Director of Operations - Electrical

Job Description

Job Description

Together We Build – Partnership, Innovation, Excellence, and Safety

At Kelso Industries, 5,000+ employees across 40+ companies work together to deliver exceptional HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, refrigeration, and electrical solutions nationwide. Join us to grow your career, make an impact, and be part of a team where innovation, excellence, and safety come first.

Recruiter Notice: We respectfully ask external recruiters and staffing agencies not to submit candidates. We only accept direct applications.

Position Summary

YES, LLC and ENETK, LLC are seeking a high-performing electrical construction and automation professional to serve as Operations Manager in Dickinson, North Dakota. This position will provide operational leadership across both companies, including electrical construction, industrial automation, instrumentation, controls, programming, panel fabrication, and commissioning services.

The Operations Manager will oversee project execution, manpower planning, financial performance, safety, quality, customer satisfaction, and the development of project managers and field leaders. This role is an important part of the companies' succession-planning strategy and is intended for an individual capable of growing into a senior leadership position.

The ideal candidate will have a strong electrical construction background, understand industrial projects from preconstruction through commissioning, and be able to coordinate effectively between electrical, controls, instrumentation, engineering, and field-construction teams.

Operations Manager. This role is part of our succession planning strategy and is intended for individuals ready to grow into senior leadership roles within the organization. The ideal candidate will lead projects from preconstruction through commissioning with a strong focus on cost control, schedule, and client satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities Operational Leadership

• Provide day-to-day operational oversight for YES and ENETK projects, personnel, and resources.
• Translate company goals into clear operating priorities, project expectations, and measurable results.
• Establish consistent project-management and operational processes across both companies.
• Coordinate the electrical, instrumentation, automation, programming, panel-fabrication, and commissioning teams.
• Identify operational constraints and resolve issues affecting safety, labor productivity, schedule, quality, or customer satisfaction.
• Provide leadership with accurate reporting on project performance, staffing requirements, risks, and operational priorities.
• Support the President in succession planning, strategic initiatives, organizational development, and long-term growth.

Project Oversight and Execution

• Oversee projects from turnover and kickoff through construction, commissioning, closeout, and warranty.
• Hold project managers and field leaders accountable for scope, budget, schedule, documentation, and customer commitments.
• Conduct project kickoff meetings, regular project reviews, forecasting meetings, and closeout reviews.
• Review project plans to verify that labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, engineering, and commissioning resources are properly coordinated.
• Ensure project teams understand contract scope, exclusions, deliverables, milestones, and notice requirements.
• Identify project risks early and establish corrective-action plans before they affect cost, schedule, or customer relationships.
• Coordinate work between YES and ENETK when projects include both electrical construction and controls or automation scopes.
• Ensure projects are properly staffed and that field teams receive timely information, materials, equipment, and management support.
• Oversee project closeout, including punch lists, testing records, as-built drawings, O&M manuals, training, final billing, retainage, and warranty obligations.

Financial Performance

• Review project budgets, labor performance, committed costs, cost-to-complete forecasts, and projected margins.
• Ensure project managers provide accurate and timely monthly forecasts and explanations of significant cost or margin variances.
• Monitor labor productivity and take corrective action when projects are exceeding estimated hours or falling behind schedule.
• Partner with the Controller and Accounting team in the preparation and management of the monthly Work-in-Progress (WIP) schedule, ensuring project forecasts, costs-to-complete, percent-complete calculations, revenue recognition, billings, and projected margins are accurate and supported by current project information.
• Monitor billing, cash flow, retainage, collections, and underbilling or overbilling conditions in coordination with Accounting.
• Ensure change orders, T&M work, back charges, delays, and additional scope are identified, documented, priced, and submitted promptly.
• Assist in developing annual operating budgets, revenue forecasts, backlog projections, and staffing plans.

Manpower and Resource Planning

• Develop long-term manpower plans across YES and ENETK based on backlog, project schedules, and upcoming opportunities.
• Lead recurring manpower and project-scheduling meetings with project and field leadership.
• Balance resources across projects to meet customer commitments while controlling overtime, travel, and labor inefficiencies.
• Identify future staffing needs and participate in recruiting, interviewing, selection, and onboarding.
• Ensure employees are properly licensed, trained, qualified, and assigned work appropriate to their experience and capabilities.

