Job Title: Project Director – Contents & Mitigation

Location: Detroit, MI

Department: Operations / Contents Division

FLSA Status: Salaried, Exempt

Salary Range: $80,000 – $100,000 + Performance Incentives/Commissions

Position Summary

The Project Director (PD) – Contents & Mitigation is a client-facing, revenue-generating role responsible for estimating, securing, and directing the personal property and contents phase of insurance restoration claims from initial lead through to financial closeout.

The Contents PD owns the relationship with the homeowner, carrier, and adjuster regarding everything inside the structure. When a property suffers fire, smoke, water, or mold damage, this position oversees the entire contents lifecycle: pack-outs, inventory documentation, off-site mitigation, ultrasonic/specialized cleaning, climate-controlled storage, and final pack-back. This role focuses strictly on contents and contents-related mitigation; it does not oversee structural reconstruction.

Key Responsibilities

1. Estimating & Scope Development

• Xactimate Mastery: Conduct on-site inspections of damaged properties to develop highly accurate, detailed, and defensible scopes of work and contents inventories using Xactimate.
• Scope Validation: Meet on-site with insurance adjusters, independent consultants, and Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) to negotiate and validate contents cleaning vs. replacement costs.
• Total Loss Inventories: Oversee the creation of detailed "Total Loss" non-salvageable lists for items destroyed beyond restoration, ensuring accurate descriptions and photos for insurance evaluation.

2. Account & Relationship Management

• Revenue Generation: Convert incoming leads and property losses into active contents projects through rapid response, empathetic customer communication, and assertive follow-up.
• Client Advocacy: Act as the primary point of contact for homeowners and business owners during highly stressful situations, guiding them through the personal property claim process with compassion.
• Carrier Compliance: Maintain close relationships with local adjusters and insurance agents to secure repeat business and ensure all project documentation adheres strictly to TPA guidelines.

3. Operational Direction & Project Handoff

• Project Handoff: Formally hand off approved contents scopes to the field Project Managers and Contents Technicians, establishing clear operational budgets, timelines, and labor strategies.
• Quality & Safety Assurance: Provide high-level guidance to field teams regarding specialized contents handling (e.g., textiles, electronics, fine art, documents) and ensure compliance with IICRC standards and safety protocols.
• Discrepancy Resolution: Step back from daily field labor but step in directly to handle major customer concerns, chain-of-custody queries, or scope supplements.

4. Financial Ownership

• P&L Accountability: Own the financial margins and profitability of all assigned contents projects.
• Financial Closeout: Establish payment terms, manage deductibles, progress billings, supplements, and expeditious collections in accordance with corporate standards.
• Systems Integrity: Utilize the CRM daily to maintain immaculate data integrity regarding project notes, active estimates, photos, and financial tracking.

Required Education & Experience

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience within the disaster restoration industry, with a strict focus on Contents / Personal Property management.
• Software Proficiency: Advanced, hands-on working knowledge of Xactimate (Xactimate certification is highly preferred). Experience with digital inventory software (e.g., Encircle, iCat, or similar contents-tracking applications) is preferred.
• Industry Knowledge: Complete understanding of contents mitigation workflows, including pack-out tracking, soot and odor decontamination, digital inventorying, and climate storage management.
• Education: High School Diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, or a related field is a plus.

Preferred Certifications

• IICRC Certifications: Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician (FSRT), Odor Control Technician (OCT), or Water Damage Restoration Technician (WRT).
• Contents-Specific Certifications: Certified Contents Restoration Technician (CCRT) or equivalent specialized training.

Key Competencies

• Empathy & Customer Focus: Ability to navigate highly emotional customer situations where irreplaceable personal belongings have been damaged or lost.
• Negotiation Skills: Proven track record of successfully defending estimates and negotiating supplements directly with insurance adjusters.
• Autonomy: Capacity to operate with significant independence and minimal supervision as the principal contents representative on-site.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• This position requires a mix of office environment work and active field deployment to damaged residential and commercial properties.
• Must be willing to travel locally across the greater Detroit metro area.
• Must be able to pass a background check, motor vehicle report check, and drug screening.
• Availability to participate in a rotational emergency response schedule outside standard business hours.