About Cref
Cref is dedicated to providing strategic real estate solutions, focused on helping organizations maximize their physical infrastructure. By enhancing resiliency, improving user experiences, reducing costs, and unlocking capital, Cref plays a critical role in ensuring facilities are not just spaces but strategic assets that drive organizational success.
Redefining real estate management through innovation and strategic partnership, we specialize in offering long-term, integrated solutions tailored to address industry-specific complexities. By partnering with leading operators, we focus on resolving our clients' challenges and ensuring a streamlined approach to real estate. This approach not only fosters growth and innovation but instills a sense of purpose and achievement across all of our clients' business objectives.
About Planning, Design & Construction
The Planning, Design & Construction team partners as a strategic owner's representative across all operational and capital initiatives, collaborating with stakeholders, managing risks and timelines, and maximizing overall value delivery.
This division creates clearly defined workplans and builds teams with detailed performance metrics to execute projects with precision. These plans translate our clients' business goals into well-executed projects that exceed all levels of operational, regulatory, and financial standards.
Senior Project Manager
The Senior Project Manager will be based in the Nashville, Tennessee area and serve as a senior representative of Cref's Planning, Design & Construction team in the market. The initial focus will include leading a medical office building (MOB) and hospital expansion project, with responsibility for the strategic oversight, management, and successful delivery of complex healthcare capital projects.
This position requires an experienced project management professional who can independently lead large-scale initiatives, manage multidisciplinary project teams, navigate complex client and stakeholder relationships, and ensure projects achieve their operational, financial, schedule, and quality objectives.
In addition to overseeing project execution, the Senior Project Manager will serve as a trusted advisor to clients, provide leadership and mentorship to project team members, and partner with Cref leadership to strengthen client relationships and support continued growth in the Nashville market.
Core Responsibilities
- Serve as Cref's senior local project management representative in the Nashville market, providing strategic leadership, oversight, and accountability for healthcare capital projects.
- Independently lead multiple complex new construction, expansion, and renovation projects from initial planning and feasibility through design, construction, commissioning, occupancy, and Transition to Operations.
- Provide strategic guidance to clients regarding capital planning, project delivery approaches, risk management, resource allocation, and overall project execution.
- Establish and maintain trusted relationships with healthcare executives, hospital leadership, operational stakeholders, architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, commissioning agents, vendors, and suppliers.
- Lead multidisciplinary project teams, establishing clear expectations, performance objectives, communication protocols, and accountability for successful project delivery.
- Oversee the development and management of comprehensive project budgets, master schedules, cash flow projections, procurement strategies, and risk mitigation plans.
- Provide senior-level oversight of contracts, negotiations, change management, cost controls, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
- Anticipate and proactively resolve complex project challenges, competing priorities, and stakeholder concerns while maintaining alignment with client objectives.
- Oversee project definition, consultant and contractor selection, design coordination, value engineering, permitting, construction administration, commissioning, and operational readiness.
- Ensure compliance with applicable healthcare regulatory requirements, building codes, safety standards, and organizational policies.
- Apply and promote Cref's project management processes, standards, and best practices while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
- Provide guidance, mentorship, and technical support to Project Managers and other project team members, as applicable, fostering professional development and consistent project delivery.
- Collaborate with Client Executives and Cref leadership on project strategy, client satisfaction, resource planning, and business development initiatives.
- Support the development of Cref's presence in the Nashville market by strengthening industry relationships, identifying new project opportunities, and contributing to long-term client partnerships.
- Maintain a high level of professionalism, independent judgment, accountability, and commitment to exceptional client service.
Deliverables
- Lead the development and review of feasibility studies, project assessments, and recommendations for client and Client Executive approval.
- Develop comprehensive project workplans, including scope, staffing requirements, resource allocation, budgets, schedules, milestones, and performance expectations.
- Prepare and oversee project proposals, scopes of work, and fee estimates for new opportunities in collaboration with the Client Executive.
- Establish and maintain accurate project financial information, including total project costs, cash flow forecasts, budget variances, and change management documentation.
- Develop and maintain integrated master project schedules, identifying critical milestones, dependencies, risks, and mitigation strategies.
- Prepare and present executive-level project status reports, financial summaries, risk assessments, and recommendations to client leadership and internal stakeholders.
- Ensure consistent project documentation, quality control, regulatory coordination, and timely resolution of outstanding issues.
- Provide strategic recommendations to improve project performance, maximize value, and support successful project outcomes.
- Cultivate long-term client relationships by serving as a trusted advisor and identifying opportunities to expand Cref's services.
- Support the development and implementation of project management best practices, tools, and processes across the Planning, Design & Construction team.
Essential Skills and Experience
- Significant experience managing healthcare construction and capital improvement projects required.
- Eight or more years of progressive experience in healthcare planning, architecture, engineering, construction management, hospital capital project management, or a related technical field.
- Bachelor's degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, facilities management, or a related field.
- Demonstrated success independently leading large-scale, complex healthcare capital projects through all phases of planning, design, construction, commissioning, and occupancy.
- Experience managing multiple concurrent projects with significant financial, operational, regulatory, and stakeholder complexities.
- Strong understanding of healthcare facility operations, infrastructure, capital planning, and the unique requirements of active healthcare environments.
- Proven experience developing and managing project budgets, master schedules, contracts, procurement processes, and risk management strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, influence stakeholders, resolve complex challenges, and drive accountability.
- Experience advising senior client leadership and presenting project information, recommendations, and financial analyses to executive-level stakeholders.
- Proven ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with geographically distributed teams and organizational leadership.
- Demonstrated success developing and maintaining strong client and industry relationships.
- Familiarity with FGI Guidelines, The Joint Commission standards, state health department licensing requirements, OSHA, NFPA, ADA, and applicable state and national building codes.
- Advanced knowledge of building systems, constructability, healthcare infrastructure, project delivery methods, and industry best practices.
- Strong financial acumen, analytical capabilities, negotiation skills, and strategic problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent communication, organizational, leadership, and relationship-management skills.
- Demonstrated commitment to mentoring team members, improving processes, and delivering exceptional client service.
- Professional certifications such as PMP, CCM, or related industry credentials preferred.
Reporting Structure
Reports to: Client Executive
May provide project-level leadership, oversight, and mentorship to Project Managers, Project Engineers, and other assigned project team members.
Work Location
Nashville, Tennessee area. This position requires a full-time local presence and regular work at client and project sites. Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to the Nashville area.
Travel
Regular local and regional travel within the greater Nashville area is required. Occasional travel outside the Nashville market may also be necessary based on business and project needs.
Why Cref?
Cref is committed to finding the best talent to support our growth. Our success is rooted in our commitment to remain the leader in providing strategic real estate solutions through our dedication to continuous improvement, engaging our people, and delivering on our promise to help organizations more efficiently and productively manage their real estate assets.
At Cref, we want our employees to have peace of mind when caring for themselves and their families. We offer a competitive salary, generous benefits package, and the opportunity to work on a growing and innovative team.
Cref is an equal opportunity employer. If you require accommodation due to a disability in order to complete the application process, please contact Human Resources at 508-562-4181 or submit a request in writing to jchace@cref.com. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, age, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, parental and marital status, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
