Director of Design and Construction

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, is responsible for the design and construction of Hawaii’s largest infrastructure project and the nation’s first fully-automated rail transit system. This project features an automated fixed-guideway rail system on Oahu, stretching from East Kapolei, past the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, and into downtown Honolulu. The project’s goal is to provide faster and more reliable public transportation services than buses operating in congested, mixed-flow traffic, thereby enhancing transit connectivity within the corridor.

Under the direction of the HART Project Director, the Director of Design and Construction leads the planning, design, and construction management efforts on this major program, and has accountability for design and construction management, schedule, budget, quality, and oversight of the planning, design, engineering, and construction management teams assigned to deliver this mass transit program. 

Benefits

HART is a part of the City and County of Honolulu, and its employees receive the full range of comprehensive benefits provided by the City, which includes:

• Time-Off
  Vacation: Employees may earn 21 days per year.
  Sick Leave: Employees may earn 21 days per year.
  Holidays: There are 13 holidays observed per year. (Election years include 14 holidays per year.)
• Health
  Plans offered may include medical, prescription drug, vision, dental and life insurance. The amount the City pays is specified in the bargaining unit agreements. If you are required to pay premiums for the plans you select, you may choose to deduct the premium from your pay before taxes.
• Retirement Plan
  All new employees have contributions deducted from their paychecks for their retirement plans.
• Deferred Compensation
  You can defer part of your pay to defer federal/state taxes until retirement.
• Employee Assistance Program
  Free confidential counseling and referral services are available upon request.
• Training and Development
  Numerous opportunities are available through City sponsored training programs and training reimbursement policy.
• Pre-Tax Benefit on Transportation Expenses
  You may designate as a pre-tax item, your monthly City parking fee, bus pass or mass transit fee via payroll deduction. Mass transit alternatives include: The Bus, LOTMA, VanPool Hawaii and Handi-Van.
• City Flex-Flexible Benefits Plan
  City Flex allows employees to pay for eligible health and dependent care expenses with TAX FREE money by redirecting a portion of their salary to a Health Flexible Spending Account (“HFSA”) and/or a Dependent Care
  Flexible Spending Account (“DCFSA”).
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
  A federal program forgiving the balance of federal student loans for individuals working in public service.

**Benefits are subject to change, including changes due to legislation/negotiation**

Duties and Responsibilities:

The incumbent is responsible for directing the design and construction of HART’s Rail Transit Project, and operates at a key decision making level for engineering projects, under management by HART, in coordination with the Core Systems Departments.  This position ensures that work is delivered safely and in accordance with approved plans and specifications, while adhering to both budget and schedule needs, and ensuring project deliverables are accurate, complete, and in accordance with Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) requirements.

• Provides leadership, direction, and coordination that will advance HART’s goals and objectives, having overall responsibility for project development, design, and construction of the rail transit project.  Directs all areas of the project related to planning, design, construction, and utilities activities.
• Develops and implements broad policy guidance for the project management teams.
• Directs and formulates establishment of uniform engineering standards.  Reviews and analyzes work progress and cost reports, and evaluates the effect of adopting new methods and procedures on work progress.  Directs the execution of major long-range planning, engineering, feasibility, and research studies.
• Coordinates the reviews and activities of subordinate sections that include engineering, architecture, project management, construction, and interface, and makes recommendations on departmental policies, rules, and regulations relating to engineering matters.
• Prepares and directs the preparation of correspondence, technical reports, and testimony, as required.
• Participates in selection panels to evaluate firms bidding on design and construction contracts.
• Manages the design and construction group, including the establishment of goals, program plans, priorities, and allocating resources.  Communicates organizational goals and establishes review and control systems.  Reviews costs, manages fiscal resources, and maintains control of assigned resources and assets.  Manages human resources, evaluates employee performances, and adheres to Equal Employment Opportunity requirements.
• Establishes reporting requirements and reviews technical reports and administrative documents.  Meets with subordinate managers and agency staff to monitor long term efforts and to discuss the progress of individual projects (technical issues, cost control and a wide variety of other concerns); identifies and defines problems; analyzes options and decides on best course of action; then ensures coordination of action by/with subordinates, local governments and intergovernmental agencies, Federal regulatory agencies (e.g., FTA) and public interest groups.
• Serves on the Change Control Committee and plays a key role in assessing, evaluating, and managing construction claims.
• Reviews program quality and progress toward achieving goals and program results with a strong emphasis on interface and coordination between major contractors.  Takes corrective actions to maintain the work progress on schedule, to improve employee performance, or to modify goals and operations as appropriate.
• Coordinates with management-level personnel and key staff in financial and procurement management, to assure adequate support, and to ensure that operations are conducted within the bounds of budget/accounting regulations, procurement requirements and other laws, regulations, requirements and policies concerning general management operations at HART.
• Provides high-level technical assistance and advice to executive level management on complex engineering, construction and related operational issues.  Ensures that information provided is accurate and timely.  Keeps the Project Director informed of “high visibility,” particularly complex or sensitive problems, and other matters that require their awareness/response or must/should be presented to the CEO for approval or informational purposes.
• Works effectively with a wide range of interested parties, including local public officials, private businesses, oversight consultants, and federal regulators.  Attends meetings and makes presentations; hosts tours or site visits of facilities in construction.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned and as a member of HART Senior Staff.

Minimum Qualifications: 

• A combination of education and experience substantially equivalent to graduation from an accredited four year college or university, with a bachelor’s degree in an engineering specialty, and five years of registered professional civil engineering experience, including or supplemented by three years of administrative engineering experience.
• At least 20 years of experience in the management of large scale, complex engineering and construction projects including experience on rail transit projects.
• Previous experience dealing with FTA-funded projects required.

Physical Requirement:

Persons seeking appointment to positions in this class must meet the health and physical condition standards deemed necessary and proper for performance of the duties.

Schedule and Location:

The work of this position is conducted in the HART offices in Honolulu, Hawaii (no telecommuting allowed) during typical 8-hour shifts. HART does not cover any relocations costs.

Job Type:

Full-time, Contract

Salary Range:

$126,936 – $203,196 Annually