Nick Dunn: Five Years Shaping Projects and Partnerships at Northstar
September 2026
When Nick Dunn joined Northstar in 2021, he was also moving to a new city. His first Northstar project, Graduate Junction with American Campus Communities, brought him to Boston and became an important part of his professional growth over the past five years.
Today, Nick is a Project Manager with experience in the construction management and real estate industry. He brings a collaborative, solution-oriented approach to his work, supporting clients across residential, multifamily housing, and commercial real estate. During his time at Northstar, Nick has worked with project teams throughout different phases of the project life cycle, including planning, design administration, construction administration, closeout, program management, and move management, across projects ranging from multifamily housing and commercial office to early education and childcare.
Graduate Junction remains one of the projects that has been particularly meaningful in Nick’s career. As Project Manager, Nick supported the development and construction of two ground-up graduate dormitory buildings totaling more than 328,000 square feet in Cambridge, delivering 675 graduate student beds and amenity space.
Working on the project from the beginning gave Nick the opportunity to navigate the complexities of a large-scale project, become more familiar with building in the City of Cambridge, and develop strong relationships with the people he works with. “There have been plenty of learning opportunities for me in a new construction and real estate market throughout the entire lifecycle of the project,” Nick says. “It is extremely rewarding to be a part of a problem-solving-oriented team and help to facilitate bringing our client’s visions to life.”
Today, Nick continues to bring that experience to a range of projects. He is serving as Project Manager for a 220,000 square foot commercial office fit-out, overseeing workplace improvements, amenity enhancements, finish upgrades, and mechanical improvements. The project also includes relocating the client’s Executive Briefing Center and Customer Center and coordinating employee moves and construction phasing across two buildings.
Nick’s journey to project management started with a degree in civil engineering. At first, he considered a career in design before realizing that he was more drawn to working with teams, talking through problems, and creating solutions. During his internships, Nick found himself gravitating toward project management roles and enjoyed learning different approaches to collaboration from the Project Managers he worked with.
“The more people you work with, the more you start to understand how to work with different personalities and perspectives, which is really important to the success of a team and a project in the long run,” Nick says. “There are always opportunities to continue learning, and I think that is really what drew me to project management in the sense that no two projects are the same.”
Nick credits the leaders and mentors who have supported him along the way. Early in his time at Northstar, their guidance helped him take on greater responsibility and develop his approach to leading projects. Their advice to stay proactive, ask tough questions, and approach every challenge with a solution-oriented mindset continues to shape how he works today. Building trust within project teams has also been an important part of Nick’s growth, enabling him to leverage the knowledge and experience of those around him as they work together toward a common goal.
Outside of his day-to-day project work, Nick serves as Chair of Northstar’s Business Development Committee, where he helps bring people together, supports business development efforts, and encourages employees to get more involved in growing their professional networks. He also regularly attends industry events and participates in Northstar’s charitable initiatives, contributing to the firm’s culture and building connections within the broader community.
When he’s not at work, you will find Nick spending time with family and friends, golfing, spending time at the beach, staying active, and watching his New York Yankees, especially when they are playing Boston’s beloved Red Sox.
Nick holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.B.A. from the University at Buffalo and is a member of CREDA Developing Leaders.
Thank you, Nick, for your dedication, teamwork, and solution-oriented approach, and for the relationships you’ve built with clients and colleagues. We’re proud to celebrate your five-year anniversary and look forward to seeing all that you’ll accomplish in the years ahead.
