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Emerging Market Lead – Public Higher Education Construction (Business Development & Delivery Oversight)

San Francisco, CA

Project Director and Emerging Market Lead – Public Higher Education Construction (Business Development & Delivery Oversight)

ABOUT CAHILL: 

Cahill Contractors is a majority family- and woman-owned general contractor that specializes in the construction of multi-family residential, education, community, religious, and other commercial projects. With offices in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, Cahill works throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Now in its fourth generation of family leadership, Cahill has been building lasting relationships and quality structures with integrity since 1911. Cahill serves as a trusted partner to our clients, committed to their success from early in preconstruction through construction and beyond. Our employees take tremendous pride in their work and are consistently guided by Cahill’s five core values: Safety, Integrity, Commitment, Collaboration, and Continuous Improvement. Cahill is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

ABOUT THE ROLE:  

The Emerging Market Lead – Public Higher Education Construction is a senior, growth-oriented role responsible for establishing and expanding the company’s presence within the public higher education market. This role will focus on colleges, universities, and higher education systems, including academic buildings, student life facilities, athletic facilities, housing, and campus infrastructure projects.

This individual will serve as both the primary business development leader and a delivery oversight partner, ensuring that new work is successfully executed while building internal expertise in public higher education construction. The position is intended for a mid-career construction professional with deep experience in higher education or similar public-sector work who is seeking a long-term leadership growth opportunity. Success will be measured by the creation of a sustainable backlog, repeat campus clients, and the development of internal teams capable of delivering complex public higher education projects.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Job duties include, but are not limited to the following:

Market Entry & Business Development

  • Lead the company’s strategic entry into and expansion within the public higher education construction market.
  • Develop and execute a targeted business development strategy focused on public colleges and universities.
  • Leverage existing relationships with university leadership, facilities departments, capital planning teams, and public-sector stakeholders to generate qualified opportunities.
  • Actively originate, pursue, and close work; this role requires direct selling and client engagement, not simply lead generation or handoff.
  • Navigate public procurement processes, including RFQs, RFPs, and best-value selection methods.
  • Build a sustainable backlog of public higher education work aligned with the company’s risk profile and delivery strengths.
  • Position the firm for repeat work through consistent client satisfaction, performance, and institutional trust.

Client Relationship Management

  • Serve as the primary relationship manager for higher education clients.
  • Develop long-term partnerships with campus leadership, facilities teams, and capital program stakeholders.
  • Maintain a strong understanding of institutional priorities, funding mechanisms, governance structures, and academic calendars.
  • Foster repeat business and preferred-builder or on-call relationships where applicable.

Project Oversight & Execution Support

  • Provide executive-level oversight of public higher education projects from preconstruction through completion.
  • Partner with estimating, preconstruction, project management, and field leadership to ensure successful project delivery.
  • Mentor and develop internal project management and supervisory personnel to grow the firm’s higher education construction capabilities.
  • Support the establishment of best practices related to campus construction, including occupied-campus work, phasing, safety, and coordination with academic operations.
  • Ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with public-sector requirements.

Internal Leadership & Market Development

  • Act as the internal subject-matter expert for public higher education construction.
  • Support go/no-go decisions for higher education pursuits.
  • Contribute to long-range strategic planning for growth within public-sector and institutional markets.
  • Represent the company within higher education, public-sector, and industry organizations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Minimum of 10 years of construction project management experience, preferably within public higher education or comparable public-sector institutional markets.
  • Demonstrated success delivering higher education facilities such as academic buildings, student housing, student centers, athletic facilities, or campus infrastructure.
  • Proven track record of business development success, including originating, selling, and closing construction work in public or institutional environments.
  • Established relationships with public universities, campus facilities groups, or related public-sector stakeholders.
  • Strong understanding of public procurement, contracting requirements, and compliance considerations.
  • Ability to balance business development responsibilities with project oversight and team development.
  • Demonstrated leadership capability and desire to grow into a broader leadership role within the organization.
  • Excellent communication, relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
  • Strong alignment with a long-term growth mindset and commitment to organizational stability.

PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES:

The ideal candidate is a mid-career construction professional with significant experience delivering projects for public colleges and universities. This individual has successfully navigated public procurement processes, built trusted relationships with campus stakeholders, and is motivated by the opportunity to build a lasting market presence while developing internal teams and future leaders.

WHAT WE OFFER:

  • Opportunity to establish and grow a public higher education market sector within a private commercial general contractor.
  • Clear pathway for leadership growth based on performance and market development success.
  • Long-term stability with a company committed to thoughtful, sustainable expansion.
  • Ability to shape both external institutional relationships and internal higher education construction expertise.

BENEFITS: 

  • Full-time, direct-hire position located onsite at our office in San Francisco’s Financial District.
  • Cahill covers 100% of employee premiums for medical, dental, and vision (HMO and PPO options available).
  • Multiple coverage options for spouse/partner and family.
  • 401(k) with employer match.
  • Opportunities for mentorship and professional development within a collaborative team.
  • FSA, Wellness Stipend, Commuter Benefits and more.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described herein are representative of those that must be met by the employee, with or without reasonable accommodation, to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in an office or hybrid setting. The employee is required to work in compliance with company safety policies, procedures, and applicable laws. This role will be regularly required to:

  • Repetitively use hand motions for keyboard use and physical use of vision to read computer monitors and paper documents.
  • Regularly use hands to operate standard office equipment (personal computer, phone, printer, etc.)
  • See with close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and have the ability to adjust focus.
  • Sit at a desk for prolonged periods of time working on a computer.
  • Talk and hear at normal levels. The noise level in the office work environment is usually low to moderate.
  • Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. 
  • Must be able to lift up to 30 pounds occasionally.

The base salary for this exempt role is $175,000-$250,000, depending on experience.

Please view our Privacy Notice (https://cahill-sf.com/privacy-statement/).

Cahill is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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