Chief Operating Officer

Job description

Job Description: POSITION SUMMARY The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a senior executive who provides strategic leadership and oversees the integration and growth of Veit’s construction operations in line with the company’s 2032 Vision to become the Midwest’s most trusted infrastructure solutions provider. This role develops and implements forward-thinking strategies to ensure safe, reliable project delivery, exceptional client experiences, and innovation. The COO builds scalable teams, enhances leadership and technical skills, and adapts operations to market and client needs. With a strong background in Heavy Civil construction, the COO turns enterprise strategy into actionable plans, leading operations across all service lines and markets. The COO drives collaboration, breaks down organizational silos, and champions multidivisional initiatives and joint projects. Additionally, the COO supports team versatility through cross-training, rotational assignments, and robust operational training. By continuously improving standard operating procedures and sharing best practices, the COO enables responsible growth, market differentiation, and long-term value for clients and communities. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Enterprise Operations & Integration Provide overall leadership and integration of construction operations across all service lines and markets. Ensure consistent execution of operational standards, project delivery models, and performance expectations. Drive collaboration and communication across all departments and business units to support enterprise-wide goals. Own and enforce enterprise go/no-go criteria aligned to Veit’s strategic focus, margin thresholds, and resource capacity. Ensure operational leaders consistently prioritize negotiated, multi-service, union-friendly projects aligned with Veit’s core markets and strategic clients. Champion the elimination of organizational silos by encouraging and facilitating multidivisional initiatives and joint project delivery. Promote cross-training opportunities and rotational assignments to build versatile teams and deepen organizational expertise. Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of standard operating procedures to ensure best practices are shared and adopted across all regions and service lines. Develop, support, and oversee comprehensive operational training programs to foster consistency, safety, and excellence throughout the organization. Scalable Organization & Team Development Design and lead an operational organization capable of scaling over time while maintaining consistency, accountability, and performance. Build and evolve leadership structures, spans of control, and role clarity to support growth across regions, service lines, and markets. Ensure Veit has the right people, in the right roles, with the right capabilities to support current and future work. Partner with People & Culture to define and implement clear skills and competency frameworks for operational leadership, project management, and field execution. Champion intentional development of technical, leadership, and business acumen skills at all levels of operations. Establish succession plans for critical operational roles to ensure continuity and long-term stability. Strategy & Market Approach Own operational readiness for Veit’s client and market strategy ensuring growth is pursued only where Veit can deliver the Legendary Client Experience profitably and consistently. Partner with executive leadership, Business Development, and Market Leaders to identify priority clients, target markets, and strategic opportunities. Translate client and market insights into operational readiness: staffing plans, equipment strategy, delivery models, and leadership capacity. Drive differentiated market approaches by aligning Veit’s services, delivery models, and operational strengths with client needs. Ensure operational teams are prepared to support national, regional, and strategic accounts with consistency and excellence. Legendary Client Experience & Market Trust Establish operational expectations and systems that consistently deliver legendary client experiences, not just successful projects. Ensure project teams understand client goals, success metrics, and long-term relationship objectives. Embed client experience measures (predictability, communication, responsiveness, outcomes) into operational KPIs. Partner with Market Leads and Project Executives to proactively strengthen key client relationships and expand repeat business. Reinforce Veit’s reputation as a trusted partner through disciplined execution and value-driven delivery. Accountable for Voice of Client outcomes, including predictability, communication quality, relationship depth, and repeat work. Ensure consistent project closeout processes that reinforce trust, learning, and future opportunity. People Leadership Build an environment where the best people proudly do their best work, feel ownership over outcomes, and see a clear future at Veit. Develop strong operational leaders who can balance safety, performance, people leadership, and client stewardship. Reinforce leadership behaviors that align with Veit’s values, vision, and long-term strategy. Support cross-functional collaboration and break down silos between operations, preconstruction, fleet, and support teams. Innovation & Technology Leadership Champion a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across all operations, encouraging teams to identify and implement new technologies and process enhancements. Partner with IT and operational leaders to evaluate, select, and deploy cutting-edge construction technologies to improve project outcomes and efficiency. Drive digital transformation by integrating technology solutions that streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and support scalable growth across service lines and regions. Establish frameworks for piloting and adopting emerging tools, ensuring that Veit remains at the forefront of industry advancements and maintains a competitive edge. Monitor industry trends and proactively assess opportunities for automation, AI, and other innovations that can reduce risk, improve safety, and enhance client value. Ensure operational leaders and teams are equipped with the necessary training and support to maximize the benefits of new technologies and foster a mindset of adaptability. Collaborate with executive leadership to align technology investments with strategic objectives, ensuring measurable impact on operational performance and client experience. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field; advanced degree preferred. 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in Heavy Civil construction, including multi-market or multi-division operations. Proven experience building and scaling operational teams and leadership structures in growing or complex organizations. Demonstrated success developing and executing multi-year market and client strategies tied to operational capability. Strong understanding of project management, construction operations, and operational risk. Ability to develop talent, define competencies, and build leadership depth. Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills. Strong financial acumen with experience overseeing operational performance and margins. Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate cross‑functional teams to achieve high performance and operational excellence. Familiarity with multiple construction types, such as commercial and industrial. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with an executive presence that builds trust and alignment across stakeholders. Strategic business and financial acumen with strong capability in budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and performance optimization. Strong client relationship and business development abilities to secure, expand, and sustain partnerships. Strong ethical judgment and commitment to integrity, accountability, and professional standards in all business practices. Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide change in complex, field-based organizations. Strong decision discipline: able to make clear tradeoffs and hold the line on strategy under pressure. PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Experience leading organizations through growth, integration, or operating model transformation. Demonstrated success strengthening client trust and expanding long-term, strategic client relationships. Experience supporting national or multi-regional clients. Familiarity with competency-based leadership development and succession planning. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Provides executive-level leadership that influences and sets direction for SVPs and VPs of Service Groups and for VPs of Operations, aligning performance expectations, standard work, and cross-functional delivery across the enterprise. Additional Job Description: Who Are We? Veit is one of the country’s leading specialty contractors, with nearly a century of experience and the best people in the industry. We specialize in foundations, earthwork, utilities, marine services, industrial cleaning, cured‑in‑place pipelining, and waste disposal. We pride ourselves on our relentless pursuit to push the construction industry forward and deliver for our customers. Our modern fleet of iron, diverse expertise, and unmatched determination allow us to successfully tackle some of the largest and most complex projects across every sector while also living out our values every day. Our company culture is one where everyone pitches in to get the job done, regardless of job title or seniority. We do everything we can to maintain an atmosphere where family comes first. We want every one of our employees to look forward to each day at work and make it home safe and happy at the end of the day. Never settle, dig deeper Our Core Values Deliberately Safe We believe all safety incidents are avoidable when everyone operates with a deliberate mindset. We are deliberately proactive and thorough in training and job planning. We are deliberately safe in our everyday operations and decision-making. Build with Intention We build with intention. Whether in the office or the field, we work with grit and determination toward a better future for everyone involved. We leave things better than we found them, and never leave a job until we’re proud to put the Veit name on it. Leaders Dig First Egos have no place at Veit. We expect everyone on our team to dig in with a leadership mentality. That means being willing to jump in, take ownership, and get mud on our boots — especially when times get challenging. Real Relationships Like our work, we approach relationships authentically, with a long-term mindset. Whether you’re a client partner, vendor, or team member, we make an effort to build a more meaningful connection with you by communicating with respect and honesty. Integrity in Everything As part of the Veit family, everything we do and say reflects on this entire company. We act with integrity, which means treating others just as we want to be treated, doing the right thing, and holding ourselves accountable. VEIT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER, INCLUDING VET/DISABILITY