Director of Construction Job Description Templates
Director of construction job description templates: general, commercial, residential, specialty, construction director, and VP, with FLSA and scope notes.
Director of Construction Job Description Templates
6 templates by setting and seniority: general, commercial, residential, specialty, construction director, and VP of construction, with the FLSA classification, P&L and bonding scope, and seniority-ladder guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
A director of construction leads a firm's construction operations across multiple concurrent projects, owning portfolio budgets, schedules, and profit and loss, and managing the project managers and superintendents who run the work. It is a senior leadership role that sits above the project-management tier and below a vice president of construction, and it appears most often in firms large enough to run several projects at once with an established management layer.
These six templates cover the role across settings and seniority: general, commercial, residential and homebuilder, specialty and self-perform, the operations-focused construction director variant, and the VP of construction tier above it. Each is ready to use, with the FLSA classification, profit-and-loss and bonding scope, and seniority-ladder context the generic templates leave out. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
A director of construction leads construction operations across multiple projects, owning portfolio budgets, P&L, and the project managers and superintendents who run the work. It is a senior, exempt, salaried role above the project-management tier and below a VP of construction. The closest federal occupation, construction managers, reports a median near $107,000, while the director title itself commonly runs higher. Download six templates as DOCX, by setting and seniority, with the scope built in.
What a Director of Construction Does
A director of construction plans, directs, and coordinates construction across a portfolio of projects: owning budgets, schedules, and delivery at the portfolio level, managing project managers and superintendents, setting standards, and overseeing safety, risk, and profitability. The role reports to executive leadership and is accountable for construction delivery across multiple sites at once, which makes it a strategic, multi-project leadership role rather than a single-site one.
The closest federal occupation is Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021), which captures the broader, more junior population and does not isolate the director title. The role spans several construction settings, each with its own commercial and operational nuances, which is why the templates on this page are split by setting and seniority rather than offering one generic block.
Director of Construction Duties and Responsibilities
Director of construction duties cluster into four areas: portfolio and delivery, financial and commercial, safety and compliance, and leadership and relationships. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities from each area that match your setting and portfolio, rather than listing every possible task.
Portfolio and delivery
Lead multiple concurrent projects
Own portfolio budgets and schedules
Set construction standards and quality
Financial and commercial
Manage profit and loss for construction
Oversee bidding, buyout, and cost control
Manage bonding, surety, and contracts
Safety and compliance
Oversee OSHA safety across all sites
Manage risk and quality controls
Ensure code and contract compliance
Leadership and relationships
Lead project managers and superintendents
Manage owner and subcontractor relationships
Partner with executives on strategy
The emphasis shifts by setting: a commercial director leans on bonding and buyout, while a specialty self-perform director leans on labor productivity and crew management. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Director vs Manager vs VP
Several construction-leadership titles get confused, and naming the right one is the first decision before posting, because each sits at a different rung of the ladder and pay tier.
Role
Core focus
Tier
Superintendent
Runs the field on one project
Site-level, SMB-scale
Construction / project manager
Delivers one project or a few
Project-level, SMB-scale
Director of construction
Leads a portfolio and its managers
Senior, mid-market, exempt
VP of construction
Owns construction company-wide
Executive, reports to CEO
The superintendent and project manager are the project-level roles most firms hire; the director leads the managers who run those projects; the VP owns construction across the whole company. Matching the title to the real scope and the size of the team managed is what makes the posting land with the right candidates and sets pay expectations honestly.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by setting and seniority. The core structure is the same across all six, but each one emphasizes the scope, commercial responsibilities, and ladder position that fit a specific kind of firm. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General
Any construction firm
The flexible baseline: lead construction operations across multiple projects, manage PMs and superintendents, and own portfolio budgets and delivery.
Commercial
Commercial GC
For commercial general contracting: portfolio delivery, bidding and buyout, bonding and surety, and owner and design-team relationships.
Residential / Homebuilder
Production homebuilding
The setting where the title reaches mid-sized firms: field operations across communities, cycle time, warranty, and trade-partner management.
Specialty / Self-Perform
Trade contractor
For specialty and self-perform contractors: crews and foremen, labor productivity, equipment, and union or non-union workforce management.
