Vice President of Construction

Montana Construction • Full-time • Lodi, New Jersey, United States • 1d ago

Job Summary

The Vice President of Construction is a senior field-facing executive responsible for the full performance of Montana Construction’s construction operations. This role leads our Division Leaders overseeing Major Projects, Framework/T&D/LSRP, and Maintenance, and is accountable for how safely, profitably, and effectively the company builds. Reporting directly to the COO, the VP of Construction collaborates closely with the VP of Finance – Construction and VP of Operations and serves as the primary liaison between field execution and executive leadership. Performance is measured by outcomes in five areas: safety, quality control, financial performance, schedule, and client satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

General Leadership – Senior leader accountable for the full construction workforce across all divisions and revenue streams; sets the tone for field culture and serves as the primary escalation point for field-level decisions.
Safety – Owns the safety culture of the field, championing a zero-incident standard and leading incident reviews and corrective action in partnership with the Safety Director.
Quality Control – Establishes and enforces quality standards across all project types, ensuring work is built right the first time and that rework and warranty costs are tracked and minimized.
Financial Performance – Owns the financial performance of the construction department, holding divisions accountable to margin, productivity, and cost control targets. Partners with the VP of Finance - Construction to drive rigorous project management disciplines including budget tracking, cost-to-complete analysis, WIP schedule accuracy, change order identification, and over/under-billing positions across all active projects.
Schedule – Ensures projects are resourced and executed to meet contractual milestones, driving disciplined project management practices including pre-construction scope reviews, short-interval scheduling (2-week lookahead), master schedule maintenance, and early identification of risks such as material delays, subcontractor performance, and permitting. Oversees crew deployment and resource allocation across divisions to prevent conflicts and keep projects on track.
Client Satisfaction – Builds trust-based client relationships and ensures the field delivers on every commitment made, owning resolution of client concerns at the executive level when needed.
Compliance – Ensures full adherence to local, state, and federal regulations as well as client-specific contract requirements across all construction operations.
Division & Team Management – Directly leads the Division Leaders, sets performance expectations, and builds a leadership pipeline through coaching, training, and succession planning.
Operations Standards & SOPs – Establishes and standardizes field operating procedures across all divisions, holding leaders accountable for consistent SOP compliance.
Strategy & Reporting – Provides strategic input to the COO on construction capacity and growth readiness, reporting regularly on performance across all key result areas. Participates in bid reviews, go/no-go decisions, and pre-award scoping to ensure project management systems, tools (e.g., HCSS, Primavera, MS Project), and field capacity can execute at the level promised. Collaborates on backlog management, forecasting, and portfolio-level project controls to keep the business positioned for profitable growth.
Additional Projects – Leads or supports additional projects and strategic initiatives as assigned by the COO based on evolving company needs.

Required Qualifications

Minimum 10 years of progressive field and management experience in heavy civil, utility, or municipal construction.
Minimum 5 years in a senior construction leadership role with direct oversight of multiple crews, projects, or divisions.
Demonstrated track record of delivering results across safety, quality, financial performance, schedule, and client satisfaction.
Deep knowledge of underground utility, sewer, water, bridge, or related civil construction means and methods.
Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of Division Leaders and field supervisors.
Strong financial acumen, including the ability to read and act on job cost reports, P&L summaries, WIP schedules, and over/under-billing positions.
Experience with construction project controls systems and scheduling tools (e.g., HCSS, Primavera, MS Project, Procore, or equivalent).
Excellent communication skills, equally effective in a job trailer, a client meeting, and an executive boardroom.
OSHA 30-Hour certification required; OSHA 500 preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or related field preferred; equivalent field experience considered.

Skills

Decisive leadership with high accountability and strong coaching instincts.
Results-driven and composed under pressure.
Trusted by the field and credible across all levels of the organization.

Work Environment / Conditions

Position requires regular presence at active job sites, field offices, and company headquarters.
Fast-paced construction environment requiring simultaneous management of multiple projects, crews, and priorities.
Standard industry business hours, Monday through Friday, with additional hours as required by project demands.
Regular travel to job sites across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Physical Requirements

Ability to navigate active construction sites, including uneven terrain, excavations, and working near heavy equipment.
Ability to sit for extended periods while working at a computer workstation or in meetings.
Frequent use of keyboard, mouse, and standard office and field communication equipment.
Ability to lift and carry items up to 25 pounds occasionally.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state laws.

Compensation & Benefits