Vice President of Construction

MKL Careers; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

MKL Careers is seeking a Vice President to lead and grow its K-12 public school construction program in the San Diego area. This senior role carries full P&L ownership for the region, guiding project delivery, client relationships, and business development strategy.

The ideal candidate will have deep San Diego County K-12 experience, proven ability to scale a public education construction program, and established relationships with local districts and DSA.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of construction industry experience with significant senior leadership in California K-12 public school construction.
• Established relationships with San Diego County school districts, DSA representatives, and local subcontractor community.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Responsibilities

• Own P&L responsibility for the K-12 business line across San Diego County.
• Set and execute strategic growth plans for the region's public education construction program.
• Serve as the senior executive relationship holder for San Diego-area school districts, county offices of education, and related public agency clients.
• Lead pursuit strategy for new K-12 work and determine delivery method and teaming decisions.
• Oversee a portfolio of Project Executives, Project Managers, and Superintendents delivering active K-12 projects.
• Navigate DSA approval, funding mechanisms, and public bidding/procurement requirements specific to California K-12 construction.
• Represent the company at district board meetings, community outreach events, and industry functions.
• Partner with preconstruction, estimating, and marketing teams on proposals and district interviews.
• Build, mentor, and retain a strong bench of K-12-focused project leadership talent.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and district capital planning cycles to inform pursuit strategy.
• Report on business line performance, pipeline, and forecasts to executive leadership.

Skills

K-12 public school construction

Executive leadership

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management/Engineering/Business or related field

Job description

Location: San Diego, CA Reports to: President / Regional CEO Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Role

Our client, an established general contractor with a strong presence in the San Diego market, is seeking a Vice President to lead and grow their K-12 public school construction program. This is a senior executive role with full P&L ownership of the region's K-12 business line — overseeing project delivery, client relationships, and business development strategy.

The ideal candidate has deep San Diego County K-12 experience, established relationships with local school districts and DSA, and a proven track record building and scaling a public education construction program.

Key Responsibilities

• Own P&L responsibility for the K-12 business line across San Diego County.
• Set and execute strategic growth plans for the region's public education construction program.
• Serve as the senior executive relationship holder for San Diego-area school districts, county offices of education, and related public agency clients.
• Lead pursuit strategy for new K-12 work, including delivery method selection (lease-leaseback, design-build, hard bid, CM-at-risk) and teaming decisions.
• Oversee a portfolio of Project Executives, Project Managers, and Superintendents delivering active K-12 projects.
• Navigate DSA approval, funding mechanisms (Prop 39/51, developer fees, GO bonds), and public bidding/procurement requirements specific to California K-12 construction.
• Represent the company at district board meetings, community outreach events, and industry functions.
• Partner with preconstruction, estimating, and marketing teams on proposals, shortlists, and district interviews.
• Build, mentor, and retain a strong bench of K-12-focused project leadership talent.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and district capital planning cycles to inform pursuit strategy.
• Report on business line performance, pipeline, and forecasts to executive leadership.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of construction industry experience, including significant senior leadership time in K-12 public school construction in California.
• Established relationships with San Diego County school districts, DSA representatives, and the local subcontractor community.
• Deep knowledge of DSA processes, public funding mechanisms, and public agency procurement/delivery methods.
• Proven track record of P&L ownership and growing a construction business line.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing senior project leadership teams.
• Strong executive presence — comfortable presenting to district boards, superintendents, and c‑suite leadership.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Willingness to be based in or relocate to San Diego.