INDUSTRIES
Construction and real estate leadership search
Data centers, chip plants and energy projects are booming while housing and traditional development slow down, and experienced field leaders are scarce in both. Here's what makes each leadership search hard right now, what to look for, and what to watch out for.
The market right now
- (Dodge Construction Network via HVAC/P Products, September 2026)
- (Associated Builders and Contractors, January 2026)
- (AGC, September 2026)
- (CoStar via Commercial Observer, May 2026)
Leadership roles we recruit
In demand now
- Data Center and Mission Critical Construction Director
- Director of Safety
- Director of Quality (QA/QC)
- VDC, BIM and Construction Technology Director
- MEP and Electrical Project Director
- Director of Workforce Development
- Director of Asset Management
- Senior Housing Development lead
Role guides
Director of Construction and Construction Manager
- Why it's hard right now
- Proven leaders are concentrated on data center, chip plant and energy megaprojects, while owner-side directors at developers have fewer starts to run.
- What to look for
- P&L and backlog ownership. Fluency in delivery methods such as CM-at-risk, design-build and GMP. Experience negotiating escalation and tariff clauses, which contracts increasingly include (Construction Dive, January 2026). A state contractor license where required, CCM, PMP, OSHA 30, and a PE for engineering-led firms.
- Watch out for
- Titles inflated at small firms. "Megaproject experience" as one of many project managers. Can't walk through a job that lost money and what they changed.
- Pay data
- The BLS median for construction managers is $114,990, with about 49,700 openings a year (BLS, August 2026).
General Superintendent and Superintendent
- Why it's hard right now
- It's the hardest salaried role in construction to fill. 75% of firms with superintendent openings report difficulty (AGC, September 2026), and contractors are using per diems and mobilization bonuses to staff data center jobs. (Construction Dive, September 2026)
- What to look for
- Trade depth matched to your project type, such as MEP-heavy for mission critical work. Lookahead and pull planning. OSHA 30 at minimum and a strong safety record on their own jobs. References from subcontractors.
- Watch out for
- Tenant-improvement-only candidates claiming ground-up experience. Job-hopping to chase per diem. Weak daily logs. Blaming others for schedule failures.
Project Executive and Senior Project Manager
- Why it's hard right now
- 74% of firms with project manager or supervisor openings report difficulty, and 74% had at least one significant project delay in the past year. (AGC, September 2026)
- What to look for
- Commercial control: buyout, change orders, claims and cash flow. A plan for subcontractor default. Honest reporting to owners. PMP, CCM or LEED AP BD+C.
- Watch out for
- Can't quantify margin fade or gain. Experience with only one delivery method. A project executive who has never carried several jobs at once.
VP of Development
- Why it's hard right now
- Development pipelines shrank, and firms restarting them are hiring one senior leader rather than whole teams. Growth is concentrated in data centers, where vacancy was 1.4% (CBRE, September 2026), and in senior housing.
- What to look for
- Deals taken from entitlement through exit, with realized returns compared with the original pro forma. Lender and investor relationships. Power and entitlement strategy.
- Watch out for
- Only low-rate 2020 to 2022 deals. An acquisitions or construction manager presenting as a developer. No deals they chose to kill.
Chief Estimator, Director of Estimating and Preconstruction
- Why it's hard right now
- 72% of firms with estimating openings report difficulty (AGC, September 2026), and tariffs make pricing volatile. (JLL, July 2026)
- What to look for
- Accuracy of estimates against final cost. Conceptual estimating from schematic design. Subcontractor pricing relationships. BIM-based takeoff. ASPE or AACE credentials.
- Watch out for
- A high win rate paired with margin fade, which usually means they're buying work. No ownership of post-bid variance.
Director of Facilities
- Why it's hard right now
- Nearly 40% of facility managers expect to retire within 10 years, and filling a vacancy takes 17 weeks on average. (IFMA, June 2026)
- What to look for
- Capital planning. Maintenance and workplace management systems and building automation. Vendor management. CFM, FMP or SFP, and a PE for critical environments.
- Watch out for
- Reactive maintenance only, with no capital budget. No critical-environment experience for data center, lab or healthcare roles.
- Pay data
- The BLS median for facilities managers is $106,660 (May 2025).
How TAP runs this search
We start with an intake that goes deeper than the job description, then map who is doing this job today at companies like yours, including field leaders running comparable jobs today. Every candidate is interviewed in depth before you meet them, and you get a private website on each finalist: interview video, a rating on each of your requirements, compensation, timing and why we recommend them. Our goal is your hire from the first two candidates we present.
Hiring for one of these roles, or want a second opinion on how to recruit for it?
Across our careers, we've recruited for roles like these. Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll share what we'd look out for, whether or not you start a search with us.
Frequently asked questions
- Yes. Superintendents are the hardest salaried role in construction to fill right now, so we go well beyond job boards, including direct outreach to superintendents running comparable jobs today.
- Most of our searches take 4 to 10 weeks, depending on the role and the market.
- 25% of the new leader's first-year compensation. On most packages, an engagement fee paid at the start is credited toward it, and the placement fee is invoiced on your new leader's start date. See the full fee guide.
Sources
- HVAC/P Products, Dodge Construction Network starts data, September 2026: https://hvacpproducts.com/2026/09/dodge-construction-network-construction-starts-fall-back-in-august/
- Associated Builders and Contractors, January 2026: https://www.abc.org/News-Media/News-Releases/abc-construction-industry-must-attract-349000-workers-in-2026-despite-macroeconomic-headwinds
- AGC, 2026 workforce survey, September 2026: https://www.agc.org/news/2026/09/03/construction-workforce-shortages-remain-acute-despite-soft-market-conditions-data-centers-strain
- Commercial Observer, multifamily construction, May 2026: https://commercialobserver.com/2026/05/multifamily-construction-declines-housing-crisis/
- Construction Dive, 2026 cost and labor outlook, January 2026: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/construction-cost-labor-regulations-2026/808629/
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, construction managers: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm
- AGC, 2026 Workforce Survey Analysis: https://www.agc.org/sites/default/files/users/user21902/2026%20Workforce%20Survey%20Analysis%20(4).pdf
- Construction Dive, staffing data center jobs, September 2026: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/how-top-contractors-staff-data-center-jobs/829403/
- CBRE, data centers midyear 2026: https://www.cbre.com/insights/books/us-real-estate-market-outlook-midyear-review-2026/data-centers
- JLL, 2026 midyear US construction perspective, July 2026: https://www.jll.com/en-us/insights/2026-midyear-us-construction-perspective
- IFMA, 2026 Global Salary Report, June 2026: https://blog.ifma.org/what-the-2026-global-salary-report-reveals-about-the-future-of-facility-management
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, administrative services and facilities managers: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/administrative-services-managers.htm
Last reviewed September 2026