VP of Operations - HVAC

Cogent Talent Solutions; Lubbock (TX); On-site; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Cogent Talent Solutions in the United States Texas region seeks a Vice President of Operations to design, execute, and continuously improve the company’s operational system across construction, service, and project management functions.

You will replace informal coordination with clear accountability, documented processes, and measurable performance, ensuring work is planned, executed, and completed profitably and to standard. This role demands leadership depth and a strong KPI-driven mindset.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of operations leadership experience.
• HVAC, plumbing, or construction industry experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing operations through metrics and systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Responsibilities

• Enforcing standardized execution practices across all operational functions.
• Preventing margin erosion from labor overruns, rework, and missed change orders.
• Ensuring disciplined project kickoff, execution, and closeout.
• Aligning operational capacity with committed workload.
• Clear role definition and performance expectations for each direct report.
• Coaching leaders to manage through systems, KPIs, and cadence.
• Enforcing accountability without bypassing the chain of command.
• Developing leadership depth and succession readiness.
• Clear project ownership and authority.
• Standardized project lifecycle control (authorization → plan → execute → close).
• Schedule integrity and scope control.
• Prevention of undocumented or unpaid work.
• Capacity planning across construction and service operations.
• Coordination between project management and field execution.
• Prevention of overcommitment and reactive rescheduling.
• Maintaining a consistent operational cadence.
• Defining SOPs for critical operational functions.
• Ensuring SOPs are trained, used, and enforced.
• Eliminating variation that creates inefficiency or risk.
• Supporting continuous improvement without disrupting execution.
• Defining operational KPIs across construction, service, and project management.
• Conducting weekly operational reviews with direct reports.
• Managing by exception when results are out of range.
• Providing transparent upward reporting to executive leadership.

Skills

Operations leadership

KPIs & metrics

Written and verbal communication

Decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business/Engineering/Construction

Job description

Position Summary

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for the design, execution, and ongoing effectiveness of the company’s operational system, including construction, service, and project management functions.

This role ensures that work is planned, executed, and completed profitably, predictably, and to standard, replacing informal coordination and personality-driven decision-making with clear accountability, documented processes, and measurable performance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Performance & Margin Accountability

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for overall operational performance across construction, service, and project management.

This includes accountability for:

• Enforcing standardized execution practices across all operational functions
• Preventing margin erosion from labor overruns, rework, and missed change orders
• Ensuring disciplined job and project kickoff, execution, and closeout
• Aligning operational capacity with committed workload

2. Leadership of Operations Management Team

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for the effectiveness and accountability of the Construction Director, Service Director, and Project Manager.

This includes accountability for:

• Clear role definition and performance expectations for each direct report
• Coaching leaders to manage through systems, KPIs, and cadence
• Enforcing accountability without bypassing the chain of command
• Developing leadership depth and succession readiness

3. Project Management Control

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for disciplined project execution across applicable work.

This includes accountability for:

• Clear project ownership and authority
• Standardized project lifecycle control (authorization → plan → execute → close)
• Schedule integrity and scope control
• Prevention of undocumented or unpaid work

4. Operational Planning & Coordination

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for ensuring work is planned realistically and executed reliably.

This includes accountability for:

• Capacity planning across construction and service operations
• Coordination between project management and field execution
• Prevention of overcommitment and reactive rescheduling
• Maintaining a consistent operational cadence

5. Process Ownership & Standardization

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for defining and enforcing the company’s operational standard work.

This includes accountability for:

• Defining SOPs for critical operational functions
• Ensuring SOPs are trained, used, and enforced
• Eliminating variation that creates inefficiency or risk
• Supporting continuous improvement without disrupting execution

6. Operational Reporting & Leadership Visibility

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for providing leadership with accurate, timely, and actionable operational information.

This includes accountability for:

• Defining operational KPIs across construction, service, and project management
• Conducting weekly operational reviews with direct reports
• Managing by exception when results are out of range
• Providing transparent upward reporting to executive leadership

Qualifications

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of operations leadership experience
• HVAC, plumbing, or construction industry experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated success managing operations through metrics and systems

Knowledge & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field
  (or equivalent experience)

• Strong operational judgment
• Ability to enforce standards consistently
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Independent decision-making with appropriate escalation

$160,000 - $185,000 a year