Are you a visionary leader in the grocery construction industry, ready to shape the future of retail spaces? Whole Foods Market is seeking an exceptional Senior Team Leader, Construction Project Management, to spearhead our ambitious expansion and renovation initiatives for our East Coast Markets. 
At Whole Foods Market, you'll have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the grocery industry, working with cutting-edge technologies and sustainable and ethical building practices. 

The position will lead a team of CPMs and projects thoughout the East Coast and can be based out of one of the following operational area offices:

Boston MA, Rockville MD, Jersey City, NJ, Atlanta GA, Chicago IL, or Austin TX with the expectation of being in the office or on job sites five days a week. 
You must also be willing to travel 65-75% of the time (anywhere in the US). 

The Role: 
As our Senior Team Leader of Construction Projects for the Store Development Team, you will provide strategic leadership and oversight to the Construction Project Management family. In this pivotal role, you will: 

• Drive large-scale, high-impact projects including remodels, renovations and special initiatives across Eastern half of the US  

• Leverage your deep industry expertise to optimize project estimations, pioneering value engineering solutions that significantly reduce construction costs while maintaining our commitment to quality  

• Cultivate and manage relationships with top-tier contractors, ensuring Whole Foods Market secures premium work at competitive rates  

• Navigate complex lease agreements and work letters with finesse, maximizing tenant improvement allowances and landlord credits  

• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and within budget, setting new benchmarks for efficiency in the grocery construction sector  

• Implement cutting-edge project management methodologies to enhance communication, streamline processes, and ensure regulatory compliance 

 
You will bring: 

• 6+ years of leadership experience in grocery or retail construction management  

• A proven track record of successfully delivering multi million-dollar complex commercial construction projects that includes refrigeration and/or critical infrastructure 

•  Expert knowledge of construction methodologies, market trends, and cost-saving strategies  

• Strong negotiation skills and a deep understanding of lease agreements and tenant improvement processes  

• Exceptional leadership abilities with experience managing high-performing teams 
   

​Responsibilities: 

• Provides leadership  for Construction Program and Project Managers, General Contractors, and Service Providers. 

• Particpates in OP planning and document preparation. 

• Performs due diligence as required to inform budgets and critical path forecasting. 

• Reviews and approves Initial Construction Projections (ICPs) and critical path schedules developed by the project management team, reviews and approves all bids prior to contract award, and is ultimately accountable for budget to actual performance within the COG. 

• Monitors key dates to ensure contract terms, lease requirements, site delivery schedules are successfully upheld, and critical path milestones maintained. 

• Expects timely follow through and accuracy from CPMT for information required by senior leadership, finance, construction accounting, and project administration teams – ensuring accurate project data in USGN and other enterprise systems for milestone dates, ICPs, PO maintenance, BtoA, as well as capital versus expense impact to operational budget codes. 

• Coordinates projects with landlords and developers, including direct oversight of tender acceptance for all new stores. Ensures project management team maintains excellent records and follows through in LL coordination and reimbursable reporting. 

• Conduct site due diligence as required for acquisitions, expansions, and remodels. 

• Oversees engagement with construction teams, regional leadership, store leadership, product merchandising team, and other stakeholders, ensuring a high level of service and communication from the CPMT. 

• Ensure quality of permit documents, coordinating peer reviews for all major projects, and monitoring RFI and change order activity. 

• Excellent communication and organizational skills, including technical expertise required for construction within a grocery retail environment. 

• Builds critical partnerships and alignment with teams that share interdependency with Store Development internally, including: Product merchandising and programing, Operations, Legal, Real Estate, Lease Administration, Finance, Accounting, Risk, and Asset Protection. 

• Establishes regular meetings and communication protocols with direct team and key stakeholders to review status of current projects, pipeline planning, and incorporation of new requests and initiatives at a regional level. 

Leadership & Navigation: 

• Ensures alignment between Construction Project Management and the organization’s overall vision, values, mission, and business strategies. 

• Ensures team services adapt and change as the business evolves. 

• Supports individual development and replacement planning efforts within the construction project management function. 

• Ability to pivot, excel, and lead in an environment with dynamic and competing priorities 

Consultation: 

• Consults with business leaders on functional and operational processes, challenges, and related issues and trends on project plans designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

• Serves as a trusted advisor from a Construction Project Management perspective 

Strategic Impact: 

• Translates strategic objectives into clear, actionable steps at the local and regional level. 

• Identifies risks / threats in current or emerging operational strategies and outcomes. 

• Understands how risks / threats may impact operational effectiveness, resources, and costs. 

• Is forward thinking 

• Collaborates cross‐functionally to ensure the implications inherent in Construction Project Management analyses are understood and form the basis for sound decision making 

Task & Project Management: 

• Leads detailed task / project planning, including cost, schedule, and resource requirements. 

• Ensures planning incorporates data and information from customer, supplier, partner, and company perspectives. 

• Collaborates with task / project stakeholders to identify, evaluate, and resolve emerging and anticipated issues. 

• Leverages data‐driven insights to recommend and implement task / project management and delivery methodology of continuous improvement. 

Industry & Business Acumen: 

• Demonstrates clear understanding of WFM’s core business and customer/ market / partner interfaces 

• Assesses how products, processes, and operating models impact the company’s business and financial performance. 

• Professional understanding of building systems and infrastructure requirements for retail grocery environment 

• Understands how changes in customer expectations, the competition, new businesses, new markets, and evolving strategies impact the company’s competitive position and long‐term prospects 

Education & Experience: 

• BA/BS degree and 6+ years’ relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. 

• 3+ years' experience leading mid to large construction teams (Owner Operator preferred) in the Grocery, Supermarket, Retail industries etc. that include large commercial refrigeration equipment (racking systems, gondola's, open and closed coolers, freezers etc.) 

• 3+ years' experience with construction and project management tools like Procor (Yardi/MRI/BlueBeam etc) Excel/Smartsheets/MS project.