Healthcare Advisor

The Healthcare Advisor is a senior subject matter expert who brings an owner's perspective to Willdan Performance Engineering's (WPE) healthcare practice. Drawing on 15 or more years of experience leading facilities, planning, development, and construction programs for direct healthcare providers, the Healthcare Advisor guides hospitals, health systems, and other care-delivery organizations through the planning, funding, design, and delivery of energy, infrastructure, and sustainability projects. The role supports business development and project delivery across North America, with deep expertise in California's healthcare regulatory environment, including California Title 24 and OSHPD (now HCAI) requirements. The Healthcare Advisor serves as a trusted advisor to client executives and facilities leaders, providing strategic advisory services, ongoing client support, education, and project management, and acts as a key resource to WPE's business development, engineering, and construction teams. This is a part-time role. Compensation range varies based on experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as WPE's healthcare subject matter expert, advising hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and other healthcare providers on facility modernization, infrastructure renewal, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and resilience.
• Support business development by identifying and qualifying opportunities, building relationships with healthcare executives (e.g., CFOs, COOs, facilities and sustainability leaders), and representing WPE at client meetings, industry events, and conferences.
• Contribute to proposals, RFQ/RFP responses, and client interviews, including win strategy, healthcare-specific technical approaches, and relevant case studies.
• Apply owner-side experience to project development, including assessment of facility conditions, capital plans, and master plans, and help shape integrated solutions such as central plant upgrades, HVAC and controls, lighting, electrification, and backup power and microgrid systems.
• Advise clients and internal teams on project delivery and funding approaches, including energy savings performance contracting (ESPC), design-build, energy-as-a-service, utility incentives, grants, and tax incentives, aligned with healthcare capital planning cycles.
• Provide expert guidance on California Title 24 (including the California Building Code, Building Energy Efficiency Standards, and CALGreen) and OSHPD/HCAI plan review, permitting, construction inspection, and compliance processes, including hospital seismic requirements; coordinate with authorities having jurisdiction in other states and Canadian provinces as needed.
• Ensure solutions account for the realities of occupied, 24/7 patient-care environments, including infection control risk assessment (ICRA), interim life safety measures, phasing and utility shutdown planning, and Joint Commission and CMS accreditation requirements.
• Champion sustainability by helping clients set and achieve energy, carbon, and water reduction goals and by supporting LEED, ENERGY STAR, and building performance standard compliance and reporting.
• Collaborate with WPE engineering, construction, and project management teams through design and construction to maintain client alignment, constructability, quality, and schedule, applying healthcare design standards such as the FGI Guidelines, NFPA 99, NFPA 101, and ASHRAE 170.
• Mentor and train WPE staff on healthcare operations, codes, and client expectations, and contribute to thought leadership through white papers, webinars, and conference presentations.
• Monitor healthcare industry trends, regulatory changes, and funding programs, and provide input to WPE's healthcare market strategy.
• Act as a trusted, long-term advisor to healthcare clients, helping facilities and executive leadership define priorities, evaluate options, and make informed decisions on infrastructure, energy, and capital investments.
• Lead client advisory engagements such as facility and infrastructure assessments, energy and decarbonization roadmaps, capital planning support, feasibility studies, and regulatory compliance reviews.
• Develop clear, executive-ready deliverables, including business cases, life-cycle cost and risk analyses, recommendations, and board or leadership presentations that connect facility investments to clinical, financial, and operational goals.
• Provide ongoing client support throughout the project life cycle, from early planning and procurement through design, construction, commissioning, and measurement and verification, serving as a consistent point of contact and advocate for the client's interests.
• Help healthcare clients navigate procurement, contracting, and internal approval processes, including support with scoping, solicitation documents, evaluation criteria, and stakeholder alignment.
• Educate client teams, executives, and boards on energy performance contracting, alternative delivery and funding models, Title 24 and OSHPD/HCAI requirements, and sustainability best practices through workshops, briefings, and training sessions.
• Provide project management and owner's representative-style oversight on assigned engagements, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, and change management, and coordinate among client staff, design professionals, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
• Support construction and occupancy readiness by helping plan phasing, infection control, utility shutdowns, testing and commissioning, and turnover to facility operations with minimal disruption to patient care.
• Facilitate post-project reviews and ongoing performance tracking to confirm that projects deliver expected energy, cost, and operational outcomes, and identify opportunities for continued improvement.
• Build and maintain relationships with healthcare industry organizations (e.g., ASHE, state and regional hospital associations, Practice Greenhealth) to strengthen WPE's market presence and client network.

Job Requirements / Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, healthcare administration, or a related field required; advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MHA) preferred.
• 15 or more years of facilities, planning, development, and/or construction experience working directly for healthcare provider organizations (e.g., hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers).
• Demonstrated experience leading capital programs and projects across multiple markets in North America.
• Expert knowledge of California Title 24 and OSHPD/HCAI requirements, including plan review, permitting, construction inspection, and hospital seismic compliance.
• Proven track record advancing sustainability initiatives in healthcare facilities, including energy efficiency, decarbonization, electrification, and green building certification.
• Working knowledge of healthcare facility codes and standards, including NFPA 99, NFPA 101, FGI Guidelines, ASHRAE 170, and Joint Commission Environment of Care requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in a client advisory, consulting, or owner's representative capacity, with the ability to translate technical and regulatory information into clear recommendations for executive and non-technical audiences.
• Strong project management skills, including managing scope, schedule, budget, risk, and multiple stakeholders on complex healthcare projects in occupied facilities.
• Excellent facilitation, presentation, and training skills, with experience educating executives, boards, and facility teams.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects and tasks to ensure timely delivery of high-quality deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders while delivering excellent customer service in a highly dynamic growth environment.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, evolving, entrepreneurial work environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite; familiarity with project management, capital planning, and facility management systems (e.g., Procore, Bluebeam, CMMS platforms) preferred.
• Broad knowledge of energy performance contracting, alternative project delivery methods, and healthcare facility operations, with strong executive presence and communication skills.
• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time. Travel may include various means of transportation, including automobile, public transportation, rail, and airplane.

EEO Non-Discrimination and ADA Reasonable Accommodation Statement Willdan is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, religion, military service or veteran status, disability, medical condition, childbirth and related medical conditions, genetic testing, reproductive status or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws and ordinances. Willdan does not discriminate on the basis of physical or mental disability where the essential functions of the job can be reasonably accommodated. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us.

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