Associate Director- Market Sector Lead- Education

 

Founded in 1952 and formerly known as Heery International Inc., the firm operates throughout the United States as part of Turner & Townsend. It specializes in project and program management for public sector organizations, with industry-leading experts in corporate, cultural, healthcare, justice, sports, K-12 education, higher education, aviation and government facilities.

Recognized for service excellence by a broad spectrum of professional organizations and industry publications, the talented multidisciplinary team at Turner & Townsend Heery exceeds client expectations — adding value, best practice and expertise at every turn. The team's unique client-centric culture is integrated into each project and reflects a passion for the built environment and staying true to the client’s vision.

Turner & Townsend Heery is seeking an Associate Director to run our education sector here in Portland. The Market Sector Leader in Education is responsible for driving growth, market visibility, and long-term client partnerships across the Education markets. This leader shapes sector strategy, leads major pursuits, and provides oversight on high-profile programs to ensure consistent delivery excellence.

This role sets the tone for professional standards, ethical conduct, and collaborative leadership within the sector. Success is measured not only by revenue growth, but by reputation, repeat work, team development, and the firm’s standing as the preferred advisor in education capital programs.

The Education Lead is the firm’s primary subject-matter expert for education market trends, funding models, procurement approaches, and capital program delivery best practices. They partner closely with executive leadership, project delivery teams, and marketing/business development to shape strategy, secure new work, and ensure exceptional performance on client engagements.

Core Accountabilities

1. Market Strategy & Sector Leadership

• Develop and execute the sector’s growth strategy aligned with revenue objectives and long-term positioning.
• Analyze education market trends, funding environments, and procurement approaches to anticipate change and guide strategic direction
• Identify emerging opportunities service offerings, and geographic growth opportunities.
• Represent the firm externally through industry engagement, speaking engagements, and thought leadership within the education industry and market.
• Develop and retain high-performing talent.
• Uphold standards of integrity, service, and excellence across all engagements.

2. Business Development & Revenue Growth

• Proactively identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities within the education sector.
• Lead major pursuits from early positioning through interview and contract execution.
• Maintain and build trust-based relationships with clients, partners, staff, and industry partners.
• Achieve sector revenue, backlog, and win-rate targets through disciplined capture planning and collaboration.
• Expand services within existing client accounts through strategic engagement.

3. Client Leadership & Stewardship

• Serve as executive sponsor for education clients, ensuring long-term satisfaction and repeat business.
• Conduct regular client engagement to assess performance, address concerns proactively, and identify opportunities for expanded services.
• Resolve complex or escalated issues with transparency and fairness.
• Ensure all engagements reflect high standards of integrity, responsiveness, and service.

4. Project Delivery & Quality Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight on staffing, project startup, risk management, and quality assurance for major education projects or programs.
• Support project teams in project health reviews, ensuring delivery excellence and contractual compliance.
• Promote continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across projects.
• Hold teams accountable to delivering work that reflects both technical excellence and professional integrity.

5. Team Leadership & Culture

• Build and mentor a high-performing, collaborative team environment.
• Create conditions where individuals are supported in their development and challenged to grow.
• Partner with HR and regional leaders to attract, retain, and develop top talent.
• Support staff development through coaching, training, certification pathways, and performance feedback.
• Foster an environment where people want to contribute, grow, and remain long-term.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, business, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and professional experience)
• Demonstrated experience with positive client and industry references leading program and construction management within the education sector.
• Proven track record of business development success and driving measurable revenue growth.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex client-facing engagements.
• Strong understanding of capital planning, design and construction processes, project controls, risk management, and quality oversight.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain long-term client relationships.
• Commitment to ethical decision making and adherence to public-sector compliance requirements.
• Experience delivering bond-funded capital programs or multi-campus programs within the Pacific Northwest in excess of $200M.
• Established network of education-sector clients and industry partners within the Pacific Northwest.
• K-12 experience with modernizations, expansions, capital maintenance and green field construction within the Pacific Northwest.
• Experience with alternative contract delivery methods (e.g., CM/GC and Design-Build, IPD)
• Experience with Oregon public contracting and regulatory compliance.
• Relevant Professional certifications (e.g., Assoc. DBIA, CACM, PMP)
• Experience mentoring and developing high-performing teams.

Preferred

• Professional certifications such as DBIA, CCM, PE, AIA, or equivalent.
• Experience leading delivery of bond-funded capital programs or multi-campus programs within Oregon with values of $350M or greater.
• Established network of education-sector clients and industry partners within Oregon.
• K-12 experience with modernizations, expansions, capital maintenance and green field construction within Oregon.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Market Leadership – Ability to anticipate market shifts, define sector direction, and position the firm as the preferred advisor in education capital programs.
• Stewardship & Trust Building – Builds durable, trust-based relationships with both clients and industry peers (including trades), grounded in responsiveness, transparency, and long-term partnership.
• Business Acumen & Growth Execution – Translates strategy into measurable revenue growth, disciplined capture planning, and sustainable backlog development.
• Delivery Excellence & Risk Oversight – Upholds high standards of quality, accountability, and predictability across complex capital programs.
• Ethical Judgement & Integrity – Consistently exercises sound judgement and prioritizes doing the right thing, particularly within public-sector environments.
• Collaborative Leadership – Creates alignment across disciplines, strengthens cross-functional teamwork, and promotes shared ownership of outcomes.
• Talent Development & Performance Standards – Sets clear expectations, provides direct feedback, and cultivates an environment where individuals are supported and challenged to perform at their highest level.
• Resilient & Constructive Challenge – Embraces complex situations with composure and determination; drives progress through obstacles while maintaining professionalism.
• Executive Communication & Presence – Communicates with clarity and credibility across boards, superintendents, executive leadership, and internal teams.

The salary range for this full-time role is $160k-$180k per year. Ranges are determined by role and level and represent a good faith effort to provide a fair and equitable salary. This range is a reflection of base salary only, not of a total compensation package.  Please note Turner & Townsend reserves the right to pay more or less than the posted range, depending on candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Qualified candidates with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with LA County ordinance and CA law.   

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance. 

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Please find out more about us at www.turnerandtownsend.com/

Turner & Townsend does not accept any speculative or unsolicited CV’s that have been sent to our internal recruitment team or hiring managers from agencies outside of our preferred supplier list or that have not followed due process. Any speculative or unsolicited CV’s will be treated as a direct application.

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