Senior Director, Construction

As Philz enters its next phase of growth, we’re investing thoughtfully in where and how we build; creating great stores today while establishing a stronger foundation for how Philz evolves. We’re looking for a Senior Director of Construction to lead how we bring new locations to life and reinvest in our existing portfolio. This is a highly visible leadership role with responsibility for the full construction lifecycle; from new store development and remodels through project close-out.

You’ll set the strategy and operating discipline that enables Philz to open stores predictably, manage capital thoughtfully, and deliver consistently high standards for safety, quality, cost, and execution. Beyond delivering projects, you’ll help shape how we scale. You’ll drive value engineering, strengthen vendor performance, optimize lifecycle costs, and partner across the business to ensure our capital investments improve store productivity, generate strong returns, and support our next phase of growth.

This role is currently remote and must be based within the Greater Los Angeles area. Our teams will return to a hybrid office environment in Long Beach, CA in Q1 of 2027.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Oversight of Strategic Direction & Execution of Construction
• Lead, manage, and establish the short- and long-term strategic direction for the Construction Department, including new store openings, remodels, relocations, and capital reinvestment projects.
• Own schedule adherence, budget performance, and quality outcomes for all company construction projects.
• Oversee project plans, construction specifications, budgets, and schedules across multiple simultaneous projects.
• Take a proactive role in design drawing review and redlining to ensure quality control and adherence to brand design and construction standards.
• Drive design-to-cost and value engineering initiatives to reduce build costs while maintaining brand integrity.
• Lead general contractor strategy, preferred vendor programs, and implement performance scorecards to ensure consistent execution.
• Oversee coordination of contractors, suppliers, and vendors; manage bid, award, and procurement processes.
• Ensure contract compliance and adherence to timelines for leases and other contractual obligations; assist in resolving contractual disputes.
• Implement governance, reporting cadence, and stage-gate controls to reduce variance to pro forma development models.
• Complete required approval processes defined by landlords and government agencies; coordinate acquisition of licenses, permits, and utilities.
• Perform regular site visits and resolve issues as needed.
• Financial Stewardship & Capital Governance
• Own preparation and management of Construction budgets, including New Store Capital, Remodel & Reinvestment Capital, and Special Projects budgets.
• Continuously evaluate in-house versus outsourced delivery models for construction execution to optimize cost and performance.
• Review and track project timelines and change order proposals and monitor timely response and resolution.
• Liaison Between Internal Stakeholders
• Partner with key internal stakeholders (Real Estate, Design, Operations, Development) to ensure timely and seamless project transitions.
• Provide due diligence evaluation and feasibility analysis of new sites.
• Ensure all stakeholders receive project updates and hold to agreed timelines and budgets.
• Ensure openings are executed with minimal outstanding items and oversee high-quality turnover to the Operations team.
• Attend monthly Real Estate Committee meetings to speak on the budgets.
• Leadership & Team Development
• Build a scalable process and organizational capability to support growth across new and existing markets.
• Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing Construction team.
• Establish and maintain reporting standards and performance expectations across internal teams and external vendors.
• Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Provide executive leadership for the department, including annual goals and KPIs that set a standard of excellence for direct reports.
• Safety, Compliance & Risk Management
• Ensure compliance with all Health Department, ADA, OSHA, Building & Safety, Fire, Environmental, and Waste Management regulations.
• Review and strengthen emergency preparedness protocols and disaster response procedures.
• Mitigate operational risk through disciplined vendor oversight and contract controls.
• Implement and maintain the data in our project management information system, Kahua.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Business, or a related field preferred.

10-15+ years of progressive construction management leadership experience, including at least 5 years in food & beverage, restaurant, retail, or hospitality environments.

Proven track record in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, growing company, managing 10+ construction projects per year.

Demonstrated experience leading new-unit development programs across geographically dispersed portfolios.

Strong financial acumen including capital budgeting, cost accounting, ROI modeling, and vendor negotiations.

Advanced knowledge of plans & specs, with the ability to value engineer projects.

Deep knowledge of the construction life cycle: bidding, RFIs, change orders, pay applications, and project close-out documentation.

Experience building scalable systems, dashboards, and governance processes that improve predictability and speed to market.

Experience with Bluebeam, Adobe, Smartsheet, and Google Workspace; experience with Kahua is a plus.

ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Visual acuity

• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to others
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers
• Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction
• Bending, Reaching, Pulling, Pushing, Extending arms/hands occasionally during shift
• Sitting for extended periods of time
• Exerting up to 10-20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects
• **Compensation & Benefits

A reasonable estimate of the starting annual base salary for this role is $190,000 to $210,000 plus bonus. Please note that the base salary will vary based on qualifications, previous experience, and work location.

When you join our team, we better your days through our benefits and support programs – we offer our team members medical, dental, and vision insurance, company-paid basic life insurance, optional family life insurance, 401(k) with company match, flexible spending accounts, commuter benefits, mental health support, holiday pay, Vacation & Sick Time, Team Member discounts, freebie drinks and discounted beans, fun Philz swag, opportunities for growth and advancement, and more!

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