Construction Director
Operations-focused
The operations-focused variant, often used interchangeably with director of construction, centered on running the construction business day to day.
VP of Construction
Executive tier
The tier above: company-wide construction strategy and P&L, leading directors of construction. Included for the seniority ladder.
Match the Template to the Firm
Commercial general contractor: Commercial. Production homebuilder: Residential. Specialty or self-perform trade contractor: Specialty. An operations-focused running of the business: Construction Director. The executive tier above the director: VP of Construction. Not sure or a general firm: start with the General version and adapt. For a firm without a management layer to lead, a construction or project manager is usually the better fit.
6 Director of Construction Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a classification and scope note, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, commercial, residential, specialty, construction director, and VP of construction. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Director of Construction (General)
The flexible baseline: lead construction operations across multiple projects, manage PMs and superintendents, and own portfolio budgets and delivery. Adapt it to your firm.
Director of Construction Job Description (General)
DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION JOB DESCRIPTION (GENERAL)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: __ (VP of Construction / COO / President)
Direct reports: (project managers, superintendents, field staff)
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (salaried)
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus]
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[One or two sentences about your company, the type and scale of projects you
build, and the construction organization this director will lead.]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Director of Construction to lead our construction
operations across multiple concurrent projects. You will own delivery, budgets,
and schedules at the portfolio level, lead a team of project managers and
superintendents, set construction standards, and partner with executive
leadership on strategy, risk, and profitability. This is a senior leadership role
above the project-management tier.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Lead construction operations across multiple projects
•Own portfolio-level budgets, schedules, and delivery
•Manage and develop project managers and superintendents
•Set construction standards, processes, and quality controls
•Oversee safety, compliance, and risk across all sites
•Manage profit and loss for the construction function
•Partner with executives on strategy and pipeline
•Manage owner, client, and subcontractor relationships
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[10-15]+ years in construction, with senior leadership experience
•Track record leading multiple concurrent projects and teams
•Strong budgeting, scheduling, and P&L management skills
•Bachelor's in construction management, civil engineering, or related
•Deep knowledge of construction methods, safety, and contracts
•Experience with construction management software
CLASSIFICATION AND SCOPE (read before posting)
A director of construction is a senior, exempt, salaried role. It typically
qualifies under the executive exemption: the primary duty is management, it
directs two or more employees, and it exercises discretion on matters of
significance, well above the federal salary threshold. The title sits above
construction and project managers and superintendents, and below a VP of
construction. Define the project portfolio and reporting line clearly. This is
general information, not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus]
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Commercial Director of Construction
For commercial general contracting: portfolio delivery, bidding and buyout, bonding and surety, and owner and design-team relationships.
Commercial Director of Construction Job Description
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ (commercial general contractor)
Reports to: [VP of Construction / COO]
Direct reports: project managers and superintendents
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (salaried)
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Director of Construction to lead delivery of our
commercial construction portfolio. You will oversee multiple commercial projects,
manage project teams, control budgets and schedules, ensure safety and quality,
and manage subcontractor and owner relationships across the portfolio. This is a
senior operations-leadership role in commercial general contracting.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Lead delivery of the commercial construction portfolio
•Manage project managers and superintendents across sites
•Own portfolio budgets, schedules, and profit and loss
•Oversee bidding, buyout, and subcontractor management
•Ensure OSHA safety compliance across all projects
•Manage owner, architect, and engineer relationships
•Oversee bonding, surety, and contract administration
•Standardize processes and construction software use
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[10-15]+ years in commercial construction leadership
•Experience managing a portfolio of commercial projects
•Strong budgeting, scheduling, and P&L management
•Bachelor's in construction management or civil engineering
•Knowledge of bonding, surety, and contract administration
•Proficiency with construction management software
CLASSIFICATION AND SCOPE
This is a senior, exempt, salaried role meeting the executive exemption. It sits
above commercial project managers and superintendents and below a VP of
construction. Commercial directors often own profit and loss and manage bonding
and surety capacity, which belong in the posting. This is general information,
not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus]
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
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Template 5: Construction Director (Operations-Focused)
The operations-focused variant, often used interchangeably with director of construction, centered on running the construction business day to day.
