Program Manager – Hydro Excavation & Utility Locating

Keystone Distinction Group; Riverside, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Keystone Distinction Group seeks a senior Program Manager to lead its Hydro Excavation & Utility Locating division in Southern California. You will oversee field crews, fleets, safety, budgeting, and client relationships while driving growth and operational excellence.

The role requires strategic leadership across operations, estimating, and business development to expand services with utility owners and contractors throughout Southern California.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in heavy civil construction, underground utilities, or related infrastructure services.
• Strong leadership of multiple field crews and projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Hydro Excavation & Utility Locating Division.
• Manage multiple hydrovac trucks, locating crews, and field staff.
• Develop schedules, monitor safety, schedule adherence, and budgets.
• Oversee budgets, revenue forecasts, and profitability.
• Drive business development and client relationships.
• Develop and implement procedures to improve efficiency and growth.

Skills

Hydro excavation

Utility locating

Project management

Operations leadership

Estimating

Fleet management

Safety & compliance

Budgeting

Business development

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Program Manager – Hydro Excavation & Utility Locating

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager – Hydro Excavation & Utility Locating to lead, build, and grow a specialized underground utility services division throughout Southern California.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership position combining operations management, project management, business development, estimating, financial performance, fleet management, and strategic growth.

The Program Manager will oversee multiple hydrovac trucks, utility locating crews, field supervisors, and underground support operations while developing relationships with utility owners, municipalities, heavy civil contractors, and engineering firms.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in hydro excavation, utility locating, underground utilities, or heavy civil construction and understands how to build a safe, productive, and profitable field operation.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Hydro Excavation & Utility Locating Division.
• Manage multiple hydrovac trucks, utility locating crews, operators, field supervisors, and support personnel.
• Coordinate manpower, equipment, trucks, and project schedules across multiple active jobs.
• Develop daily and weekly schedules that maximize crew productivity and fleet utilization.
• Monitor project execution to ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, on schedule, and within budget.
• Coordinate hydro excavation and locating activities with active heavy civil and underground utility construction operations.
• Develop and implement operating procedures that support consistent execution and continued growth.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement improvements to increase efficiency and profitability.
• Support emergency and priority utility response operations when required.

Project & Financial Management

• Oversee multiple projects and service contracts simultaneously.
• Develop annual budgets, revenue forecasts, and operating plans for the division.
• Monitor job costs, labor productivity, equipment utilization, revenue, margins, and profitability.
• Review project financial performance and identify corrective actions when costs or production deviate from expectations.
• Establish and track operational KPIs for crews, equipment, and projects.
• Support estimating, pricing, proposals, and contract negotiations.
• Review labor, equipment, disposal, travel, and operational costs when developing project pricing.
• Maintain accurate forecasting for staffing, fleet requirements, and future workload.

Business Development & Growth

• Take an active role in expanding the division's customer base and revenue.
• Develop relationships with:
  • Utility Companies
  • Municipalities
  • Public Agencies
  • Heavy Civil Contractors
  • Underground Utility Contractors
  • General Engineering Contractors
  • Engineering & Consulting Firms
• Identify new hydro excavation, utility locating, and underground support opportunities.
• Develop proposals and pricing for new and existing clients.
• Expand service capabilities and identify complementary revenue opportunities.
• Participate in client meetings, networking, and business development activities.
• Partner with executive leadership on market expansion, fleet growth, capital investments, and strategic planning.

Client Management

• Serve as a primary point of contact for key customers and contracts.
• Develop long-term relationships with utility owners, contractors, municipalities, and engineering firms.
• Coordinate project schedules and customer requirements.
• Resolve field and operational issues quickly and professionally.
• Manage customer expectations regarding schedule, production, safety, and project execution.
• Identify opportunities for additional services and repeat business.

