How to Evaluate a Director of Engineering Candidate: What Most Institutional Searches Get Wrong
The Director of Engineering is one of the most consequential and consistently underappreciated roles in institutional facilities management. Matt Lesher of Real8 Group explains what effective candidate evaluation looks like and where most institutional searches go wrong.
What Institutional Clients Get Wrong About the Owners’ Rep Model, and What It Means for Hiring: Insights from Matt Lesher
Institutional clients consistently misunderstand what the owners’ rep model requires to work well, and those misunderstandings shape how they hire project leadership. Matt Lesher of Real8 Group explains the patterns he observes and what they mean for staffing capital programs.
Why the Director of Engineering Role Is Almost Always Underleveled at Institutional Organizations: Insights from Matt Lesher
The Director of Engineering role is routinely underleveled at universities, health systems, and cultural institutions. Matt Lesher of Real8 Group explains what that costs organizations in recruiting and retention, and how to fix it before the search starts.
What Separates a High-Performing Institutional Facilities Team from a Struggling One: Insights from Matt Lesher
The difference between a high-performing and a struggling institutional facilities team is organizational and leadership-driven, not technical. Matt Lesher of Real8 Group shares what he observes and what it means for how organizations should hire.
Healthcare Capital Program Executive Talent in 2026: Compensation Benchmarks, Demand Drivers, and What Health Systems Need to Know
Healthcare capital programs are expanding faster than the executive talent pool that leads them. Real8 Group breaks down 2026 compensation benchmarks for VP, Director, and Project Executive roles on both the owner side and the CM and owners-rep side.
What the First 90 Days Should Accomplish for a New Institutional Facilities Leader: Insights from Matt Lesher
Most organizations leave a new VP of Facilities or Director of Construction to figure out the environment on their own. Matt Lesher of Real8 Group shares what effective onboarding looks like and what the first 90 days should actually accomplish.
What Hiring Patterns Are Telling Me About the Institutional Facilities and Construction Market Right Now: Insights from Matt Lesher
Hiring conversations reveal market conditions that formal reports miss. Matt Lesher of Real8 Group shares four signals he is reading in the institutional facilities and construction leadership market in 2026.
Why the First Six Months of a New VP of Facilities Determines the Next Three Years: Insights from Matt Lesher
The first six months of a new VP of Facilities or Director of Construction determine how effective they will be for years. Matt Lesher of Real8 Group shares what separates transitions that work from those that do not.
Leading vs. Managing a Facilities Function: The Distinction That Determines Whether Your Next Hire Succeeds
Matt Lesher of Real8 Group on the critical distinction between leading a facilities function and managing one, and the interview questions that reveal which type of candidate you have.
What Makes a Strong Candidate for an Owner-Side Facilities or Construction Role: Insights from Matt Lesher
Matt Lesher of Real8 Group shares what actually separates strong candidates for owner-side facilities and construction roles at universities, health systems, and cultural institutions.
The Retirement Wave Timeline: Which Facilities and Construction Leadership Roles Are at Highest Risk in the Next 3-5 Years
Matt Lesher on which facilities and construction leadership roles are at highest retirement risk in the next three to five years, why succession plans that look viable often fall apart, and what institutional organizations should be doing now rather than waiting for the vacancy.
Healthcare Construction and Facilities Executive Hiring in 2026: Compensation Benchmarks and Market Trends
Health systems are competing with AMCs, owners’ rep firms, and GCs for experienced construction and facilities leaders in 2026. Real8 Group breaks down compensation benchmarks and the state of the candidate market.