VP of Operations - Construction

Retainer Recruiting; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Our Client in the Kansas City area seeks a VP of Operations to lead and scale the operations organization, partnering with the CEO to drive design-build project excellence. The role oversees Operations, Pre-Construction, and Field Teams to deliver high-quality projects.

You will build a high-caliber team, standardize delivery processes, implement real-time reporting, and strengthen trust with customers and subcontractors as the company grows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, business, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12+ years in commercial construction operations, including design-build project delivery.
• Experience scaling operational processes and systems in growing GC/design-build firms.
• Proven ability to lead multi-layered operations teams and mentor PMs/coordinators.
• Strong understanding of project financials, scheduling and risk management.
• Proven ability to collaborate with executive leadership on strategic decisions.

Responsibilities

• Build and mentor a high-performing operations team spanning PMs, engineers and coordinators.
• Establish standardized delivery processes for on-time, on-budget projects.
• Partner with CEO to design scalable operational infrastructure.
• Implement real-time reporting on project health, risk and resources.
• Strengthen trust with customers and subcontractors through quality control and communication.
• Reduce delivery risk by identifying bottlenecks before they affect schedule or budget.
• Develop career paths and performance frameworks as the team scales.

Skills

Team leadership

Project finance

Scheduling & risk

Process scaling

Executive partnership

Communication

Reporting systems

Education

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

Job description

Retainer Recruiting is conducting this confidential search on behalf of Our Client, a growing commercial general contractor in the Kansas City area. Our Client delivers design-build projects for healthcare, dental, education, financial, corporate, retail, and sports and recreation customers, and believes great construction starts with great relationships. The company's name is shared with candidates once there is mutual interest.

About the Role

The VP of Operations leads and scales Our Client's operations organization, building the trust-driven systems, teams and processes that deliver design-build projects with consistent excellence as the company grows. The role partners directly with the CEO and leads the Operations, Pre-Construction, and Field Teams.

Responsibilities

• Build and mentor a high-performing operations team spanning project managers, project engineers and project coordinators.
• Establish standardized project delivery processes that improve on-time and on-budget completion across all active jobs.
• Partner with the CEO to design scalable operational infrastructure that supports Our Client's growth.
• Implement reporting that gives leadership real-time visibility into project health, risk and resource allocation.
• Strengthen customer and subcontractor trust through consistent quality control and communication standards on every project.
• Reduce delivery risk by identifying and resolving operational bottlenecks before they affect schedule or budget.
• Develop career pathing and performance frameworks that retain and grow operations talent as the team scales.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, business, or equivalent practical experience.

Required Skills

• 12+ years in commercial construction operations, including design-build project delivery.
• A proven record leading and developing multi-layered operations teams, including PMs and coordinators.
• Deep understanding of construction project financials, scheduling and risk management.
• Experience scaling operational processes and systems inside a growing general contracting or design-build firm.
• A record of building trust with customers, subcontractors and internal teams through transparent communication.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with executive leadership on strategic operational decisions.