates, and state agencies; and
approval of selected design and construction contracts.

Minimum Education, Experience, and Skills
Professional degree in architecture or bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, facilities planning, or a related field and a minimum of eight to ten years of progressive leadership experience in capital planning, design, and construction program management with higher education, public sector, or large institutional environments.
*Professional certification or licensure (architect or professional engineer) is strongly preferred but not required.
*Demonstrated experience in managing a large-scale capital planning and construction program.
*Strong knowledge of public sector capital budgeting, state procurement for design and construction contracts, design and construction project delivery methods, contract oversight and administration, capital budgeting, and multi-year capital planning programs.
*Familiarity with various project delivery methods for public projects, including construction management at risk, design-bid-build, design-build, and public-private partnerships.
*Familiarity with higher education or government organizational structures and compliance requirements.
*Demonstrated analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail as evidenced by application materials.
*Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including written reports and visual presentations.

Required Competencies
*Demonstrated experience with the administration of a multi-year capital program for a large enterprise, including design and construction contracts, preferably for public higher education or state entities.
*Ability to research, collect, analyze, and interpret data, to develop technical reports and presentations in order to support decision making and capital investment recommendations.
*Ability to understand, interpret, and comply with relevant statutes, laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
*Ability to review and execute design and construction contracts.
*Ability to create and administer an enterprise-wide capital planning budget and program.
*Ability to oversee and budget public capital funds.
*Ability to manage multiple assigned projects and organize and prioritize time and resources to meet internal and external deadlines.
*Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
*Ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships in a team environment.
*Ability to plan, assign, and supervise the work of consultants and subordinates.
*Excellent written and oral communication skills and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively.
*Demonstrated understanding of capital project management, including design and construction contracts, contract administration, project delivery methods, public funding, and capital budgets.
*Ability to collect and analyze complex data from one or more data sources and to create reports.
*Strong analytical skills and ability to think critically to identify and solve problems and generate optimal outcomes.
*Proficiency in Microsoft Office and strong working knowledge and experience in Excel, Word, Adobe, and PowerPoint required.

Preferred Education, Experience, and Skills
*Knowledge of capital program management, including design contracts, construction contracts, change orders, and related capital project management functions, preferably in higher education or the public sector.
*Knowledge of applicable design and construction project laws and regulations, including statutory requirements, State Construction Office administrative procedures, UNC System policies, preferably in North Carolina and higher education.
*Knowledge of the use of an enterprise-wide program capital project management database system.
*Knowledge of public capital funding and budgeting for a enterprise-wide capital program, preferably in North Carolina and higher education.
*Knowledge or familiarity with workflow document processing system such as Docusign.
*Professional certification or licensure (architect or professional engineer) is strongly preferred but not required.
*Prefer individuals with prior experience with the University of North Carolina System or higher educational environment.
*Experience with AutoCAD and GIS is not required but preferred.

Special Physical/Mental Requirements
The applicant must be
physically able to travel to and visit campuses to evaluate capital projects
and capital planning requests.

• Classification: Director
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time
• Employment Type: EHRA
• EHRA Category: Exempt Professional Staff
• Location: Raleigh, NC USA
• Position Number: 20075057
• Special Instructions to Applicants: The posting remains open until filled, but applications received by Tuesday, March 30, 2026 will receive priority consideration.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Other Information
The UNC System Office (includes PBS NC, NCSEAA, and NC Arboretum) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.

The UNC System Office (includes PBS NC, NCSEAA, and NC Arboretum) is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

To claim veteran's preference, all eligible persons must indicate their eligibility as requested on the application. A DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, may be required later in the selection process.

The UNC System Office (includes PBS NC, NCSEAA, and NC Arboretum) participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Human Resources Contact Information
Applicants needing assistance with the application process are asked to contact: recruiter@northcarolina.edu.