Director of Design and Construction

Job DetailsJob Location: Fitch Irick Corporation - CHARLOTTE, NC 28209Position Type: Full TimeTravel Percentage: Up to 50%
POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Design & Construction provides strategic and hands-on leadership for the design, construction, and close-out of Fitch Irick’s affordable housing development pipeline. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role serves as the senior owner’s representative through design and construction, and is accountable for delivering projects on time, on budget, and in full compliance with funding, regulatory, and quality standards.

This is a build-the-function role, not a maintain-the-function role. Fitch Irick is currently starting 800–1,000 units per year and scaling toward 2,500 units annually. The Director will design the systems, standards, and team required to absorb that growth — recruiting and mentoring their own project management bench rather than inheriting one.

The pipeline is presently weighted toward new construction — garden-style walk-up, mid-rise and wrap product, and senior housing — with acquisition and rehabilitation representing a growing share of future activity. Fluency across both new development and occupied rehabilitation is increasingly important to this role.

We are seeking a licensed architect for this position. The ideal candidate brings a designer’s judgment to owner-side execution: someone who can sit across the table from an architect of record as a peer, drive design quality and constructability upstream where it is cheapest to influence, and — over time — build an internal design capability within the company.

THE OPPORTUNITY: BUILDING IN-HOUSE DESIGN CAPABILITY

Fitch Irick is a vertically integrated affordable housing platform. Design is the function we intend to bring in-house, and this role leads that effort.

We are explicit about this ambition because it should shape who applies. The immediate mandate is to establish disciplined design and construction management at scale — the standards, controls, and team that make a growing pipeline predictable. As that foundation holds, this leader will be positioned to develop the business case for, and then lead, an in-house architectural division: defining its scope, staffing model, licensure footprint, and role in the development process.

Sequencing matters. We are not asking one person to do all of this at once, and we are not looking for someone who wants to skip the first phase. We are looking for a leader who executes the near-term work exceptionally well and has the ambition and capability to build what comes next.

Prior experience founding, leading, or scaling an architectural studio or in-house design group is a meaningful differentiator.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Portfolio & Strategic Leadership

Provide overall leadership for the design and construction phases of the development portfolio
Establish and maintain design, construction, and project management standards across all projects
Build the scalable systems, templates, and controls required to grow from ~1,000 to 2,500 units delivered annually
Contribute to project feasibility analysis, schedules, and budgets during early development
Identify risks and develop mitigation strategies related to cost, schedule, constructability, and delivery
Advise the Chief Development Officer on pipeline capacity, staffing needs, and consultant selection
Evaluate contracting approaches and recommend the appropriate delivery method by project type

Design Leadership

Direct and oversee architects, engineers, and consultants through all design phases
Develop and own a prototype and product standards program spanning garden-style and podium/wrap construction types to reduce design cycle time and cost across a repeatable pipeline
Ensure senior housing designs address accessibility, aging-in-place, and resident-services requirements beyond code minimums
Ensure design solutions align with project budgets, funding requirements, resident experience, and long-term asset performance
Lead value engineering efforts and major design decisions
Review and approve design deliverables, cost estimates, and constructability analyses
Ensure compliance with building codes, accessibility requirements, sustainability goals, and funder design standards

Construction Oversight

Projects are delivered through third-party general contractors.

Serve as senior owner’s representative during construction
Oversee general contractor performance related to schedule, cost, quality, and safety
Strengthen the general contractor bench through prequalification, bid strategy, and contract structure to support pipeline growth
Evaluate major change orders and recommend a course of action to the assigned project Developer, including cost and schedule impact analysis
Review pay applications and construction cost reports
Participate in key construction meetings, site visits, and milestone inspections
Resolve escalated construction and design issues in coordination with project teams

Rehabilitation & Preservation

Lead design and construction scoping for acquisition/rehabilitation projects, including physical needs assessments and existing-conditions due diligence
Direct planning for occupied rehabilitation — phasing, unit turn sequencing, and resident relocation coordination
Oversee environmental and hazardous materials protocols, including lead-based paint and asbestos abatement
Ensure rehabilitation scopes satisfy accessibility retrofit obligations and funder capital needs requirements

Project Controls & Close-Out

Oversee project budgets, schedules, and reporting across the portfolio
Ensure timely completion of inspections, punch lists, and substantial completion
Direct project close-out activities, including warranties, as-builts, and final documentation
Coordinate and support agency close-out requirements, including cost certifications and lender/funder documentation

Team Building & Development

Recruit, hire, and lead a new team of Design & Construction Managers and/or Project Managers sized to the growing pipeline
Define roles, workload allocation, and career paths as the function scales
Mentor and develop staff, providing guidance on project execution and professional growth
Lead the evaluation of architects, engineers, and construction consultants, and manage those relationships once engaged
Build and maintain strong relationships with general contractors and public agency partners

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Each project is led by an assigned project Developer. The Director provides technical evaluation and recommendations; the Developer holds decision authority on the following:

Selection of design consultants — lead the qualification, interview, and evaluation process and recommend the team
Selection of general contractors — lead prequalification and bid evaluation and recommend the award
Change orders — analyze merit, cost, and schedule impact and recommend acceptance, negotiation, or rejection
Partner with Development leadership on project planning, entitlements, and funding strategies
Coordinate with Finance on budgets, cash flow, and draw processes
Support Asset Management during transition from construction to stabilized operations
Provide regular portfolio-level reporting to senior leadership

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

Professional degree in Architecture (B.Arch or M.Arch) from an accredited program
Licensed Registered Architect (RA) in good standing, currently licensed in North Carolina or South Carolina, or able to obtain licensure promptly
NCARB Certificate holder, or eligible, with the ability to secure reciprocal licensure across Fitch Irick’s active markets — currently North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia — and across additional states as the platform expands
10+ years of progressive experience across architectural practice and construction or owner-side project management
Demonstrated experience leading design and construction for multifamily housing, including garden-style and mid-rise/podium or wrap construction types
Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and teams
Strong command of construction documents, budgeting, scheduling, and contract administration
Experience hiring, developing, and leading professional staff
Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills

Preferred

Significant experience with affordable housing, LIHTC, or publicly funded developments
Experience founding, leading, or scaling an architectural studio or in-house design group
Owner/developer-side experience managing consultants and general contractors
Experience developing prototype or standardized product designs for a repeatable pipeline
Occupied rehabilitation experience, including phasing, relocation planning, and existing-conditions assessment
Senior housing design experience, including Fair Housing, ADA, and Section 504 accessibility compliance
Familiarity with HUD, RAD, or Section 8 recapitalization and preservation transactions
Familiarity with agency inspections, cost certifications, and complex close-out requirements
Additional credentials such as PE, PMP, CCM, LEED AP, or CPHC
Experience developing or refining organizational design and construction standards

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience, licensure footprint, and depth of affordable housing background, with upward growth expectations as the platform scales and the role expands.

Fitch Irick offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plan participation, paid time off, and support for professional licensure, continuing education, and industry association membership.

WORK ENVIRONMENT