Construction Director Job Description (Operations-Focused)
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION (OPERATIONS-FOCUSED)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [COO / President / Owner]
Direct reports: project and field leadership
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (salaried)
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Construction Director to lead the operations of our
construction business. You will own construction delivery and operations across
projects, manage project and field leadership, control budgets and schedules,
drive process and safety standards, and partner with ownership on growth and
profitability. This operations-focused director role centers on running the
construction business day to day.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Lead construction operations across the business
•Manage project and field leadership teams
•Own operating budgets, schedules, and performance
•Drive standardized processes and safety programs
•Oversee resource planning, equipment, and procurement
•Manage client, subcontractor, and vendor relationships
•Monitor profitability and operational KPIs
•Partner with ownership on growth and strategy
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[10]+ years in construction with operations leadership
•Experience running multi-project construction operations
•Strong operations, budgeting, and process skills
•Bachelor's in construction, engineering, or equivalent
•Knowledge of safety, compliance, and contracts
•Proficiency with construction management software
CLASSIFICATION AND SCOPE
This is a senior, exempt, salaried role. The construction director title is
often used interchangeably with director of construction, with a slightly more
operations-focused framing. It sits above project and field management. Define
the operational scope and reporting line clearly. This is general information,
not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus]
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 6: VP of Construction (Executive Tier)
The tier above: company-wide construction strategy and P&L, leading directors of construction. Included for the seniority ladder.
VP of Construction Job Description (Executive Tier)
VP OF CONSTRUCTION JOB DESCRIPTION (EXECUTIVE TIER)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [CEO / President / COO]
Direct reports: (directors of construction, senior PMs)
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (salaried)
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus / equity]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Vice President of Construction to lead construction
company-wide. You will own construction strategy, operations, and profitability
across the organization, lead directors of construction and senior project
leadership, set standards and growth plans, and serve as the executive
accountable for construction delivery and risk. This is a top-tier executive
role above the director level.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Own construction strategy and operations company-wide
•Lead directors of construction and senior project leaders
•Set company construction standards and growth strategy
•Own company-wide construction profit and loss
•Oversee safety, quality, and risk across the organization
•Build and manage the construction pipeline and capacity
•Manage key owner, client, and partner relationships
•Report to the CEO and executive team on construction
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[15]+ years in construction with executive leadership
•Track record leading construction at a company-wide level
•Deep P&L, strategy, and organizational leadership
•Bachelor's in construction or engineering; advanced degree a plus
•Extensive knowledge of construction operations and risk
•Experience scaling construction organizations
CLASSIFICATION AND SCOPE
This is a top-tier, exempt, salaried executive role above the director of
construction. The VP owns construction company-wide and reports to the CEO or
president, while directors report to the VP. Compensation is the highest in the
construction-leadership ladder and often includes equity or profit sharing. This
is general information, not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ to $_____ per year + [bonus / equity]
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Classification, Ladder, and Scope
This is the part the generic templates skip, and the part that matters most for a director of construction hire: the exempt classification, where the role sits in the construction ladder, the profit-and-loss and bonding scope, and the licensing and safety accountability. Get these right and your posting reads credibly to senior candidates and sets accurate expectations.
FLSA: a senior, exempt, salaried role
A director of construction is almost always exempt from overtime and paid a salary. The role qualifies under the executive exemption: its primary duty is management, it customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more employees, and it exercises discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, all far above the federal salary threshold of $684 per week. That means the posting should state an exempt, salaried classification and an annual compensation range, typically with a bonus tied to project or company performance, rather than an hourly wage. As with any exemption, the classification follows the actual duties and salary rather than the title alone, but for a role at this level the exempt status is rarely in question. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where the role sits in the construction ladder
The director of construction sits in the upper-middle of the construction-leadership ladder, and naming the reporting line is the clearest way to signal the level. The progression runs from foreman to superintendent to construction or project manager, then director of construction, then vice president of construction, then an executive chief construction officer. A director typically appears once a firm runs multiple concurrent projects and has a layer of project managers and superintendents to lead, reporting to a VP of construction or directly to a COO or president at a mid-sized firm. State who the role reports to and which project and field leaders it directs, since the scope of a director title varies widely by company size. This is general information, not legal advice.
