Design Director jobs in Baltimore, MD

General Summary

Under limited supervision, manage and direct UMMS Construction and Facilities Planning Department and staff on construction projects ranging in size from $5M to $550M, including feasibility studies, capital project budget development, management of design and construction processes, coordination with other departments’ support efforts (CE, IT, etc.), coordination with public utilities and local jurisdictions, and development and maintenance of Design Standards.  Offer technical guidance and expertise regarding healthcare master and facilities planning, architecture and engineering design, capital project management, complex construction and commissioning, and other related disciplines. Manage a portfolio of active projects to optimize the deployment of resources and minimize disruption to ongoing hospital operations while delivering individual projects on time, on scope, and budget.   

This position reports to the UMMS VP of Real Estate and Construction.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

The following statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification.  They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

Management of Planning and Design activities:   

• Oversees, manages, and directs staff or contracted consultants in the execution of planning studies, programs of requirements, preliminary designs, and final designs.  Provides information, advice, and guidance to staff, consultants, contractors, other project stakeholders, and UMMS leadership.
• Develops and maintains UMMS facility planning and design standards.
• Prepares feasibility studies for various capital project types.
• Oversees development of specific capital project proposals.
• Create pro forma for infrastructure upgrades with ROIs such as Combined Heat and Power or Geothermal.
• Responsible for solicitation and selection of design services for capital projects. Manage vendor contract negotiation, change order review, payment of invoices, corrective action processes, and dispute resolution.
• Oversees design meetings with end users to ensure the design meets the owner’s requirements, best practices, energy efficiency, and UMMS and/or local hospital design standards.
• Works with local Facilities Departments to ensure the design meets their requirements and interfaces with existing conditions to minimize outages or disruption to ongoing patient care.
• Provides technical review of design documents and written comments to the design team to ensure compliance with the standards and to mitigate construction coordination problems in the field.
• Meets with local and state Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), including, but not limited to, MHCC, MEA, MDE, SHA, FAA, MIEMMS, DPW, Local Permit & Planning Review and Fire Marshall, to ensure the project is fully coordinated meets regulatory requirements, and receives timely approval per overall project schedule.
• Interfaces with Regulated and Unregulated Utilities, Broadband & Cable companies, and other infrastructure providers to coordinate the planning of supporting infrastructure for new sites.  
• Coordinate with other internal departments, such as Clinical Engineering (CE), Information Technology (IT), and Procurement, to ensure a comprehensive design.

Management of Capital Project Management activities: 

• Oversees, manages, and directs staff execution of projects from design through construction, commissioning, and activation, ensuring that projects run according to schedule, are cost-effective, and meet organizational objectives.  Projects range in size and complexity from $5M to $550M.  Provides information, advice, and guidance to staff, consultants, contractors, other project stakeholders, and UMMS & local hospital leadership.
• Develops, maintains, and approves UMMS project management standard operating procedures and project controls.
• Recommends and executes the appropriate contractual process, tailored to each project’s requirements, to be utilized with the Construction Manager (CM) or General Contractor (GC).  Contract types include CM At-Risk, Lump Sum, Design-Build, and Collaborative Project Delivery (CPD).
• Responsible for solicitation and selection of CM or GC for capital projects
• Monitors the status of projects to determine conformance with established project and organizational goals. Intervenes as necessary to manage known risks.
• In concert with assigned Project Managers, review, negotiate, and approve pay applications, change orders, schedules, proposed schedule extensions, and other changes to the established contractual plan.
• Facilitate dispute resolution with CM and/or subcontractors as necessary.
• Member of the operations scheduling and coordination group. Works with the local Facilities Department to master schedule construction activity to minimize disruption to ongoing patient care operations and optimize resource use.
• Coordinate with other internal departments, such as Clinical Engineering (CE), Information Technology (IT), and Procurement, to ensure timely delivery and deployment of all equipment. 
• Responsible for periodically reporting on the status of projects against established performance goals.  

