Vice President of Operations – Civil Construction / Site Development

Orionplacement; Traverse City (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dental insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Vision insurance

Job summary

Orionplacement seeks an experienced civil construction leader to drive strategic operations in Traverse City, MI. This executive role oversees estimating, planning, field execution, and project delivery across mass earthwork, utilities, and road construction.

You will partner with ownership to set priorities, grow teams, optimize profitability, and uphold safety and quality on all projects, with long-term upside through bonuses and potential equity opportunities.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of civil construction or site development experience.
• Deep knowledge of mass earthwork, underground utilities, road construction.
• Strong estimating and project management experience.
• Experience leading multiple projects and teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across civil construction and site development.
• Oversee projects from estimating through field execution and completion.
• Lead and develop project managers, estimators, superintendents, foremen, and field teams.
• Monitor performance and improve productivity, margins, and quality.
• Establish systems and best practices to strengthen project delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Budgeting

Communication

Negotiation

Project management

Safety

Team development

Education

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

Job description

Pay:

$140,000.00 - $175,000.00 per yea

Why This Is a Great Opportunity

• Step into a high-impact leadership role with the opportunity to help shape the future of a growing civil construction and site development organization.
• Take ownership of operations across complex projects, from estimating and project management through field execution and completion.
• Have a direct influence on project performance, profitability, operational efficiency, and long-term company growth.
• Work closely with ownership and senior leadership to improve processes, develop teams, and expand operational capabilities.
• Bring your expertise to an organization where strong field knowledge and practical construction leadership are highly valued.
• Enjoy significant long-term upside, including performance bonuses, profit sharing, and potential equity opportunities.
• Build a lasting career with the potential to grow into an even broader executive leadership role.

Location:

Traverse City, MI — On-site. This is a hands-on executive leadership position for a civil construction professional who enjoys staying connected to projects, people, and field operations.

Note:

Must have 10+ years of civil/site development construction experience with strong knowledge of estimating, project management, and field execution. Experience across mass earthwork, underground utilities, road construction, and related civil construction is essential.

About Us

We are an established civil construction and site development organization with a long history of delivering quality work and building strong relationships with customers and communities. Our team combines experienced field professionals with a growth-oriented leadership approach, and we are looking for an experienced construction leader who can help take our operations to the next level. Confidential Employer.

Job Description

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across civil construction and site development activities.
• Oversee projects from estimating and planning through project management, field execution, and completion.
• Lead operations involving mass earthwork, underground utilities, road construction, site development, and related civil construction scopes.
• Partner with ownership and senior leadership to establish operational priorities, growth strategies, budgets, and performance goals.
• Provide oversight and guidance for estimating, project management, scheduling, production, and project profitability.
• Review estimates, scopes, schedules, budgets, manpower requirements, equipment needs, and project execution strategies.
• Lead and develop project managers, estimators, superintendents, foremen, and field teams.
• Monitor project performance and identify opportunities to improve productivity, margins, quality, and efficiency.
• Identify operational risks and develop proactive solutions to keep projects safe, profitable, and on schedule.
• Establish and improve systems, processes, and best practices that strengthen project delivery and support continued growth.
• Maintain a strong connection to field operations and provide practical guidance based on firsthand civil construction experience.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, subcontractors, vendors, and other project stakeholders.
• Evaluate equipment, manpower, technology, and resource needs as the company expands.
• Foster a culture centered on safety, accountability, quality, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to ownership and help define the company's next stage of operational growth.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of civil construction and/or site development experience required.
• Deep knowledge of civil/site development construction, including mass earthwork, underground utilities, road construction, and related scopes.
• Strong estimating and project management experience.
• Proven understanding of field execution and the practical requirements of completing civil construction projects.
• Experience overseeing multiple projects, teams, and operational priorities.
• Strong understanding of construction budgets, scheduling, productivity, project costs, and profitability.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing project management and field personnel.
• Strong business judgment with the ability to balance strategic planning with hands‑on operational leadership.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, leadership, and problem‑solving skills.
• Experience working directly with company ownership or senior leadership preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Business, or related field preferred but not required.

Why You Will Love Working Here

This is an opportunity to move beyond simply managing projects and have a meaningful voice in how an entire operation grows. You'll have the autonomy to influence strategy, improve profitability, develop teams, and build stronger operational systems while working directly with ownership and leadership. For the right civil construction leader, this role offers significant responsibility, executive-level visibility, and long-term upside through bonuses, profit sharing, and potential equity opportunities.

JPC-1780

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance