“I know I want to grow as a leader in my field – but I don’t know how to start.”

This is one of the most common sentiments we hear from up-and-coming construction industry talent in our role as career advisors. All too often, candidates can see the end goal clearly, but they don’t know which steps to take to carry them from their current role to their dream job.

Our executive search experts can help. We created our Career Pathways Series to give our experts a platform to answer your most pressing career management questions. So far, our series has explored concrete strategies for becoming a Senior Estimator, Senior Project Manager, Project Executive, and Director of Operations.

In this article, we discuss career advice for one of our most-requested roles: Regional Project Director. Jordan Greer, who leads our Disaster Restoration Division, gave us his unique perspective on how to become a Regional Project Director. Here’s what he told us:

What is a common career path for a Regional Project Director in your industry?

Jordan: A career path for a Regional Project Director would fall into 2 categories. The most common pathway would be growing from a Project Manager/Estimator who is involved with sales into a Regional Project Director role where you are involved in both sales and project management/estimating. The other option would be starting out as a Technician, moving into project management/estimating, then to Operations Manager, and finally to Regional Project Director – with a focus more on operations. Ultimately, it depends on the company and how they are structured.

What makes a good Regional Project Director?

Jordan: A good Regional Project Director has experience managing teams of Technicians, Project Managers, Estimators, and sometimes Business Development/Account Managers. They must have strong leadership skills and team management skills to be an effective Regional Project Director. They also need experience with project management and estimating (using Xactimate) first-hand so that they can fully understand the industry. A Regional Project Director must be multi-faceted with the ability to switch gears effectively, as restoration work can happen at any given time. They also need to have good communication skills, as they will be working with owners, adjusters, consultants, and property managers to deliver services in a critical time. Ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget with a high Gross Margin (>45% in mitigation/EMS and >35% in reconstruction), as well as providing great customer satisfaction (which can lead to potential repeat business), are the primary goals for a Regional Project Director.

What advice would you give a Project Manager who wants to reach the Regional Project Director role in disaster restoration?

Jordan: For a Project Manager, I would recommend getting diversified experience in commercial and residential projects, along with mitigation and reconstruction. In addition, I’d suggest developing strong connections/building relationships with industry organizations (such as BOMA), property management, insurance adjusters, etc. Finally, if you’re a Project Manager, getting some estimating experience will increase your chances of being promoted to a Regional Project Director role.

Are there major differences between disaster restoration and other construction sectors when it comes to promoting Regional Project Directors?

Jordan: The disaster restoration industry as a whole does have a higher turnover rate than other divisions in construction; some of that has to do with private equity and being acquired by other companies. So, when a candidate in this sector has tenures of 3+ years at each of their companies, that’s considered a plus and a sign of stability.

What are specific experiences or qualifications that your clients consider when evaluating candidates for a Regional Project Director?

Jordan: Depending on the company and their structure, a Regional Project Director needs to have strong connections and/or marketing skills (a sales approach, in other words) to be a viable candidate. In addition, companies want to see how much sales volume you have produced in the past and if those sales were at a national or regional level. On average, most commercial clients would like to see around $3 million - $5 million in sales annually in restoration, but it depends on the size of the company and if they specialize in commercial, residential, or both. From a technical standpoint, most Regional Project Directors are experienced in Xactimate or Symbility, so companies are looking for those technical skills. Some clients are focused more on mitigation, others more in recon. So, having a background with the kinds of work they primarily do is important. Another thing to consider is if the candidate has a noncompete. Finally, ensuring customer satisfaction is key in the restoration industry because it can lead to long-term relationships and repeat business.

Are you seeing any trends right now in what’s being asked of a Regional Project Director?

Jordan: More and more Regional Project Directors are running projects from start to completion to ensure the project is performed within time, budget, and the expected profit margins, leading to higher commissions. So Regional Project Directors have to have previous hands-on experience from a project management perspective that will allow them to be successful at a Director level.