Project Executive – Life Sciences

Location: Raleigh, NC or Atlanta, GA

Role Summary

The Project Executive provides overall executive leadership for project acquisition, contract negotiations, client relations, budget management, and trade partner strategy across complex life science and specialized technical facilities. This role oversees managers and professionals across multiple departments, driving business growth and project execution excellence. The Project Executive serves as the direct executive point of contact for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and research clients while leading compliance with Yates safety, quality, and cGMP/cleanroom standards.

Autonomy & Decision-Making Operates with executive-level autonomy, leading strategic contract negotiations, project acquisitions, financial P&L oversight, and broad team resourcing decisions across large organizational divisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Leadership & Team Recruitment: Recruits, assembles, and builds high-performing project teams specializing in technical MEP/HVAC commissioning and validated environments. Supervises managers and multi-departmental staff, providing executive direction to exceed project goals.
• Project Acquisition & Business Growth: Generates leads across the life sciences and biotech sectors using industry contacts, leads specialized RFP/RFQ processes, and participates in executive-level contract negotiations.
• Pre-Construction & Project Start-Up: Works with pre-construction teams to align target value design, specialized equipment long-lead procurement, schedules, and baseline budgets, leading smooth turnover meetings between pre-construction and execution teams.
• Operations & P&L Governance: Maintains full accountability for Accounts Receivable, Financial Forecasting, and P&L across life science portfolios. Regularly visits project sites to monitor performance, clean build protocols, and safety compliance.
• Client & Executive Relationship Management: Serves as the primary executive point of contact for pharmaceutical clients, lab planners, and owners, building long-term relationships to secure repeat business.
• Lean & Safety Strategy: Champions company safety programs and leads project team implementation of Lean/Last Planner processes, modular pre-fabrication strategies, and baseline schedule development.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: Minimum 15+ years of overall general construction experience, 10+years in construction management leadership including direct oversight of multiple medium-to-large life science, pharmaceutical manufacturing, cGMP, cleanroom, or complex lab projects ($100M+).
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management or Engineering.
• Skills & Alignment: Proficient in project control software including Primavera P6, MS Project, and Project Sight. Deep expertise in cGMP compliance, commissioning, qualification, and validation (CQV) processes, EPC delivery models, and legal provisions affecting profitability. Demonstrates exceptional analytical problem-solving skills, proven negotiation capabilities, and complete alignment with Yates core values.

Yates Construction provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal and state law requirements.

Yates complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location where the company has facilities.