Director - Design Integration, Federal

McGough is a respected partner that brings six generations of experience to high profile, unique and complex construction projects. We take great pride in our people and their extraordinary expertise in planning, development, construction and facility management. McGough employee tenure reflects the commitment and pride we share in our work. Ask anyone who knows us - the caliber of our people sets us apart.

DIRECTOR - DESIGN INTEGRATION, FEDERAL

The Director of Design Integration serves as the accountable leader for full integration of design and construction under the Design-Build delivery model for Federal projects. This role establishes and enforces the execution strategy that aligns design development with cost, schedule, constructability, phasing, stakeholder engagement, and Federal compliance requirements. Rather than functioning as a traditional design manager, this position ensures that technical decisions are made within a unified delivery framework that reduces downstream risk and supports predictable field execution. Success is measured by clarity of integration, lifecycle involvement of the design team, and the delivery of coordinated, buildable solutions consistent with DBIA best practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in CM@R, Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery, or similar project delivery methods.
• Demonstrated leadership in fully integrating design and construction teams from pursuit through closeout.
• Proven ability to define and execute a Design-Build integration strategy across complex projects.
• Experience aligning technical design development with cost, schedule, phasing, and risk objectives.
• Experience developing and enforcing design-to-budget discipline in collaboration with preconstruction.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.

Preferred

• DBIA certification or demonstrated alignment with DBIA best practices.
• Experience on Federal Design-Build projects of similar scale and complexity.
• Experience leading integration of technically complex facilities (mission-critical, research, federal, or institutional).
• Familiarity with fast-tracked or phased design-build execution models.

Skills

• Strategic integrator who connects design intent, construction execution, cost, and schedule into a unified delivery plan.
• Risk-focused leader who identifies integration gaps early and drives corrective action before field impact occurs.
• Clear and structured communicator who simplifies complexity for agency stakeholders and internal teams.
• Collaborative leader who aligns designers, builders, and owners under shared accountability.
• Systems-oriented integrator who anticipates downstream impacts of early technical decisions and adjusts execution strategy accordingly.
• Strong working knowledge of BIM/VDC and coordination workflows as integration tools (not just software proficiency).

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Design-Build Integration Leadership

• Serve as the accountable integration leader from pursuit through construction and closeout, ensuring design and construction operate as a single, unified Design-Build team.
• Establish and enforce the integrated workflow that governs how design and construction collaborate from pursuit through closeout, including decision rights, communication structure, milestone reviews, and feedback loops.
• Align organizational structure and reporting chains to that workflow, ensuring design and construction operate under unified accountability rather than parallel silos.
• Define how design personnel remain engaged during construction to resolve field conditions, RFIs, phasing adjustments, and system coordination through project closeout.

Technical & Execution Alignment

• Lead milestone integration reviews (30/60/90/IFC) addressing cost, schedule, risk, and constructability simultaneously.
• Align design schedule with construction sequencing and phasing strategy.
• Ensure full lifecycle involvement of design personnel through construction and turnover.
• Oversee integration of complex building systems and technical interfaces.
• Drive early identification and mitigation of design-driven risks
• Ensure design intent and performance criteria align with agency-specific federal standards and technical requirements (UFC, NASA standards, GSA Facilities Standards, mission-driven criteria, etc.) while maintaining constructability and cost discipline.

Design-to-Budget & Risk Governance

• Partner with Director - Preconstruction to enforce design-to-budget discipline.
• Establish risk minimization posture during pursuit and execution phases.
• Ensure internal cost transparency within the Design-Build team, maintaining alignment between evolving design and the approved pricing model.
• Coordinate value strategy without compromising contract criteria.

Stakeholder & Client Integration

• Partner with the Project Executive to align technical execution strategy with agency expectations and evaluation criteria.
• Work with Project Executive and Operations leadership to embed stakeholder coordination and phasing considerations into design development.
• Collaborate with Project Development and Preconstruction to articulate a clear, integrated execution strategy within pursuit proposals.
• Support pursuit teams in connecting relevant prior experience to project-specific complexity, integration challenges, and risk mitigation strategy.

Field & Operations Alignment

• Partner with Director - Federal Operations, General Superintendent, and Enterprise Construction Services leaders to incorporate feedback into design.
• Partner with Operations, QC, and Safety leadership during design development to ensure regulatory requirements, inspection sequencing, and field compliance expectations are incorporated before construction begins.
• Define and enforce the process by which design clarifications, RFIs, and field conditions are resolved collaboratively during construction, ensuring design remains actively engaged through closeout.

Other Responsibilities

• Support federal pursuit and business development efforts by reinforcing Design-Build integration strategy with clients and partners.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with design partners and key trade partners to strengthen integrated delivery capability.
• Participate in executive-level project reviews and cross-functional coordination meetings to ensure alignment of design and construction strategy.
• Champion and continuously improve the Federal Design-Build integration standard of work.
• Promote integrated delivery principles and continuous improvement consistent with Lean and Design-Build best practices.

OFFICE AND TRAVEL

• This position is located in Raleigh, NC. National travel to Federal projects and pursuits as required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands outlined here are representative of those required for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

This position requires prolonged periods of sitting at a workstation or during meetings and travel (by plane or car). The employee must be able to lift up to 20 or 50 pounds as needed, demonstrate dexterity to write and use a computer keyboard and mouse, and possess the ability to hear, speak clearly, and distinguish colors on graphs and charts.

The role also requires occasional visits to construction sites, where the employee may be exposed to dust, dirt, uneven surfaces, outdoor weather conditions, and extreme temperatures.

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