Branch Operations Manager

Branch Operations Manager

The Branch Operations Manager leads both the Service and Construction departments, reporting to the Regional Operations Manager. This role ensures safe, profitable, and high-quality delivery of building automation and controls projects and service agreements while driving business development efforts to expand construction sales and establish the branch in a growth market. The ideal candidate combines technical operations leadership with a strong ability to pursue and close new construction opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Service and Construction departments, including project execution, scheduling, resource planning, and workload balancing across both teams.
• Own departmental P&L performance by managing revenue, gross margin, labor utilization, and job cost control to meet or exceed the annual business plan.
• Oversee project management, installation, commissioning, and service activities for building automation systems to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery that meets design intent and specifications.
• Develop and standardize construction and service workflows, quality checklists, and installation procedures to support efficient, scalable growth.
• Plan and justify manpower, tools, vehicles, and subcontractor resources to match forecasted workload and business expansion goals.
• Directly manage project managers, service supervisors, and technical leads; provide coaching, goal setting, and development plans that strengthen the team's building automation expertise.
• Lead business development initiatives focused on securing new construction projects in the building automation and controls market.
• Identify and pursue relationships with general contractors, mechanical firms, engineers, and owners to position the branch as a preferred controls partner in the region.
• Collaborate with estimating and sales teams to develop bid strategies, review scopes, and generate competitive proposals for design-build and plan-spec opportunities.
• Support ongoing service sales by ensuring construction-to-service handoffs are smooth, profitable, and maintain client satisfaction.
• Monitor financial and operational metrics (backlog, billings, labor productivity, change orders, and project margins) and implement corrective actions where needed.
• Ensure compliance with company safety policies, quality standards, and commissioning protocols across all field activities.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying operational bottlenecks, implementing standardized project management practices, and reporting performance trends to leadership.
• Coordinate cross-functional alignment between Operations, Sales, Engineering, and Finance so that project details, design changes, and cost impacts are managed proactively.

Leadership and Structure

• Manage a combined operations team including project managers, service technicians, commissioning engineers, installers, and administrative support.
• Foster a collaborative culture between the Service and Construction departments to optimize project execution and customer lifecycle management.
• Lead regular operations and financial review meetings to assess project status, backlog health, and growth performance.
• Partner with regional and corporate sales teams to align construction pipeline targets and business development strategies.

Service: contract/service sales support, service dispatching, field service technicians, service supervisor. Construction: project managers, field foremen, installers, startup/commissioning technicians.

Background and Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in building automation, mechanical/HVAC controls, or electrical contracting with multi-project oversight.
• 3+ years in a management role leading project and/or service teams.
• Deep technical understanding of building automation systems (control panels, software integration, DDC programming, and field commissioning).
• Demonstrated experience managing construction project financials: forecasting, job cost tracking, change orders, and margin management.
• Proven success driving new business development in the building automation construction sector, including bid development, client acquisition, and partnership building.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills for interacting with contractors, engineers, and end-users.
• Proficiency with project management software, ERP tools, and scheduling systems.

Performance Metrics

• Growth in construction revenue, awarded project volume, and market share in building automation and controls.
• Achievement of annual P&L goals including gross margin and backlog performance.
• On-time, on-budget completion rate for new construction projects.
• Labor utilization and efficiency gains across project teams.
• Customer satisfaction, repeat project awards, and contract renewal rate.