Construction Operations Manager

Pampa Developments; Helotes (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Pampa Developments is seeking an experienced Construction Operations Manager to own the daily execution of a PEMB portfolio. This senior, office-based role combines strong leadership with regular field presence and requires deep PEMB expertise to coordinate superintendents, project managers, subcontractors, and vendors across multiple active projects.

You will manage cross-project schedules, look-ahead planning, procurement checkpoints, and risk mitigation while maintaining safety, standards,

Qualifications

• 10+ years in commercial construction with leadership experience
• Hands-on PEMB experience including shop drawings, delivery, and erection
• Full lifecycle knowledge from land diligence to finish-out
• Proven track record managing multiple concurrent projects
• Fluent ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specs, and schedules
• Strong scheduling capability with critical path and short-interval planning
• Bilingual English and Spanish
• Leadership and team development skills
• OSHA 30, first aid and CPR

Responsibilities

• Own daily operational execution across multiple PEMB projects with a single portfolio-wide view
• Build and enforce schedules, logs, procurement calendars, RFIs, and change documentation
• Coordinate sequencing of manpower, equipment, and crews
• Identify and resolve schedule, cost, and quality risks before they materialize
• Lead weekly operating rhythm: project reviews, look-ahead planning, procurement checkpoints, issue escalation
• Maintain standards, documentation, and reporting alignment
• Lead teams of superintendents, project managers, field crews, and admin across sites
• Cost control: track budgets, commitments, and cost-to-complete; manage change orders
• Ensure safety and compliance, maintain SWPPP and environmental docs

Skills

Leadership

Scheduling

Bilingual English and Spanish

Reading and interpreting drawings

Problem-solving under pressure

Decision making

Education

Degree in construction management

Degree in civil engineering

Degree in architecture

OSHA 30 certification

Tools

Construction management software

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Product: 100% pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMB)

About us

Pampa Developments is a commercial real estate development group building across Texas, with our work concentrated in the San Antonio–Austin corridor. We carry projects from raw land all the way to certificate of occupancy: site selection and due diligence, entitlements and permitting, sitework and foundations, pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) erection, MEP systems, and interior finish-out.

Every commercial project we build is a pre-engineered metal building. That product lets us deliver on compressed schedules at predictable cost — but only when execution is disciplined, procurement is protected, and the details are caught before they reach the field. We are looking for the person who makes that happen, every day, across every project.

The role

We are seeking an experienced Construction Operations Manager to own daily operational execution of our commercial construction portfolio. This is a senior, primarily office-based role with strong and regular field presence, accountable for several concurrent projects.

This is not a single-project assignment. The Operations Manager is the central control point for the entire portfolio — the person who knows the status of every project, who is doing what this week, what is about to go wrong, and what needs a decision today. The role needs deep technical command of commercial construction, with genuine PEMB expertise, and the management ability to hold superintendents, project managers, subcontractors, and vendors to a standard.

Key responsibilities

Portfolio and multi-project control

• Own daily operational execution across all active projects, with a single current picture of portfolio status
• Build and enforce the systems that make projects predictable: master and phase schedules, two-week look-aheads, submittal logs, procurement calendars, RFI tracking, and change documentation
• Sequence manpower, equipment, and crews across projects
• Identify schedule, cost, and quality risk before it materializes, and drive it to resolution
• Run the weekly operating rhythm: project reviews, look-ahead planning, procurement checkpoints, and issue escalation
• Keep standards, documentation, and reporting aligned

Project lifecycle (working knowledge of every phase is required)

• Land and pre-development: site due diligence, survey and geotechnical coordination, utility availability, easement and ALTA review, constructability
• Entitlements and permitting: platting, zoning, site plan approval, TDLR accessibility review, utility and driveway permits, building permit timelines
• Design and engineering: coordinate architects and civil, structural, MEP, and PEMB engineers; review for constructability and cost before issue
• Sitework and utilities: clearing, earthwork, subgrade, detention and drainage, wet and dry utilities, paving, site concrete
• Foundations: layout and control, reinforcement, embeds, anchor bolt placement and tolerance, slab placement, finish, and curing
• Pre-engineered metal building: metal building package from order and shop drawing approval through erection and weathertightness
• MEP and building systems: electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire protection against the finish schedule and utility timelines
• Interior finish-out: framing, insulation, drywall, storefront and glazing, doors and hardware, flooring, ceilings, paint, millwork, and specialties
• Closeout and turnover: punch list, final inspections, certificate of occupancy, as-builts, O&M, warranty handoff, owner or tenant turnover

