Director of Project Operations

Company Name: Confidential Growth-Oriented Mechanical Services Organization

Location: North Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh, Triad Region)

Position Title: Director of Project Operations

The Opportunity:
This is a rare opportunity to step into a highly visible leadership role responsible for one of the fastest-growing and most strategically important segments of a leading mechanical services organization. The Director of Project Operations will inherit a service project business that has experienced significant year-over-year growth and is entering a critical stage of expansion across North Carolina.

Beyond overseeing project execution, this leader will be responsible for building the operational foundation that will support the next phase of growth. The organization has recently restructured its project function to create stronger alignment, enhanced accountability, and more centralized project leadership. The incoming Director will have the opportunity to accelerate these efforts by developing scalable processes, strengthening project management capabilities, standardizing project lifecycle procedures, and building high-performing teams across multiple markets.

A significant component of the role involves organizational development. The business is actively building project teams in key locations and seeks a leader who enjoys recruiting, mentoring, coaching, and developing talent. Success in this position will be measured not only through project performance and profitability, but through the creation of a sustainable infrastructure capable of supporting continued expansion.

The Director will collaborate closely with sales, service, branch leadership, estimating, field operations, and executive leadership to identify growth opportunities, improve execution, mitigate risk, and drive operational excellence. This is a role for a builder, a leader who wants to create structure, develop people, influence strategy, and leave a lasting impact on a growing organization.

The opportunity is particularly attractive for individuals who enjoy leading through influence, building teams, creating consistency across multiple business units, and developing systems that allow organizations to scale effectively.

The Company:
The organization is a respected provider of HVAC, mechanical, controls, building automation, and service solutions serving customers throughout North Carolina. The company has established a strong reputation for operational excellence, customer service, and strategic growth while maintaining a collaborative and employee-focused culture.

One of the organization’s greatest strengths is its combination of entrepreneurial agility and organizational stability. Employees benefit from the resources of a larger enterprise while operating in an environment that encourages innovation, accessibility, and individual contribution.

The company has invested heavily in leadership development, training, and employee growth, creating a culture where advancement opportunities are plentiful and professional development is viewed as a competitive advantage. Leaders are encouraged to continue learning, growing, and preparing for increasing levels of responsibility throughout their careers.

Despite significant growth, the organization has maintained a highly collaborative environment where employees receive meaningful support from peers, managers, and executive leadership.

The Boss:
The position reports to a highly respected executive who is recognized for developing talent, building strong teams, and creating opportunities for growth within the organization.

This leader is known for investing heavily in employee success, fostering collaboration, and giving high-performing individuals the tools and autonomy needed to succeed. The leadership philosophy emphasizes accountability, development, communication, and continuous improvement.

The Director of Project Operations will enjoy significant visibility with executive leadership and will play an important role in shaping operational strategy, organizational development initiatives, and future growth plans. This is an opportunity to partner with a leader who values ideas, welcomes input, and actively supports the success of their team.

The Position:
The Director of Project Operations is responsible for the leadership, execution, financial performance, and strategic growth of the organization’s service project business. This individual will oversee project operations, project management teams, project execution processes, organizational development initiatives, and growth strategies across multiple locations.

The role serves as the primary operational leader for service projects and acts as a strategic resource for Project Managers, helping teams navigate challenges, improve execution, manage risk, and achieve successful project outcomes.

The successful candidate will lead efforts to standardize project delivery processes, improve consistency across branches, develop talent pipelines, strengthen operational discipline, and create a scalable project management infrastructure capable of supporting ongoing growth.

Essential Functions (Other duties may be assigned):

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for Service Project Operations across all locations.
• Lead, develop, and mentor Project Managers and project teams.
• Recruit, build, and retain high-performing project organizations.
• Create and implement standardized project lifecycle processes from project kickoff through closeout.
• Oversee project execution, forecasting, and financial performance.
• Conduct project reviews, cost-to-complete assessments, and performance evaluations.
• Drive profitability, backlog growth, productivity improvements, and operational efficiencies.
• Develop project recovery strategies and proactively manage project risk.
• Improve project management systems, reporting structures, and operational processes.
• Evaluate strategic project opportunities and support business development initiatives.
• Partner with Sales, Service, Estimating, and Branch Leadership to support growth objectives.
• Establish succession planning and leadership development initiatives.
• Strengthen customer relationships and ensure exceptional project delivery.
• Champion safety, quality, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Provide strategic recommendations and operational reporting to executive leadership.
• Support expansion efforts and long-term organizational development initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated leadership experience within HVAC, mechanical contracting, controls, building automation, service projects, or related industries.
• Proven success leading project organizations and improving operational performance.
• Experience overseeing Project Managers and managing project portfolios.
• Strong financial acumen and project financial management capabilities.
• Ability to build teams, develop talent, and strengthen organizational infrastructure.
• Experience implementing operational improvements and standardization initiatives.
• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance short-term execution and long-term growth objectives.
• Positive leadership style focused on coaching, mentorship, accountability, and team development.
• Ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions and locations.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business Management, or a related discipline preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in project management, construction operations, service operations, or related leadership roles.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading teams and developing talent.
• Demonstrated success managing projects, project teams, and financial performance.
• Experience leading HVAC, mechanical, controls, building automation, service project, or related operations.
• Experience supporting organizational growth, operational improvement initiatives, and change management efforts.
• Prior experience as a Director of Operations, Operations Manager, Project Executive, Business Unit Leader, or Senior Project Manager strongly preferred.

Work Environment:

• Leadership role supporting multiple locations throughout North Carolina.
• Flexible work environment with the ability to operate remotely while maintaining strong engagement with teams across various markets.
• Frequent collaboration with operations, sales, service, estimating, field personnel, and executive leadership.
• Periodic travel to branch offices, customer sites, project locations, and company meetings as required.
• Fast-paced, growth-oriented environment focused on customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and employee development.
• Opportunity to lead geographically dispersed teams while driving consistency, accountability, and performance across the organization.