P&L, bonding, and the commercial side belong in the posting
What separates a real director of construction posting from a generic one is the commercial and financial scope, which most templates omit. A director commonly owns profit and loss for the construction function or a project portfolio, manages bidding and buyout, and works within the company's bonding and surety capacity, which limits how much work the firm can carry at once. The posting should be explicit about budget authority, P&L ownership, the scale of the portfolio in project value, and any bonding or contract-administration responsibility. Spelling these out tells experienced candidates the real weight of the role and filters for people who have carried financial accountability, not just managed schedules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Licensing, safety, and software are part of the role, so name them
A director of construction operates inside a web of requirements worth stating in the posting. Depending on the state and the work, the role may need to work under a qualifying party's contractor license, and large or complex projects may involve a professional engineer stamp from a licensed PE. The director owns OSHA safety compliance across all sites, a serious and non-delegable responsibility in construction. The role also lives inside construction management software for scheduling, budgeting, and field coordination. Naming the license context, the safety accountability, and the software environment sets accurate expectations and tells you what the new director will need access to and authority over from day one. This is general information, not legal advice.
A Senior, Exempt, Salaried Role
A director of construction's primary duty, leading construction operations with discretion and independent judgment, meets the executive exemption, directing two or more employees far above the $684 per week salary threshold. State an exempt, salaried classification with a performance bonus and an annual range, not an hourly wage. The role also owns OSHA safety across all sites, a non-delegable accountability.
For the full classification picture, the exempt vs non-exempt guide covers the executive exemption duties test that a director of construction clears.
Requirements and Skills to Include
Requirements for a director of construction center on senior, multi-project construction leadership, financial accountability, and setting-specific knowledge. The lines that work are concrete and demonstrable, not generic.
Weak requirement
Strong requirement
Construction experience
10+ years with senior multi-project leadership
Leadership skills
Leads project managers and superintendents
Budget knowledge
Owns portfolio budgets and profit and loss
Knows the business
Manages bonding, surety, and contracts
Software skills
Proficient with construction management software
Keep every line job-related and neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Director of Construction Salary
A director of construction is a well-paid senior role, with compensation well into six figures that varies by firm size, project value, and region. Anchor on the federal category, then price the director tier and your market.
Construction Managers Median About $107,000 (BLS)
There is no dedicated federal code for the director title; the closest occupation, construction managers (SOC 11-9021), had a median annual wage of $106,980 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent below $65,160 and the highest 10 percent above $176,990, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That occupation is broader and more junior than the director title. Employment is projected to grow about 9 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Because the federal occupation captures a broader population than the director title, the official median understates what a director of construction earns. National compensation surveys focused on the director title run higher, commonly in the mid-$150,000s to around $180,000, reflecting the multi-project scope and profit-and-loss responsibility, while early and mid-career directors at smaller firms sit in the $100,000 to $145,000 range. Pay rises with portfolio value, team size, and project complexity. Benchmark to your firm size, project value, and local market, and post a range where required.
Is This the Right Title to Hire?
Because the director of construction title is often applied to roles that are really project management, the most useful thing a job description can do is help you confirm it is the title you actually need before you post. The role exists to lead a multi-project organization with a layer of managers, so it fits firms running several concurrent projects more than smaller ones.
Director of construction vs construction manager and project manager
These share the same federal occupation but are distinct in practice and scale. A construction manager or project manager runs one project or a small set of projects, focused on delivery, schedule, and budget at the site level, and is the default leadership title at most small and mid-sized firms. A director of construction is a tier above: a strategic, multi-project leader who manages those project managers and superintendents, owns portfolio-level budgets and profit and loss, and reports to executive leadership. The director requires a layer of project and field managers to lead, which is why the title appears once a firm runs several concurrent projects. If the work is leading one project or a handful, the right title is construction or project manager; if it is leading the managers who run them, it is a director.
Director of construction vs VP of construction
The vice president of construction is a tier above the director. A VP owns construction company-wide, setting strategy and standards across the whole organization and reporting to the CEO or president, while a director of construction owns a portfolio or a region and reports to the VP. The VP is an executive seat focused on strategy, growth, and company-wide profit and loss; the director is a senior operations leader focused on delivering the portfolio in front of them. At a mid-sized firm the two roles can collapse into one, with a director reporting straight to the owner, but at larger firms the distinction and the pay gap are real. Name the reporting line so candidates understand whether this is the top construction seat or a senior leader reporting into it.
