Director of Operations – Construction Services

Job description

At **AKS**, we are growing and building for the future. We bring together multidisciplined experts across the land development, energy, and infrastructure markets to take on bigger challenges and deliver solutions that make a real difference. Our teams combine creativity, technical excellence, and a collaborative, hands-on approach to solve complex problems and deliver results our clients and communities can count on. We take pride in our work and our ability to provide opportunities for our teams, support each other’s growth, and look ahead to what’s next. When you join AKS, you will find opportunities to take ownership of meaningful projects, learn, lead, and make an impact from day one. At **Energy Project Solutions (EPS)**, we are growing and building for the future. We bring together experienced construction professionals to deliver complex energy and infrastructure projects safely, efficiently, and successfully. As our business continues to grow, we are looking for a **Director of Operations** to help lead the day-to-day operations of our construction organization and serve as a key partner to the Head of Construction. This is a high-impact leadership role for an experienced construction professional who enjoys developing people, solving problems, managing financial performance, building client relationships, and helping a growing organization scale. The Director of Operations will work closely with the Head of Construction to provide operational leadership across our projects and field teams, with the opportunity to grow into a broader leadership role within EPS. ## What You’ll Do - **Operational Leadership:** Partner with the Head of Construction to manage the day-to-day operations of the EPS construction organization, helping ensure projects, teams, and priorities remain aligned with company goals. - **Project Oversight:** Provide leadership and support to Project Managers, Construction Managers, Superintendents, and other field leaders. Help identify project risks, remove roadblocks, and ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and to client expectations. - **Financial Management & Forecasting:** Partner with project and finance teams to manage monthly forecasting, project financial performance, budgets, margins, and overall financial health of the construction division. Identify trends, risks, and opportunities and help develop strategies to improve performance. - **People Leadership & Mentorship:** Build strong relationships with field and project leadership across the organization. Regularly mentor high-performing team members and help develop career paths for employees who are looking to take the next step in their careers, such as a Construction Manager progressing toward Project Manager responsibilities. - **Talent & Staffing:** Partner with leadership, HR, and Talent Acquisition to identify hiring needs, develop staffing plans, participate in interviews, and helpbuild the workforce needed to meet current and future project demands. - **Business Development:** Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, and industry contacts. Participate in business development activities, client meetings, networking, proposals, and pursuits to help grow EPS's project pipeline. - **Estimating & Contracting:** Support the pursuit of new work by reviewing project opportunities, developing project pricing and estimates, evaluating risks, and participating in contract negotiations with clients and partners. - **Client Relationships:** Serve as a senior point of contact for key clients and help ensure EPS maintains strong, long-term relationships. Understand client needs and work with project teams to deliver a high level of service. - **Team Coordination:** Lead and Influence construction professionals working across projects nationwide by promotingclear expectations, consistent communication, shared accountability, and responsiveness to varying project and regional needs. - **Process Improvement:** Identify opportunities to improve operational processes, project delivery, communication, forecasting, staffing, and overall efficiency. Help develop and implement consistent best practices across EPS. - **Risk Management:** Work with project leadership to identify and address operational, financial, contractual, schedule, safety, and staffing risks before they become larger issues. - **Leadership Development:** **Support the development** of future EPS leaders by sharing expertise, providing constructive feedback, modeling accountability, andcontributing toprofessional growth opportunities. - **Field Engagement:** Maintain a strong connection to project teams and field operations through regular site visits to assess project conditions, support team members, and monitorproject performance. - **Additional Responsibilities:** Perform other duties and special projects as assigned. ## Who You Are - 10+ years of progressive construction experience with increasing responsibility for project and/or operational leadership. - Strong project management background with experience managing complex construction projects, preferably in the heavy civil, energy, infrastructure, or utility-scale construction industries. - Demonstrated ability to support and develop project managers, construction managers, superintendents, or other construction professionals through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback - Strong understanding of project financial management, including budgets, forecasting, cost control, project profitability, and financial reporting. - Ability to analyze project and business data, identify trends and risks, and make sound business decisions. - Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence and lead teams across multiple locations and projects. - A level-headed, solutions-oriented leadership style with the ability to remain calm, exercise sound judgment, and respond effectively in challenging situations. - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility with employees, clients, subcontractors, and internal leadership. - Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, and develop employees and help high-performing team members advance their careers. - Strong business acumen and an understanding of how project execution, client relationships, staffing, and financial performance contribute to overall business success. - Comfortable participating in business development, client relationship management, estimating, pricing, and contract negotiations. - Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and operate effectively in a fast-paced, growing organization. - Willingness to travel periodically to project sites and client locations, including occasional short notice travel when business needs require. - Commitment to safety, quality, integrity, teamwork, and the values of AKS and EPS. ## Nice to Have - Experience in heavy civil construction, utility-scale energy, renewable energy, power generation, or related infrastructure. - Experience managing multiple projects or a regional/divisional construction operation. - Experience with project forecasting, P&L management, and business unit financial performance. - Experience developing and implementing operational processes and best practices across a growing organization. - Experience participating in competitive pursuits, estimating, project pricing, contract negotiations, and client development. - Experience building and developing geographically distributed teams. - Bachelor’s degree in construction management, Engineering, Business, or a related field. - Professional certifications such as PMP, CCM, or similar. - Experience with project management and financial systems commonly used in the construction industry. ## Why AKS? At AKS, we believe your work should support your life, not the other way around. Here's what you can count on when you join our team: - **Meaningful Growth:** Whether you're just starting out or looking to advance, we offer hands-on training, mentorship, and clear paths for professional development so you can grow with purpose. - **Real Collaboration:** Join a team that brings diverse perspectives together to solve complex challenges with creativity, curiosity, and a shared commitment to quality. - **Respect for Your Time:** We value work-life balance and offer generous PTO and a supportive environment that helps you manage both personal and professional responsibilities. - **Benefits That Care:** You’ll have access to health coverage that supports your total well-being, plus a 401(k) match, paid holidays, and more resources to help you thrive. - **Weekly Team Lunches:** Take a break and recharge with your teammates, we believe food brings people together. - **Culture That Connects:** We invest in experiences that build strong teams and strong communities. - **A Place People Love to Work:** We’ve been named one of the Top Workplaces year after year. **Join us and be part of a team that values your contributions, celebrates initiative, and is committed to doing things the right way for our employees, clients, and communities.**