Project Director – Alternative Delivery

Orion | Federal Way, Washington

Orion is a leading specialty construction company serving the infrastructure, industrial, and building sectors through its Marine and Concrete segments. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Orion delivers complex construction solutions to public and private clients throughout the United States and select international markets.

Orion's Marine segment specializes in the construction, restoration, and maintenance of marine transportation facilities, ports, waterways, bridges, and other critical infrastructure. Our capabilities include marine construction, heavy civil construction, dredging, pile driving, marine foundations, and complex waterfront infrastructure projects.

With a commitment to Safety, Quality, Delivery, Teamwork, and Integrity, Orion brings together experienced professionals, innovative construction methods, and collaborative project delivery strategies to successfully execute challenging infrastructure projects.

We are seeking an accomplished construction leader to join team and support the continued growth of our Alternative Delivery operations.

Position Title: Project Director – Alternative Delivery
Location: Federal Way, Washington – Pacific Region Office
Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Travel Requirements: Travel required based on project assignments and operational needs

Orion is seeking a highly experienced Project Director – Alternative Delivery to provide -level leadership and strategic oversight for large-scale, complex marine construction, heavy civil, transportation, and infrastructure projects throughout the Pacific Region.

Based in Orion's Federal Way, Washington office, this leadership position will be responsible for managing major projects utilizing alternative delivery methods, including Design-Build (DB), Progressive Design-Build (PDB), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), and other collaborative delivery models.

The Project Director will have overall accountability for project performance throughout the entire project lifecycle, from business development, pursuit strategy, and proposal development through preconstruction, design management, procurement, construction execution, commissioning, and final closeout.

This individual will serve as a key member of the project leadership team, providing strategic direction, financial oversight, commercial management, risk mitigation, and -level client engagement while fostering collaboration among owners, designers, joint-venture partners, subcontractors, and internal operations teams.

The successful candidate will bring extensive experience managing major infrastructure projects, strong commercial and operational expertise, and a demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in delivering technically challenging projects safely, profitably, and successfully.

Project Leadership and Oversight

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  Provide overall leadership, strategic direction, and accountability for large-scale alternative delivery construction projects.

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  Direct project execution to achieve established safety, quality, financial, schedule, operational, and client satisfaction objectives.

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  Establish clear project governance structures, performance expectations, and accountability across integrated project teams.

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  Oversee project planning, resource allocation, procurement strategies, construction sequencing, and operational execution.

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  Identify potential project challenges and implement proactive solutions to maintain project performance.

Alternative Delivery and Design-Build Management

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  Lead projects delivered through Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build, CMAR, EPC, and other collaborative contracting methods.

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  Integrate design, construction, commercial, procurement, and operational teams to achieve successful project outcomes.

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  Facilitate collaboration among owners, engineering consultants, design partners, construction teams, and key subcontractors.

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  Oversee design development and ensure alignment with constructability, permitting, budget, schedule, and contractual requirements.

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  Participate in design workshops, stakeholder coordination meetings, risk assessments, and value engineering initiatives.

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  Support early contractor involvement, alternative technical concepts, and innovative construction delivery strategies.

Business Development, Pursuits, and Preconstruction

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  Support business development and strategic project pursuits throughout the Pacific Region and other assigned markets.

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  Participate in capture planning, teaming strategies, qualifications packages, technical proposals, and client presentations.

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  Provide oversight of preconstruction planning, estimating, scheduling, constructability reviews, and risk evaluations.

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  Collaborate with estimating, engineering, and operations teams to develop competitive and executable project delivery strategies.

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  Participate in contract negotiations, commercial evaluations, and project risk assessments.

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  Develop and maintain relationships with public agencies, private owners, engineering firms, joint-venture partners, and industry stakeholders.

Commercial and Financial Management

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  Maintain oversight of project budgets, financial forecasts, cost-to-complete projections, contingency management, and cash flow.

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  Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, project financial controls, and company reporting requirements.

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  Oversee procurement strategies, subcontractor performance, contract administration, and change management.

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  Identify and mitigate financial, contractual, operational, and schedule-related risks.

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  Lead commercial negotiations and support claims avoidance, dispute resolution, and contract closeout.

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  Ensure timely and accurate project reporting to senior operations and leadership.

Design Management and Technical Coordination

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  Oversee coordination between engineering and construction teams throughout project design development and execution.

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  Ensure design deliverables support project permitting, procurement, constructability, cost certainty, and construction schedules.

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  Lead technical coordination efforts involving designers, consultants, regulatory agencies, and construction personnel.

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  Support design optimization, value engineering, constructability evaluations, and innovative technical solutions.

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  Ensure effective management of design changes, technical risks, and project interface requirements.

Client and Stakeholder Management

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  Serve as the senior project representative and primary -level point of contact for owners and key stakeholders.

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  Establish and maintain strong working relationships with public agencies, private clients, engineering partners, and joint-venture participants.

