Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Transportation BU

ESP Engineered; Jaipur; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 3,500,000; Full time

Job summary

ESP Engineered in Jaipur is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) for its Transportation Business Unit, responsible for strategic leadership and operational excellence. The ideal candidate will have over 25 years of experience in large infrastructure organizations and experience in leadership roles.

The role entails managing P&L, ensuring project delivery, and maintaining stakeholder relationships. A Bachelor's in Civil Engineering is mandatory, and PMP certification is an advantage.

Qualifications

• 25+ years of experience in large infrastructure organizations.
• Minimum 5 years in senior leadership positions managing multiple projects from a central location.
• Extensive exposure to Highways, Expressways, Metro Rail, Railways, Bridges, Elevated Corridors, EPC, HAM, BOT, and Transportation Infrastructure Projects.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the long-term strategy for the Transportation Business Unit.
• Own and manage complete P&L responsibility for the Transportation Business Unit.
• Drive execution excellence through standardized systems and best practices.
• Provide strategic oversight on contract administration.
• Ensure compliance with HSE policies and statutory requirements.
• Build and maintain relationships with all internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Supply Chain & Asset Management

P&L Management

Commercial Management

Risk Management

Project Controls

Digital Transformation

Strategic Planning

Transportation Infrastructure Management

Highway, Metro & Railway Project Execution

Contract & Claims Management

Education

B.E./B. Tech in Civil Engineering

PMP, Infrastructure Management or other relevant certifications

Job description

Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Transportation BU

25+ Years

Jaipur (HO)

Full-Time

Job Description – Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Transportation Business Unit

Business Unit: Transportation (Highways, Expressways, Metro Rail, Railways, Bridges, Elevated Corridors & Urban Mobility Infrastructure)

Location: Jaipur (Corporate Office)

Role: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Level: SVP / President

Position Summary

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Transportation Business Unit will provide strategic and operational leadership for HG Infra's transportation portfolio comprising Highways, Expressways, Metro Rail Systems, Railways, Bridges, Elevated Corridors, Tunnels, and Urban Mobility Infrastructure projects. The role carries full responsibility for business growth, operational excellence, project delivery, profitability, risk management, stakeholder relationships, and organizational capability development.

The incumbent shall ensure successful execution of projects with optimum utilization of resources while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, sustainability, and governance, thereby contributing to HG Infra's long-term growth and market leadership.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Business Growth

• Define and execute the long-term strategy for the Transportation Business Unit.
• Evaluate market opportunities and develop business growth plans.
• Support bid strategy, project selection, and portfolio diversification.
• Identify emerging technologies and industry trends to strengthen competitive positioning.
• Develop annual operating plans aligned with corporate objectives.

2. P&L Ownership and Financial Performance

• Own and manage complete P&L responsibility for the Transportation Business Unit.
• Deliver annual revenue, EBITDA, and cash flow targets.
• Improve operating margins through efficient execution and cost optimization.
• Drive working capital efficiency and cash conversion.
• Review project profitability and initiate corrective actions.
• Ensure timely billing, certification, collection, and realization.
• Monitor CAPEX and asset utilization.

3. Project Execution & Delivery Excellence

• Provide leadership for execution of all transportation projects.
• Ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and as per contractual commitments.
• Drive execution excellence through standardized systems and best practices.
• Monitor project performance through periodic reviews and dashboards.
• Resolve critical execution challenges and bottlenecks.
• Ensure adherence to milestone commitments and contractual obligations.

4. Contracts, Claims & Commercial Management

• Provide strategic oversight on contract administration.
• Manage contractual risks and commercial obligations.
• Strengthen commercial optimization and claim realization.
• Support negotiations with clients and partners.

5. Planning, Project Controls & Performance Monitoring

• Establish robust planning and project control systems.
• Review baseline schedules and milestone achievement.
• Monitor productivity and resource allocation.
• Implement advanced MIS and dashboard mechanisms.

6. Supply Chain & Resource Optimization

• Ensure optimum utilization of manpower, materials, and equipment.
• Improve procurement efficiencies and vendor management.
• Strengthen inventory and logistics planning.
• Drive strategic sourcing initiatives.

7. Plant & Machinery Management

• Maximize fleet productivity and utilization.
• Drive mechanization and automation initiatives.
• Ensure preventive maintenance and asset lifecycle management.
• Improve operational efficiencies through technology and digitization.
• Develop long-term asset replacement strategies.

8. Engineering Excellence & Quality Assurance

• Ensure adherence to all quality and process standards.
• Promote engineering innovation and construction excellence.
• Review technical challenges and implement corrective actions.

9. Health, Safety & Sustainability

• Establish a strong safety culture across projects.
• Ensure compliance with HSE policies and statutory requirements.
• Promote Zero Harm and Zero Fatality initiatives.
• Implement ESG and sustainability practices.
• Strengthen environmental and social responsibility measures.
• Identify strategic and operational risks.
• Develop mitigation strategies for schedule, commercial, and execution risks.
• Ensure compliance with internal governance frameworks.
• Conduct periodic audits and reviews.
• Minimize exposure to disputes and claims.

11. Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain relationships with all internal and external stakeholders including govt. officials and bureaucrats.
• Represent HG Infra in strategic forums and meetings.
• Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and stakeholder confidence.
• Drive adoption of digital technologies across facets of business operations.
• Encourage and drive for transformation with respect to global technologies and innovations including adoption of AI tools and autonomous project monitoring tools.
• Build a high-performance culture within the Transportation Business Unit.
• Develop succession plans and leadership pipeline.
• Mentor Project Directors and Functional Heads.
• Strengthen accountability and execution discipline.
• Foster collaboration, employee engagement, and capability development.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Revenue Achievement
• EBITDA Margin
• Business Unit Profitability
• Cash Flow and Collection Efficiency
• Working Capital Days
• Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)

Project Delivery

• On-Time Project Completion (%)
• Milestone Achievement Index
• Schedule Adherence
• Cost Variance
• Productivity Improvement

Commercial

• EOT Approval Success Rate
• Contract Compliance
• Variation Order Conversion

Operational Excellence

• Resource Productivity
• Inventory Turnover
• Material Wastage Reduction

Quality & Safety

• Zero Fatality Achievement
• LTIFR
• NCR Closure Rate
• Rework Cost Reduction
• Safety Compliance Score
• Client Satisfaction Index
• Repeat Business Opportunities
• Stakeholder Relationship Effectiveness
• Leadership Pipeline Strength
• Succession Readiness
• Employee Retention
• Team Engagement Index

Educational Qualification

• B.E./B. Tech in Civil Engineering (Mandatory).
• PMP, Infrastructure Management, or other relevant certifications will be an added advantage.

Experience

• 25+ years of experience in large infrastructure organizations.
• Minimum 5 years in senior leadership positions managing multiple projects from central location.
• Extensive exposure to Highways, Expressways, Metro Rail, Railways, Bridges, Elevated Corridors, EPC, HAM, BOT, and Transportation Infrastructure Projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale project portfolios and P&L responsibility.
• Strong exposure to client management, contracts, claims, commercial management, and operational excellence.

Required Skills

• Supply Chain & Asset Management
• P&L Management
• Commercial Management
• Risk Management
• Project Controls
• Digital Transformation
• Strategic Planning
• Transportation Infrastructure Management
• Highway, Metro & Railway Project Execution
• Contract & Claims Management