Assistant Director, Construction

Job Description

General Motors Construction is responsible for planning designing and executing more than $2B in facility capital projects annually across manufacturing and non-manufacturing facilities. The Assistant Director Construction is accountable for safe predictable and high-quality execution across this complex North American portfolio. The role leads through Construction Group Managers and Project Managers across concurrent projects with accountability for portfolio priorities and execution performance.

The role owns delivery from design/build contract award through mobilization field execution commissioning turnover closeout and warranty. Partnering closely with the Director of Planning Design and Engineering and other functional leaders the Assistant Director converts approved scope and technical direction into successful construction outcomes while balancing Safety Cost Schedule Quality business continuity and long-term value.

Note: We are hiring for two Assistant Director Construction positions that together oversee the North American construction portfolio. One position will have responsibility for Manufacturing and CCA/Distribution construction projects; the other will have responsibility for Non-Manufacturing Canada and Mexico construction projects.

• Set the construction strategy priorities governance and operating model for the assigned portfolio in alignment with General Motors facility investment priorities.

• Lead Construction Group Managers and Project Managers across concurrent projects with clear operating rhythms decision rights and resource plans.

• Balance portfolio priorities and intervene when project performance organizational capacity or business needs require leadership action.

• Hold portfolio leaders accountable for approved commitments performance and timely escalation.

• Advise senior leaders on capital priorities delivery strategies organizational capacity enterprise trade-offs and operational risk.

• Oversee design/build contractor delivery from procurement and contract award through construction commissioning turnover closeout and warranty.

• Ensure contractors maintain compliant plans for execution schedule cost safety quality risk and commissioning.

• Direct contractor performance changes claims contingency supplier coordination operational interfaces and recovery actions.

• Ensure consistent application of project controls for scope funding procurement contracting change risk document control invoicing reporting and closeout.

• Maintain accurate project records performance dashboards governance reviews audit readiness corrective actions and transparent reporting.

• Enforce General Motors safety requirements site plans regulatory compliance leading and lagging indicators incident response and corrective actions.

• Control budgets commitments forecasts contingency payments changes claims and variances; provide clear explanations and recovery recommendations.

• Maintain baseline schedules critical-path visibility milestones look-ahead plans long-lead tracking and recovery plans.

• Enforce quality plans inspections testing nonconformance resolution punch-list closure commissioning readiness and turnover quality.

• Identify and mitigate risks related to safety cost schedule quality permitting constructability operations compliance and business continuity.

• Serve as a senior construction partner to business leaders facility operations Finance Purchasing Legal Audit Environmental and other corporate functions.

• Partner with Purchasing on sourcing contracts supplier performance and commercial issues; partner with Operations on continuity shutdowns commissioning and readiness.

• Coordinate with Legal Audit Finance and Environmental on contracts claims controls funding compliance permits remediation and sustainability requirements.

• Lead relationships with contractors consultants equipment providers suppliers and other external partners; align stakeholders secure decisions and resolve roadblocks.

• Provide senior leaders with clear portfolio status material risks decisions forecasts and recovery recommendations.

• Lead coach and develop Construction Group Managers Project Managers and construction professionals through clear expectations feedback performance management and career development.

• Build succession depth strengthen capability balance workload and deploy talent to priority needs across the portfolio.

• Champion organizational change and use data lessons learned technology and industry practices to improve delivery predictability and reduce rework claims and punch-list items.

• Foster an inclusive accountable collaborative and safety-focused culture grounded in integrity continuous learning and ownership.

• Bachelors degree in construction management engineering architecture business or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.

• Fifteen or more years of progressive experience leading complex industrial manufacturing commercial infrastructure or facilities construction programs.

• Demonstrated experience setting strategy operating direction performance expectations and resource plans through project managers construction managers and other technical or delivery professionals across multiple complex projects.

• Demonstrated experience with design/build delivery contractor performance project controls change management commissioning turnover closeout and warranty.

• Strong knowledge of owner requirements safety cost control scheduling quality assurance contracts claims delivery models constructability risk management supplier performance and operational readiness.

• Proven financial and commercial judgment including budgeting forecasting contingency contract strategy change management and capital stewardship.

• Strong executive communication negotiation problem-solving conflict resolution and stakeholder-influence skills.

• Experience operating in a complex matrixed organization across multiple sites regions functions and cultures including cross-border or North American environments.

• Demonstrated judgment balancing safety quality cost schedule compliance operational continuity and long-term value when priorities and risks compete.

• Advanced degree or professional credentials such as Professional Engineer Project Management Professional or Certified Construction Manager.

• Experience leading multi-site or multi-region construction portfolios in complex manufacturing technology or facilities environments.

• Experience with multiple delivery models integrated project delivery digital project controls or comparable construction technologies.

• Experience leading organizational transformation operating-model change or capability-building initiatives.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g. H1-B OPT STEM OPT CPT TN J-1 etc). This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week or other frequency dictated by their manager. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. This job is not eligible for relocation benefits. Any relocation costs would be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

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