When a smaller firm should use a different title
The director of construction title is structurally an upper-mid-market and enterprise role: industry guides describe directors leading large teams across many sites and overseeing substantial project value. A flatter firm with a handful of projects usually has an owner or president and field supervisors rather than a director layer. For most growing construction firms, the right senior field hire is a construction manager, a project manager, or a superintendent, and the director title becomes appropriate only once there are multiple project managers and superintendents to lead. Residential and production homebuilders are the most common exception, where the director title reaches into regional and mid-sized builders. Match the title to whether you actually have a management layer for the director to lead.
If your firm does not yet have a management layer for a director to lead, the right senior field hire is usually a construction manager or a construction superintendent, which are the default leadership titles at most growing construction firms. Match the title to whether you actually have project managers and superintendents for the director to lead.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Director of Construction
Onboarding a director of construction is a senior salaried-hire start with an emphasis on handing over the project portfolio: the active jobs, the project managers and superintendents the role will lead, the budgets, and the bonding capacity. Because the role directs other leaders and owns safety, the org chart and reporting relationships matter from day one.
Send the offer
Confirm the title, salary, bonus, exempt classification, and reporting line in writing. An offer letter with e-signature sets the senior-hire terms clearly.
Map projects and teams
Walk the new director through the active project portfolio, the PMs and superintendents they will lead, budgets, and bonding capacity.
Set the first priorities
Agree on what success looks like in the first 30, 60, and 90 days, whether that is a portfolio review, a safety audit, or a process standardization.
Store the records
Keep the signed offer, policies, license and safety documents, and software access organized and accessible from day one.
Once the offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the hire with the salary and exempt classification stated, and the onboarding template gives a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature, document storage, org chart, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a construction firm can capture signed policies, map the project teams the director will lead, store license and safety documents, and run a consistent first few weeks. FirstHR is an HR and onboarding platform, not a construction management, scheduling, or accounting system, so pair it with those tools. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A director of construction leads construction operations across multiple projects, owning portfolio budgets, P&L, and delivery.
Use the template that matches the setting and seniority: general, commercial, residential, specialty, construction director, or VP.
The role is senior, exempt, and salaried, meeting the executive exemption, and owns OSHA safety across all sites.
It sits above construction and project managers and superintendents, and below a VP of construction; the reporting line signals the level.
The title concentrates in firms running multiple concurrent projects; smaller firms usually hire a construction or project manager instead.
Pay runs well into six figures, above the construction-manager median of $106,980 (BLS, May 2024), reflecting the director's broader scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a director of construction do?
A director of construction leads an organization's construction operations across multiple concurrent projects. Day to day, that means owning portfolio-level budgets, schedules, and delivery, managing a team of project managers and superintendents, setting construction standards and quality controls, overseeing safety and risk across all sites, managing profit and loss for the construction function, and partnering with executive leadership on strategy and the project pipeline. The role also manages owner, client, and subcontractor relationships at the portfolio level. It is a senior leadership role that sits above the project-management tier and below a vice president of construction, and it typically appears once a firm runs several projects at once and has a layer of managers to lead. The specific mix varies by setting, whether a commercial general contractor, a residential homebuilder, or a specialty self-perform contractor. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a director of construction and a construction manager?
They share the same federal occupation but operate at different scales. A construction manager, or project manager, runs one project or a small set of projects, focused on delivery, schedule, and budget at the site level, and is the default senior leadership title at most small and mid-sized construction firms. A director of construction is a tier above: a strategic, multi-project leader who manages those construction and project managers and superintendents, owns portfolio-level budgets and profit and loss, sets standards, and reports to executive leadership. The director requires a layer of project and field managers to lead, which is why the title appears in larger firms running multiple concurrent projects. When deciding which to hire, match the title to the scope: leading one project or a handful is a construction or project manager, while leading the managers who run them is a director. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a director of construction exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A director of construction is almost always exempt and paid a salary. The role qualifies under the executive exemption of the Fair Labor Standards Act: its primary duty is management, it customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more employees, and it exercises discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, all far above the federal salary threshold of $684 per week. That means the posting should state an exempt, salaried classification and an annual compensation range, typically with a performance bonus, rather than an hourly wage and overtime. As with any exemption, the classification follows the employee's actual duties and salary rather than the job title alone, but for a senior leadership role at this level the exempt status is rarely in question. Some states apply stricter tests, so confirm the analysis for the specific role. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a director of construction and a VP of construction?
