Director of Operations

High Country Search Group is partnering with a growing construction and services platform providing facility construction, pipeline construction, and hydrovac services to energy producers, utilities, municipalities, and industrial clients across Colorado and Wyoming. The organization is known for its field-first culture, strong customer relationships, and ability to deliver safe, efficient, and high-quality work across civil, pipeline, and vocational truck operations. This role represents a key leadership hire as the business continues to scale operations, improve operating rigor, and support disciplined growth across the Rockies region.

Position Overview

The Director of Operations will own day-to-day operations, field execution, and project P&L performance across Colorado and Wyoming, with primary responsibility for civil work, hydrovac/vocational trucks, and shop operations. Reporting to the President and working closely with the CFO, this leader will serve as the hands-on operator in the Rockies—present in the yard early, visible on jobsites, and accountable for converting backlog into safe, profitable, and repeatable work. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of field credibility, financial acumen, and operational discipline, with a proven ability to build systems, develop leaders, and drive strong project execution in an entrepreneurial environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day construction and services operations across Colorado and Wyoming, including civil, hydrovac/vocational trucks, and shop/mechanic functions.
• Translate company growth objectives into a pragmatic operating plan focused on disciplined execution, customer retention, and service expansion.
• Serve as the primary liaison between field operations and finance, using ERP and job-cost data to drive decisions, coach leaders, and improve job-level performance.
• Build and enforce operating rhythms, including morning huddles, backlog reviews, forecast reviews, and job walks, to keep teams aligned on schedule, cost, and safety.
• Oversee execution of construction, pipeline, hydrovac, and facility projects to ensure work is completed safely, on time, on budget, and to company standards.
• Manage backlog, scheduling, and resource allocation so crews, equipment, and trucks are deployed efficiently across Platteville, Northern Colorado, and Cheyenne/Douglas.
• Prioritize shop and mechanic workload to maximize uptime and availability of critical heavy equipment.
• Spend a defined portion of time on business development, cultivating new relationships, deepening existing accounts, and acting as an operational closer for key opportunities.
• Maintain regular customer contact through jobsite visits, check-ins, and informal engagements to strengthen long-term partnerships.
• Lead, mentor, and hold accountable leaders across civil, hydrovac/vocational trucks, and shop operations, while helping recruit, retain, and develop high-performing operations talent.
• Champion safety culture and support the development and enforcement of SOPs, quality standards, and training programs that keep people safe and projects compliant.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in construction, civil, pipeline, or industrial services operations, with at least 5 years in a senior operations leadership role.
• Demonstrated success helping scale a business unit, region, or operating division through growth and increasing complexity.
• Comfortable “building the car while driving it” in an entrepreneurial environment, with experience implementing or materially improving systems, processes, and governance.
• Strong field credibility paired with above-average financial acumen, including the ability to discuss margin, cost drivers, and forecast assumptions with finance leadership.
• Hands-on, visible leadership style, with a willingness to spend significant time in the yard and in the field with crews and frontline leaders.
• Experience working with ERP and job-cost systems to manage performance, improve visibility, and inform operational decisions.
• Pragmatic, resourceful, and action-oriented, with a capital-disciplined mindset focused on steady operational improvement.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to align field teams, leadership, and customers around clear expectations and follow-through.

Why This Opportunity?

This is a compelling opportunity to step into a senior operational leadership role with broad ownership across field execution, financial performance, customer stewardship, and team development. The role offers direct visibility with executive leadership, meaningful influence over how the business scales across Colorado and Wyoming, and the chance to build structure and discipline inside a growing, field-driven platform. For an operations leader who wants hands-on impact, strong visibility, and real influence over performance, this is an attractive next step.

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