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Director-Head of Projects-San Jose

Job ID

245720

Posted

10-Nov-2025

Service line

GWS Segment

Role type

Full-time

Areas of Interest

Executive Management, Project Management

Location(s)

San Jose - California - United States of America

Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) Local is a hard services-led, tailored facility management solution. We self-perform hard services while partnering with best-in-class soft service providers to offer custom facility and project management solutions to our clients. We focus on empowering our team with a high-level of downstream accountability, resulting in an agile and efficient service delivery.

In addition to our core facility and project management capabilities, our platform offers direct access to our Best-in-Class services, including ESG, Security Consulting, Workplace Strategy, and Workplace Experience.

About the Role:

Lead, develop, and elevate a high-performing project management team.

CBRE is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to serve as Head of Projects for one of our Local Global Workplace Solutions business units. This is a leadership and business operations position focused on portfolio oversight, client development, team performance, and financial management. It is not a day-to-day project manager role.

The Head of Projects oversees a high-volume portfolio of short-duration projects across multiple sectors. Success in this role requires strong business unit leadership, a deep understanding of project delivery, and the ability to support both strategic and tactical needs in a fast-moving environment. This includes providing guidance on scoping, estimating, subcontractor engagement, California regulatory requirements, and field coordination when needed.

You will play a key role in driving growth, ensuring operational excellence, and strengthening client relationships while building a strong and reliable project delivery team.

What You’ll Do:

Lead and mentor a team of project managers with a focus on delivery quality, operational consistency, and professional growth.

Oversee financial performance for the project portfolio, including forecasting, reporting, margin management, and backlog execution.

Build and maintain strong client relationships that support repeat business and account expansion.

Identify, develop, and pursue new work opportunities in both existing accounts and the open market.

Provide strategic oversight on risk, scope, pricing, and resourcing for proposals and active projects.

Support project managers with hands-on guidance for scoping, estimating, subcontractor alignment, permitting processes, and field readiness when necessary.

Maintain visibility with clients, vendors, and internal partners as a reliable advisor and problem solver.

Recruit, retain and develop talent for the present delivery and future growth.

Deliver contractual commitments on secured projects.

Ensure projects are delivered on all maintenance contracts.

Complete projects in line with local playbooks on time, on budget and to the satisfaction of all parties.

Identify, reduce and manage all risks (technical, statutory, health and safety, commercial or otherwise) associated with each and every project.

Plan and develop long term opportunities by creating a pipeline of opportunities.

Liaise with colleagues to determine and identify project opportunities.

Develop and manage all bids, tenders and proposals.

Generate project opportunities by building strong effective working relationships with customers and site teams to exceed the annual financial plan.

Pursue opportunities to generate projects through innovation and diverse technologies.

Lead the projects sales process through solutions development, participating in presentations and consultation meetings.

Identify and win projects through effective relationships.

Deliver supportive business communication through advice, review, leadership and direct contribution to management team meetings, briefings, consultation forums, correspondence, publicity, monthly and ad-hoc reporting and other applications as appropriate.

Promote and maintain the core values of CBRE.

Contribute to the Business Unit strategy development.

Deliver broader strategy and new process delivery across the projects business, ensuring business governance compliance.

Manage the Business Unit Projects forecast.

People leadership, including addressing underperformance, complying with CBRE management policies and procedures.

Negotiate contractual obligations and disputes upstream and downstream.

Chair monthly and ad hoc project review meetings, covering all aspects of Health & Safety / Legislation and financial requirements.

Support the onboarding process for new Project team members.

Accountable directly to the Business Unit Leader/ Director and indirectly to the Divisional Project Director.

This is not a comprehensive list of job requirements, additional tasks may be included.

What You’ll Need:

Recognized technical qualification in Construction, Mechanical, Electrical or similar (desirable).

8 to 12 years of project management or construction leadership experience with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

Demonstrated success leading a diverse portfolio of short-duration, multi-client projects.

Strong general contractor experience preferred, with hands-on involvement in scope development, subcontractor coordination, estimating, and bid leveling for small to medium capital projects.

Recent experience delivering or managing construction or capital projects in California. Candidates must have at least 3 years of continuous California project delivery experience within the last 3 years.

Strong understanding of California building codes, permitting requirements, and jurisdictional processes.

Ability to support and coach project managers on all phases of delivery from estimating to closeout.

Strong financial acumen with demonstrated ability to manage budgets, forecasting, and financial reporting.

Proven relationship-building skills with a track record of driving repeat business and account growth.

Degree in engineering, architecture, or construction management preferred. Industry certifications such as PMP or CCM are a plus.

Direct experience in project delivery required. Service Model-only or advisory-only experience without hands-on delivery responsibility will not be considered.

Motivational and influential.

A role model for customer service excellence.

High degree of integrity.

Ability to contribute effectively across all business activities.

Politically astute.

Possess high energy, initiative, confidence and stability in demeanor.

Circumstances

Must be flexible to work outside core office hours from time to time to meet tight deadlines as set by customers.

This role will require travel on occasions, to other work locations for team meetings, site visits or to attend conferences or events.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future

Why CBRE

When you join CBRE, you become part of the global leader in commercial real estate services and investment that helps businesses and people thrive. We are dynamic problem solvers and forward-thinking professionals who create significant impact. Our collaborative culture is built on our shared values — respect, integrity, service and excellence — and we value the diverse perspectives, backgrounds and skillsets of our people. At CBRE, you have the opportunity to chart your own course and realize your potential. We welcome all applicants.

Applicant AI Use Disclosure

We value human interaction to understand each candidate's unique experience, skills and aspirations. We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make hiring decisions, and we ask that candidates disclose any use of AI in the application and interview process.

These updates reflect our commitment to clarity, inclusivity, and a consistent candidate experience across all postings. I ask you to encourage your teams to begin incorporating the updated statements into all new job adverts immediately - this will help us maintain alignment with our brand tone and hiring values

CBRE carefully considers multiple factors to determine compensation, including a candidate’s education, training, and experience. The minimum salary for the Head of projects position is $135,000.00 annually and the maximum salary for the Head of Projects position is $220,000.00 annually. The compensation that is offered to a successful candidate will depend on the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience. Successful candidates will also be eligible for a discretionary bonus based on CBRE’s applicable benefit program.

**Equal Employment Opportunity:** CBRE has a long-standing commitment to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, political belief, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

**Candidate Accommodations:** CBRE values the differences of all current and prospective employees and recognizes how every employee contributes to our company’s success. CBRE provides reasonable accommodations in job application procedures for individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request via email at [email protected] or via telephone at +1 866 225 3099 (U.S.) and +1 866 388 4346 (Canada).

CBRE GWS

CBRE Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) works with clients to make real estate a meaningful contributor to organizational productivity and performance. Our account management model is at the heart of our client-centric approach to delivering integrated real estate solutions. Each client is entrusted with a dedicated leader and is supported by regional and global resources, leveraging the industry's most robust platform. CBRE GWS delivers consistent, measurably superior outcomes for our clients at every stage of the lifecycle, and across industries and geographies.

Find out more (https://www.cbre.com/real-estate-services/directory/global-workplace-solutions)

CBRE, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer (Women/Minorities/Persons with Disabilities/US Veterans)