Assistant Director - Major Capital Markets

Background:
Our client builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation facilities, which consist of John F. Kennedy (JFK), Newark Liberty International (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), Stewart International (SWF) and Teterboro (TEB) airports, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. Our client also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, which is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.

Mission Statement:
Meet the critical transportation infrastructure needs of the bi-state region’s people, businesses, and visitors by providing the highest quality and most efficient transportation and port commerce facilities and services to move people and goods within the region, provide access to the nation and the world, and promote the region’s economic development.

Functional Oversight:
This individual will be working in the Major Capital Projects division which has overall responsibility for the design and construction delivery of the reconstructed WTC site, PATH Extension to Newark Airport, Gateway Program, the new PABT, as well as the Bayonne Bridge Project, and management of World Trade Department contracts and other projects assigned to it.

Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Director, Major Capital Projects (MCP), this position is a vital member of the department serving as a key business partner managing all aspects of design and program management by the team led by a Project Executive from initial planning through construction and closeout of the PATH Extension to EWR airport program and other assigned projects including the complex relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, such as Engineering, PATH, Government and Community Relations, Amtrak, MTA, New Jersey Transit (NJT), FTA, FAA, NJDOT, elected officials, design and program consultants, construction managers, contractors, etc.

The individual must ensure the development and finalization of all necessary agreements and material with and for our client’s partners and stakeholders. This will include legal agreements, design and construction schedules, budgets, management, oversight and coordination of all design and construction activities associated with the assigned programs. The selected candidate’s overall responsibility is to manage a dedicated group of internal and consultant staff in the delivery of these programs, conducting in-depth analyses of issues; assisting in decision-making through information and briefings; and attending senior level meetings to establish courses of action, including implementation. The person will meet regularly with both stakeholder and MCP staff to ensure resolution of program-related issues. The candidate must have excellent negotiating and communication skills to drive the timely completion of design & construction with the willingness to take calculated risks.

The selected candidate will oversee the schedule(s) and budget(s) in adherence with the authorized scope for all associated projects to ensure that the programs are completed within budget and the contracted schedule. This includes coordination with Facility Operations, Line Departments, stakeholders to minimize impacts to operations; construction staff for final inspections and punch-list work, resolving design and construction problems requiring Engineer of Record involvement, and ensuring Permits to Occupy/Use are formally issued and contract closeout process is followed; negotiating Change Orders and the settlement of potential consultant and contractor claims; managing the procurement of major contracts; and managing the authorization process to ensure planning, design and construction Board actions are both timely and complete.

Qualifications:
Candidates must present the following qualifications to be considered eligible for this position:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university and at least 15 years of experience in the field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively more responsible experience managing a diverse team of in-house and consultant staff, preferably at the mid to senior level in a design and construction environment.
• Demonstrated leadership skills as demonstrated by creating a productive, motivated, and responsive environment among assigned staff.
• Possess a track record of high potential and performance.
• Strong problem solving and decision-making skills as evidenced from experience in directing large-scale transportation programs and projects.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including demonstrated experience interacting with executive management and construction professionals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and able to produce clear and well-structured memos and presentations.
• Excellent judgment and ability to grasp complex subject matter and communicate succinctly to technical and nontechnical professionals.
• A demonstrated ability to work with a wide variety of skill sets and personalities to progress issues to resolution.
• Effective people skills; must be able to use appropriate management style.
• Demonstrate a high comfort-level with facilitating discussions between multiple stakeholders with multiple opinions and experiences.
• Must embrace obstacles and think out of the box.

Desired:
Ideal candidate will present the following profile:

• Ability to develop and implement complex strategic plans that achieve major business goals.
• Demonstrated experience organizing a demanding workload with the ability to work in a high-pressure environment with multiple tasks due in a tight time-frame.
• Demonstrated proficiency in effectively persuading, influencing and negotiating with individuals at various levels of the organization to achieve desired outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to establish comprehensive, detailed plans with specific time-frames, milestones and deliverables necessary to meet or exceed project goals.
• Passion, Vision, willingness to take calculated risks
• P.E. or R.A. registration in NY/NJ
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products and Adobe Applications