Design Standards and Compliance:

• Develops and maintains design standards with system operators, which cost-effectively maintain operations' highest consistency and efficiency.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local electrical and mechanical standards, codes, designs, and regulations.
• Coordinates the development of a process to update Computer Automated Design (CAD) data to maintain the continuity, compliance, and integrity of all systems.
• Coordinates the use of virtual reality (VR) modeling and headset use for projects.
• Interacts with operations teams and engineering by developing guidelines and specifications to establish a cost-effective and operationally effective system.  

Resource Management:

• Monitors and analyzes budgetary variances with the Vice President of Real Estate and Construction.  Project personnel and material expenses for new programs.
• Oversees and coordinates activities of departmental support personnel following department and Human Resources policies and procedures.
• Monitors and controls labor, materials, and expenditures to ensure cost-effective work production.
• Projects workload and resource requirements for future projects and maintains the capability to perform workload.

Performance Management: 

• Manages and provides guidance and direction to staff to ensure accurate and timely production of work and efficient and effective operations.  Coordinates functions and activities to achieve department objectives and comply with regulatory requirements.
• Plans, organizes, directs, and supervises the functions and activities of staff.  Coordinates, recommends and develops long and short-range goals and activities to achieve department objectives and comply with regulatory requirements.
• Establishes and implements departmental performance standards.  Measures performance against standards and ensures appropriate action is taken when standards are unmet.  Investigates irregularities and policy violations and takes corrective action.
• In concert with the VP of Real Estate and Construction, performs departmental hiring, training, evaluation, discipline, and performance reviews. Initiates, recommends, and/or approves personnel actions such as merit increases, promotions, transfers, and disciplinary actions.
• Promotes positive employee relations and resolves department problems.  Promotes intra and interdepartmental communication and cooperation.
• Provides in-service and continuing education for department staff based on departmental operations. 

Minority Business Enterprise Performance and Partnering:  Responsible for minority business participation and development, including coordinating, directing, and reviewing the performance of small minority business participation in UMMS construction projects.  Facilitates MBE vendor fairs, speaks at MBE “Contractor Colleges”, and attends or participates in other MBE events as they occur.  Ensures fair structuring of bid packages to allow for optimal participation of qualified vendors.

Customer Satisfaction:  Develops and maintains a process for measuring customer satisfaction and uses results for process development and improvement.

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) stands at the forefront of healthcare excellence, serving as a premier academic medical center committed to advancing patient care, medical research, and education. With a history of over a century, UMMS has evolved into a comprehensive healthcare network encompassing 12 hospitals, nearly 30,000 employees, leading clinics, and medical institutions. Our dedicated professionals work collaboratively to provide high-quality, patient-centered care across a spectrum of medical specialties. Grounded in innovation and guided by a commitment to community well-being, UMMS remains a beacon of excellence, pushing the boundaries of medical knowledge and transforming the healthcare landscape for the better.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited school in Architecture, City Planning, or Master Planning is required.  Licensure in Maryland as a professional architect or engineer is preferred.
• Ten years of experience directing projects with a value over $30M is required. Two years of this must be with health care facilities, preferably acute care hospitals.
• Five years of supervisory/management experience over professional and non-professional staff is required.

 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expert knowledge of facilities planning, architectural/engineering, construction, and interior design facilities is required.
• Familiarity with using PC software for business support and working knowledge of critical path scheduling and Computer Automated Design programs is required.
• Demonstrated mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering knowledge, practical concepts, interior design and construction, specification, and blueprint reading are required.
• Knowledge of hospital design and building codes and regulations is required.
• Knowledge of the regulatory processes for developing Healthcare construction projects, including the Certificate of Need (CON) and State funding, is desired.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in managing, directing, and coordinating work productivity and performance.
• Proficient budget management skills are required.
• Highly effective verbal communication skills are required to work with and direct management and various staff and to direct multiple construction projects. Practical writing skills are necessary to evaluate staff and prepare various reports.

.