Projects Operations Manager

Prairie Mechanical Corporation; Omaha (NE); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Prairie Mechanical Corporation in Omaha, NE seeks an accomplished operations leader to drive the projects division, overseeing resources, manpower, safety, profitability, and schedule adherence in alignment with the VP of Projects.

You will mentor and develop the project operations team, implement standardized processes, monitor labor productivity and costs, and coordinate with field leaders to deliver on commitments.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of mechanical construction operations.
• Excellent leadership and team development skills.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Proficient in project management systems, scheduling software, and construction accounting principles.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to effectively lead multiple teams and projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop project operations team.
• Conduct performance evaluations and development activities.
• Assist in identifying future leaders and complete succession planning.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
• Understand and use Prairie’s core values to hire, coach and hold employee’s accountable.
• Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retention initiatives for project operations.
• Oversee project execution from turnover through closeout, ensuring they are carried out safely, efficiently, and profitably.
• Establish and maintain consistent project management processes and standards.
• Review project manpower assignments with the project coordinator based on workload, expertise, and resource availability.
• Monitoring project schedules, manpower plans, procurement activities, and project milestones.
• Identifying potential risks and mitigating project issues and customer concerns.
• Conducting monthly project reviews and regularly monitoring labor productivity, material costs, subcontractor performance, and project forecasting.
• Ensuring timely billing, accurate forecasting, and effective change order management.
• Participating in customer, vendor & subcontractor meetings as necessary to ensure successful project execution.
• Provide project operations manpower forecasts and own the execution of divisional revenue, gross margin, and other identified KPIs.
• Oversee field operations in coordination with the Project Coordinator, Project Managers, Superintendents, and trade leadership.
• Provide leadership and oversight of fabrication shop operations.
• Coordinate fabrication schedules with project requirements.
• Oversee logistics operations to ensure efficient material handling, equipment delivery, and project support.
• Work with fabrication and logistics leaders to improve operational efficiency and productivity by reviewing the staffing and workflows.
• Act as Prairie’s safety champion in partnership with BCTS corporate office to drive safety culture and initiatives that in turn reduce safety incidents, costs and concerns.
• Promoting and enforcing a culture of safety throughout all project operations, ensuring they meet company and customer standards and expectations.
• Ensuring compliance with company safety policies and regulatory requirements.
• Participating in safety reviews, incident investigations, and corrective action planning that will be lead by the BCTS Head of Safety.

Skills

Mechanical operations understanding

Leadership

Financial acumen

Project management systems

Scheduling software

Construction accounting principles

Communication

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Multi-project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, or business administration

Tools

Project management systems

Scheduling software

Construction accounting

Job description

This position serves as the primary operational leader responsible for day-to-day execution of the projects division and the successful management of project resources, manpower, and operational performance. They ensure projects are delivered safely, profitably, and on schedule supporting the strategic objectives established by the Vice President of Projects.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of mechanical construction operations
• Excellent leadership and team development skills
• Strong financial and business acumen
• Proficient in project management systems, scheduling software, and construction accounting principles
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to effectively lead multiple teams and projects simultaneously

Job Functions

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop project operations team
• Conduct performance evaluations and development activities
• Assist in identifying future leaders and complete succession planning
• Promote accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement throughout the organization
• Understand and use Prairie’s core values to hire, coach and hold employee’s accountable
• Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retention initiatives for project operations

Project Execution

• Oversee project execution from turnover through closeout, ensuring they are carried out safely, efficiently, and profitably by:
  • Establishing and maintaining consistent project management processes and standards
  • Review project manpower assignments with the project coordinator based on workload, expertise, and resource availability
  • Monitoring project schedules, manpower plans, procurement activities, and project milestones
  • Identifying potential risks and mitigating project issues and customer concerns
  • Conducting monthly project reviews and regularly monitoring the following: labor productivity, material costs, subcontractor performance, and project forecasting
  • Ensuring timely billing, accurate forecasting, and effective change order management
  • Participating in customer, vendor & subcontractor meetings as necessary to ensure successful project execution.
• Provide project operations manpower forecasts and own the execution of divisional revenue, gross margin, and other identified KPIs
• Oversee field operations in coordination with the Project Coordinator, Project Managers, Superintendents, and trade leadership

Logistics & Fab shop operations

• Provide leadership and oversight of fabrication shop operations
• Coordinate fabrication schedules with project requirements
• Oversee logistics operations to ensure efficient material handling, equipment delivery, and project support
• Work with fabrication and logistics leaders to improve operational efficiency and productivity by reviewing the staffing and workflows

Safety

• Act as Prairie’s safety champion in partnership with BCTS corporate office to drive safety culture and initiatives that in turn reduce safety incidents, costs and concerns by:
  • Promoting and enforcing a culture of safety throughout all project operations, ensuring they meet company and customer standards and expectations
  • Ensuring compliance with company safety policies and regulatory requirements
  • Participating in safety reviews, incident investigations, and corrective action planning that will be lead by the BCTS Head of Safety

Preferred Certificates/Licenses/Education

• A bachelor’s degree in construction management, engineering, or business administration. Equivalent industry experience may be substituted for formal education.
• OSHA 30-hour certification preferred