Preconstruction and Estimating Support

• Participate in bid reviews, project-selection decisions, risk assessments, and go/no-go evaluations.
• Review estimates for scope completeness, labor assumptions, schedule requirements, subcontractor coverage, and operational feasibility.
• Ensure effective turnover from estimating and business development to project management and field operations.
• Verify that electrical, controls, instrumentation, programming, commissioning, and panel-fabrication responsibilities are clearly defined.
• Support customer presentations, proposal development, scope clarification, and contract negotiations as needed.

Safety, Quality, and Compliance

• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure operations comply with company policies, OSHA requirements, NFPA 70E, customer standards, and applicable regulations.
• Hold project managers, supervisors, and field leaders accountable for safe work planning and execution.
• Participate in incident reviews, corrective-action planning, field audits, safety stand-downs, and lessons-learned discussions.

Customer and Contract Management

• Maintain strong relationships with customers, engineers, general contractors, vendors, and strategic partners.
• Ensure customer issues are addressed promptly, professionally, and with clear accountability.
• Review contracts and support the management of commercial terms, schedules, notices, damages, warranty obligations, and other project requirements.
• Work with Business Development and Estimating to identify repeat work, cross-selling opportunities, and future customer needs.

Leadership and Employee Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop project managers, foremen, supervisors, programmers, and other operational personnel.
• Identify high-potential employees and develop succession and advancement plans.
• Address performance, communication, and accountability issues promptly and consistently.
• Build a culture centered on safety, accountability, teamwork, quality, customer service, and continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement

• Track key performance indicators, including safety, revenue, gross margin, labor productivity, backlog, forecasting accuracy, change-order recovery, billing, and customer satisfaction.
• Review completed projects to document lessons learned and implement improvements.
• Evaluate software, equipment, technology, and operational systems that can improve productivity and project visibility.
• Recommend organizational, staffing, or process changes needed to support profitable growth.

 

Preferred Experience

• Industrial & commercial applications, utilities, med-voltage and industrial facility experience
• Automation, controls, or instrumentation exposure
• Previous leadership or mentoring experience

  Succession Planning Opportunity

This role is structured to develop future leaders within YES, LLC. High-performing candidates will have the opportunity to grow into Senior Project Manager, Operations Leadership, or Business Unit Leadership role.

  Why YES, LLC?

• Strong backlog of industrial and energy-sector projects
• Integrated capabilities with ENETK (controls, automation, instrumentation)
• Leadership committed to growth, accountability, and team-first culture
• Opportunity to directly impact company performance and direction

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Performance-based bonus structure
• Full benefits package (health, retirement, PTO)
• Long-term leadership growth opportunities
• Bonus structure (10–15% margin gate)

KNOWLEDGE

• Able to Operate Computer Programs:
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Work order application
  • QuickBooks
  • HRIS Software
• Basic Safety Skills

SKILLS

• Problem Solver
• Multitasking
• Accountability
• Uphold Core Values
• Leads by
• Demonstrated Leadership Skills
• Maintain Positive Attitude in Workplace
• Interpersonal Relationship Skills
• Easily Approachable
• Resourceful
• Ambitious

ABILITY TO WORK IN

• Long Periods of sitting
• Vision Acuity
• Bending/Stooping/Kneeling

Company Mission Statement

YES, LLC strives in offering solutions and delivering results through an effort of a team that consists of clients, employees, and management. We believe accountability, reliability, communication and integrity are the key core values in building a long-lasting customer relation".

-Reliability and Results speak for themselves-

Company Core Values

• Accountability
• Reliability
• Integrity
• Safety
• Communication

Why Join Kelso Industries?  

Join us and be part of a team dedicated to creating efficient, sustainable, and high-performance environments that make a lasting impact across the industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors.  

Here you will experience:   

Growth Opportunities: Develop new skills, take on exciting challenges, and advance your career in meaningful ways.  

Company Culture: You'll thrive in an environment that supports your growth, values your contributions, and makes work fulfilling and enjoyable. 

Impact: Your work directly contributes to meaningful outcomes, allowing you to see the difference you make and feel a sense of purpose every day. 

Competitive Compensation & Benefits: You'll be rewarded fairly for your contributions while enjoying perks that enhance your financial security, health, and overall well-being. 

 

Kelso Industries celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate in any aspect of employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local employment discrimination laws where Kelso does business