Team Development

• Recruit, train, mentor, and retain field and operations personnel.
• Provide leadership to Project Managers, Supervisors, Hydrovac Operators, Utility Locators, and field crews.
• Establish clear expectations for safety, productivity, customer service, and accountability.
• Develop future supervisors and operational leaders as the division grows.
• Build staffing plans based on current workload and projected growth.

Core Service Experience

Candidates with experience in the following areas are highly preferred:

• Hydro Excavation
• Hydrovac Operations
• Utility Locating
• Potholing / Daylighting
• Vacuum Excavation
• Pole Excavation
• Utility Exposure
• Underground Utility Construction
• Water & Sewer Utilities
• Gas Utilities
• Electrical Utilities
• Telecommunications
• Utility Coordination
• Trenching & Excavation
• Underground Infrastructure
• Emergency Utility Response
• Heavy Civil Construction

Safety & Compliance

The Program Manager will be responsible for maintaining a strong safety and compliance culture throughout the division.

Candidates should have knowledge of:

• OSHA Requirements
• Excavation & Trenching Safety
• Underground Service Alert / 811 / DigAlert
• Utility Owner Requirements
• Environmental Compliance
• Traffic Control Requirements
• Public Works Requirements
• Client-Specific Safety Programs
• Incident Reporting
• Job Hazard Analysis / JHA
• Field Documentation
• Equipment & Fleet Safety

The Program Manager will ensure field teams maintain required safety documentation, environmental records, project reporting, incident documentation, and quality standards.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in heavy civil construction, underground utilities, hydro excavation, utility locating, or related infrastructure services.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple field crews and projects simultaneously.
• Strong understanding of underground utility construction and excavation operations.
• Experience managing project schedules, budgets, job costs, and financial performance.
• Strong knowledge of field production, equipment utilization, and workforce planning.
• Proven ability to lead and develop field and operations personnel.
• Strong customer relationship and communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced field-services environment.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities.
• Valid driver's license required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct management experience in hydro excavation / hydrovac operations.
• Utility locating experience.
• Underground utility construction experience.
• Experience working with major utility owners.
• Public utility contract experience.
• Southern California utility market experience.
• Heavy civil construction background.
• Emergency response experience.
• Fleet management experience.
• Estimating and proposal development experience.
• Business development experience.
• Experience building or expanding a construction or utility services division.

Financial & Operational Expertise

The ideal candidate will have experience with:

• Division / Program Budgeting
• Revenue Forecasting
• Job Costing
• Profitability Analysis
• Project Cost Control
• Labor Productivity
• Fleet Utilization
• Equipment Cost Management
• Workforce Planning
• Project Scheduling
• KPI Development & Tracking
• Estimating & PricingProposal Development
• Contract Management

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a builder and operator, not simply someone to maintain an existing operation.

The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between field operations, financial management, customer relationships, estimating, and business development.

One day may involve reviewing fleet utilization and job profitability; another may require resolving a field issue with a hydrovac crew, meeting with a utility client, recruiting a new supervisor, or developing pricing for a major service contract.

This person should have the entrepreneurial mindset to treat the division like a business while having the construction knowledge to understand how the work is actually performed in the field.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first year, the Program Manager will be expected to:

• Successfully manage multiple hydro excavation and utility locating crews.
• Improve hydrovac fleet utilization and crew productivity.
• Establish consistent operating procedures and performance standards.
• Strengthen relationships with existing utility and contractor clients.
• Develop new customer relationships and revenue opportunities.
• Expand hydro excavation and utility locating capabilities.
• Recruit and develop a strong field and operations team.
• Improve project visibility through meaningful KPIs and financial reporting.
• Increase division revenue and profitability.
• Maintain high standards for safety, quality, and customer service.

Location

Southern California

Regional travel to active projects, client locations, offices, and construction yards will be required.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to do more than manage projects — you'll have the ability to build and grow an entire business unit.

You'll have direct influence over operations, people, fleet, customers, estimating, revenue, profitability, and strategic growth, with the resources and leadership support needed to expand a specialized hydro excavation and utility locating operation throughout Southern California.