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  Lead project meetings, stakeholder presentations, negotiations, and project performance reviews.

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  Ensure effective communication and timely resolution of project-related concerns.

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  Promote Orion's reputation for professionalism, technical expertise, collaboration, and successful project delivery.

Team Leadership and Development

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  Build, lead, mentor, and develop high-performing multidisciplinary project teams.

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  Provide leadership and direction to Project Managers, Construction Managers, Design Managers, Engineers, Superintendents, and other project personnel.

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  Establish clear expectations for project execution, accountability, communication, and performance.

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  Promote a collaborative work environment focused on operational excellence, professional development, and employee engagement.

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  Support workforce planning, leadership development, and succession planning initiatives.

Safety, Quality, and Environmental Compliance

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  Champion Orion's commitment to safety and promote a proactive, incident-prevention culture.

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  Ensure projects comply with applicable safety regulations, environmental requirements, quality standards, and contractual obligations.

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  Provide oversight of project-specific safety and quality management programs.

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  Collaborate with Health, Safety & Environmental (HS&E) personnel to identify risks and implement corrective actions.

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  Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and project-specific construction requirements.

Project Governance, Reporting, and Closeout

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  Lead project reviews, performance evaluations, financial forecasting, and risk management reporting.

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  Monitor project milestones, critical path schedules, and overall project delivery performance.

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  Develop and implement recovery strategies when project performance deviates from established objectives.

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  Oversee commissioning, final inspections, project turnover, contractual closeout, and demobilization.

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  Capture lessons learned and implement continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen future project performance.

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, or a related discipline. 

• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience managing major heavy civil, marine construction, transportation, industrial, or infrastructure construction projects.

• Demonstrated experience serving in a senior leadership capacity, such as Project Director, Project , Senior Project Manager, or comparable role.

• Proven experience leading at least one large, complex project utilizing Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build, CMAR, EPC, or a comparable alternative delivery method.

• Extensive knowledge of major infrastructure project planning, design coordination, preconstruction, procurement, construction management, and project execution.

• Strong understanding of project financial management, cost forecasting, scheduling, contract administration, change management, and risk mitigation.

• Demonstrated success managing multidisciplinary teams involving engineering, construction, commercial, procurement, and project controls professionals.

• Experience developing and maintaining -level client relationships and managing complex stakeholder environments.

• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and organizational skills.

• Ability to work from Orion's Federal Way, Washington office and travel to assigned project locations as required.

• Ability to maintain a substantial presence at project sites when necessary to support operational and project delivery requirements.

• Professional Engineer (PE) license, Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) certification, Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or an advanced degree.

• Experience leading major infrastructure projects valued at $250 million or more.

• Direct experience with marine construction, bridges, ports, waterways, transportation infrastructure, or large-scale heavy civil projects.

• Experience working with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), other state DOTs, USACE, NAVFAC, port authorities, municipalities, or other public agencies.

• Experience participating in joint ventures, integrated design-construction teams, or strategic project partnerships.

• Familiarity with best-value procurement, alternative technical concepts, confidential meetings, early work packages, and collaborative project development.

• Experience with large-scale infrastructure projects throughout the Pacific Northwest or other major U.S. infrastructure markets.

• Strong understanding of complex project contracts, commercial risk allocation, and alternative delivery procurement processes.

• Strategic and Enterprise Leadership: Ability to align project execution with broader organizational objectives and long-term business strategies.

• Accountability: Demonstrated ownership of project performance, financial results, and operational outcomes.

• Collaborative Leadership: Ability to unite diverse teams, stakeholders, and project partners around common objectives.

• Commercial and Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of project profitability, contractual risk, financial forecasting, and business performance.

• Operational Excellence: Commitment to disciplined planning, efficient execution, and continuous improvement.

• Risk Management: Ability to anticipate challenges, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective mitigation strategies.

• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution: Strong ability to navigate complex contractual, technical, and stakeholder issues.

• Talent Development: Commitment to mentoring future leaders and building high-performing project teams.

• Communication: Ability to clearly communicate project performance, risks, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and clients.

The successful Project Director will be expected to:

• Deliver assigned projects safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with contractual and quality requirements.

• Maintain accurate financial forecasts, cost-to-complete projections, and timely reporting.

• Successfully integrate design, engineering, procurement, commercial, and construction activities.

• Proactively identify and resolve technical, operational, financial, and contractual challenges.

• Establish effective project governance, accountability, and performance management practices.

• Build strong client relationships and position Orion for future project opportunities and repeat business.

• Develop high-performing project teams and support the continued growth of Orion's Alternative Delivery capabilities.

This position is based at Orion's Federal Way, Washington office and requires periodic travel to active construction sites, client meetings, and other project locations.

The role operates in both professional office environments and active construction settings. Project assignments may require extended hours, site visits, and temporary assignments at remote or regional project locations.

Employees must comply with applicable safety requirements, including the use of personal protective equipment when visiting active construction sites.

The successful candidate must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.