PEMB execution

• Review and manage PEMB order documents, building specifications, and design criteria (wind and snow, exposure, collateral and hanging loads, seismic, deflection, code edition)
• Review and approve manufacturer shop and erection drawings; verify anchor bolt plans, column reactions, and base plate details against the foundation design before concrete is placed
• Manage fabrication and delivery with the manufacturer: release for fabrication, lead-time protection, freight, site staging and unloading
• Verify delivered material against the bill of materials; manage shortages, damage, mis-fabrications, and backcharges
• Oversee erection sequencing, crane and lift planning, temporary bracing, bolt-up and torque, frame plumbing, alignment, and tolerance
• Oversee wall and roof panels, insulation, trim and flashing, fasteners, gutters and downspouts, and weathertightness, including manufacturer roof warranty requirements
• Manage the coordination points where PEMB projects most often fail: framed openings, penetrations, mezzanines, canopies, hanging loads, and interfaces with masonry, storefront, and MEP

Technical review and quality

• Read civil, architectural, structural, and MEP drawings and specifications fluently; catch conflicts before they reach the field
• Establish inspection checkpoints and quality standards at each phase, with documented verification
• Review submittals, shop drawings, and RFIs for technical adequacy, code compliance, and schedule impact
• Ensure work complies with approved drawings, applicable codes, AHJ requirements, and manufacturer installation instructions

Team leadership

• Lead, direct, and develop superintendents, project managers, field crews, and project administration across multiple sites
• Set clear weekly expectations, hold the team accountable, and address performance and conflict directly
• Identify capability gaps, coach the team, and build bench strength
• Give clear technical direction to a bilingual field workforce and to subcontractor crews
• Represent ownership with subcontractors, vendors, design consultants, inspectors, lenders, tenants, and jurisdiction officials

Cost, procurement, and subcontractors

• Support buyout: scope development, bid solicitation and leveling, selection, and award recommendations
• Manage subcontractor performance against scope, schedule, and quality
• Track budgets, commitments, and cost-to-complete; flag variances early and explain the cause
• Protect long-lead procurement (PEMB packages, switchgear and transformers, HVAC, storefront, roofing) against the schedule
• Review and validate change orders, pay applications, and subcontractor billings

Safety and compliance

• Own the safety standard across all sites: orientation, JHAs, toolbox talks, documented weekly inspections, and corrective action
• Ensure OSHA compliance and manufacturer-required safety practices during steel erection and lift operations
• Manage incident reporting, investigation, and follow-through
• Maintain SWPPP, environmental, and jurisdictional compliance documentation

Reporting and ownership coverage

• Deliver concise, accurate, forward-looking reporting to ownership: status, risk, cost, and what needs a decision this week
• Maintain complete and current project documentation across the portfolio
• Serve as the primary operational decision-maker in ownership's absence, within defined authority
• Continuously document and improve standard operating procedures

Required qualifications

• 10+ years in commercial construction, including 5+ years in a leadership role (operations manager, senior project manager, general superintendent, or director of construction)
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with pre-engineered metal buildings, including order documents, shop drawing review, delivery logistics, and erection. Our entire product is PEMB. This is required, not preferred.
• Full-lifecycle knowledge of commercial construction, from land due diligence and entitlements through interior finish-out and closeout
• Proven track record managing multiple concurrent commercial projects — not a sequence of single-project assignments
• Fluent ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, structural details, and schedules
• Strong scheduling capability, including critical path logic, milestone management, and short-interval look-ahead planning
• Bilingual English and Spanish, with the ability to give clear technical direction to a bilingual field workforce
• Demonstrated ability to lead, hold accountable, and develop superintendents and project teams
• Sound judgment under pressure and comfort making decisions with incomplete information
• Proficiency with construction management and scheduling software and with Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook
• Valid Texas driver's license, reliable transportation, and willingness to travel to project sites, primarily within the San Antonio–Austin corridor

Preferred qualifications

• Experience on the owner or developer side, not exclusively general contracting
• Familiarity with AHJs in the San Antonio–Austin corridor, TDLR accessibility review, platting, and site plan approval
• Experience managing self-performed work and in-house crews alongside subcontracted scopes
• Experience with multi-tenant retail, flex, or industrial finish-out and tenant improvement work
• Exposure to development budgets, lender draw processes, and third-party inspections
• OSHA 30, first aid and CPR
• Degree in construction management, civil engineering, or architecture, or equivalent demonstrated field experience

Location and travel

Primarily office-based, with travel to active sites as needed — typically one to two site visits per week. Occasional overnight travel may be required for outlying markets.

What success looks like

A year from now, ownership should be able to leave for two weeks and come back to find every project on schedule, every decision already made and made well, and nothing sitting in a queue waiting for approval. Projects run smoothly because the systems behind them are sound — not because someone was working late to save them.

Compensation

• $85,000+ per year