Director of Real Estate and Construction

About this role

Director of Real Estate & Construction

Veterinary Practice Partners (VPP) | Reports to: Chief Administrative Officer

About the Role

VPP is seeking a VP of Real Estate & Construction to own the full capital program and real estate function across the network — from site diligence and lease negotiation through de novo/AcquiNovo development and renovation, with P&L-level accountability for the portfolio’s construction budget. This is a build-the-function mandate: standing up the team, the governance model, and the playbook, not administering an existing one.

You’ll carry executive-level accountability for how fast, how well, and how cost-effectively VPP builds and secures locations — and you’ll be the primary voice on real estate and construction in leadership discussions.

What You’ll Own

Capital Program & P&L Accountability

• Carry P&L-level accountability for the portfolio’s construction and capital budget

• Own capital planning across the national portfolio — prioritizing spend against growth targets and forecasting the multi-market pipeline

• Institute an estimating and budget governance layer tied to deal stages, so capital costs are underwritten consistently from LOI through close and into build-out

• Develop project- and portfolio-level financial reporting for leadership; ensure budget deviations are pre-approved and documented

Real Estate Strategy & Lease Portfolio

• Lead site selection and market analysis for de novo and AcquiNovo growth, partnering with BD on density, demographics, and competitive positioning

• Own the lease portfolio end-to-end: negotiation, renewals, terminations, and landlord/tenant matters

• Develop and enforce a related-party landlord policy, including independent market-rent benchmarking wherever a partner doctor or affiliate is also the landlord

• Coordinate work letters, tenant improvement allowances, and delivery conditions to protect project timelines and budgets

Construction & Development Execution

• Rebuild and lead the construction PM function as a discipline distinct from facilities maintenance — clear ownership, staffing, and accountability separate from day-to-day upkeep

• Direct all construction projects from feasibility through close-out; own the master development/construction timeline across concurrent builds

• Manage relationships with architects, engineers, designers, and consultants; lead bidding, contractor selection, and contract negotiation

• Refine VPP’s facility design standards and development playbook toward rapid, repeatable openings

• Fix project visibility: standardized status cadence, templates, and exception rollups so problems surface before they escalate

Regulatory & Risk

• Oversee permitting, approvals, Certificates of Occupancy, and inspections across jurisdictions

• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal building codes and applicable healthcare facility requirements

• Anticipate and manage construction, entitlement, and site-delivery risk; maintain strict cost discipline and change-order control

Facilities

• Partner on the facilities maintenance model (including evaluation of IFM/outsourced providers) to ensure the split from construction PM doesn’t create service gaps for hospital teams

Team & Stakeholder Leadership

• Hire, build, and lead a small, high-caliber real estate and construction team as the portfolio scales

• Serve as the primary face of VPP in project dealings with doctors, partners, landlords, and vendors

What You Bring

• 10–15+ years of progressive leadership in real estate development and/or construction project management in a multi-site retail, healthcare, or services environment; veterinary or healthcare experience a plus

• Proven experience leading multiple concurrent ground-up projects and carrying P&L-level accountability for a capital program

• Direct experience negotiating leases and managing a multi-location portfolio, including landlord disputes and related-party arrangements

• Strong expertise in budgeting, scheduling, contract negotiation, and risk management; demonstrated success delivering within tight cost/schedule constraints

• Comfort building a function from the ground up — process design, hiring, governance — not just executing an existing playbook

• Experience managing national vendor/GC networks

• Proficiency with project management software (Smartsheet, Procore, etc.); familiarity with design tools (AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp) a plus

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or related field preferred; a design/architecture background is a plus given the real-estate development crossover this role requires

• Executive presence — able to distill cost, risk, and schedule tradeoffs for leadership and board audiences

• Willingness to travel up to 25%

Comp & Location

• Remote with the ability to travel up to 25%

• The expected base salary range is $175,000 - $225,000, commensurate with experience