The vice president of construction is a tier above the director. A VP owns construction company-wide, setting strategy, standards, and growth plans across the whole organization and reporting to the CEO or president, while a director of construction owns a project portfolio or a region and reports to the VP. The VP is an executive seat focused on company-wide strategy and profit and loss; the director is a senior operations leader focused on delivering the portfolio in front of them. The construction-leadership ladder runs from superintendent to construction or project manager, then director of construction, then VP of construction, then an executive chief construction officer. At a mid-sized firm the director and VP roles can collapse into one, with a director reporting straight to the owner, but at larger firms the distinction in scope and pay is real. The reporting line in the posting is the clearest signal of which role you are filling. This is general information, not legal advice.
What qualifications does a director of construction need?
A director of construction typically needs ten to fifteen or more years of construction experience with a track record of senior leadership across multiple concurrent projects and teams. Core skills include budgeting, scheduling, and profit-and-loss management, deep knowledge of construction methods, safety, and contracts, and the ability to lead project managers and superintendents. A bachelor's degree in construction management, civil engineering, or a related field is commonly required, and proficiency with construction management software is expected. Setting-specific knowledge matters: commercial directors need bonding, surety, and contract-administration experience; residential directors need building codes and warranty knowledge; specialty and self-perform directors need trade expertise and union or non-union workforce management. The right bar depends on the firm and the work, so list the experience level, education, and setting-specific knowledge your specific role actually requires rather than a generic list. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a director of construction make?
A director of construction is a well-paid senior leadership role, with compensation that generally runs well into six figures and varies by company size, project value, and region. There is no dedicated federal occupation code for the director title; the closest official occupation is construction managers (SOC 11-9021), which had a median annual wage of about $106,980 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $65,160 and the highest 10 percent more than $176,990. That occupation intentionally captures a broader, more junior population than the director title. National compensation surveys focused on the director title specifically run higher, commonly in the mid-$150,000s to around $180,000, reflecting the seniority, multi-project scope, and profit-and-loss responsibility the role carries. Early and mid-career directors at smaller firms sit lower, often in the $100,000 to $145,000 range. Benchmark to your firm size, project value, and local market, and post a range where required. This is general information, not legal or compensation advice.
What size construction firm hires a director of construction?
The director of construction title is structurally an upper-mid-market and enterprise role. It exists to lead a multi-project construction organization, managing a layer of project managers and superintendents, so it requires a firm large enough to have that structure, generally one running several concurrent projects with established field leadership. Industry guides describe directors leading large teams across many sites and overseeing substantial project value. A flatter, smaller firm usually has an owner or president and field supervisors rather than a director tier, and hires a construction manager, project manager, or superintendent as its senior field role. The most common exception is residential and production homebuilding, where the director title reaches into regional and mid-sized builders who run multiple communities. If your firm does not yet have a management layer for a director to lead, a construction or project manager is usually the more accurate hire. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a director of construction job description include?
A strong director of construction job description names the setting and seniority up front, whether commercial general contracting, residential homebuilding, specialty self-perform, or an operations-focused construction director, since the setting drives the scope. It should include a brief about the company and the project portfolio, a job summary that frames the senior multi-project leadership nature, the reporting line, the teams directed, and responsibilities grouped into portfolio and delivery, financial and commercial, safety and compliance, and leadership and relationships. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the commercial specifics: the exempt salaried classification, profit-and-loss ownership, budget authority and portfolio value, bonding and surety responsibility, contractor-license context, OSHA safety accountability, and the construction software environment. State the reporting line clearly to signal the level relative to a project manager and a VP. Close with a realistic salary range, an equal opportunity statement, and clear application instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
