Vice President of Heavy Civil Construction

Vice President – Heavy Civil Division

Location: Bridgeport, CT
Job Type: Full-Time
Compensation: $250,000 – 275,000 (DOE) + Excellent Benefits & Bonus Program

Waters Construction is seeking an experienced heavy civil construction executive to lead our Heavy Civil Division. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for the strategic direction, financial performance, operational effectiveness, and long-term development of one of the company’s largest divisions.

The Vice President will report directly to the President and will become a key member of the Waters Construction leadership team. This individual will participate in company-wide strategic planning and will work closely with the leaders of Work Acquisition, Paving, Equipment, Safety, Finance, and Human Resources.

This is not a position in which the Vice President is expected to personally manage every project or become involved in every daily operational decision. The Vice President will have an experienced Director of Operations serving as the division’s second-in-command and reporting directly to the Vice President . The successful candidate must be able to lead through this individual and the division’s project managers, superintendents, and field leaders by establishing clear direction, delegating effectively, and maintaining accountability for results.

The Opportunity

The Vice President of the Heavy Civil Division will lead an established operation performing complex public infrastructure and heavy civil construction throughout Connecticut and the surrounding region.

The successful candidate will inherit a capable operating organization and will be expected to strengthen it by developing leaders, improving management systems, increasing accountability, protecting profitability, and positioning the division for continued safe and sustainable growth.

This position offers an experienced construction executive the opportunity to:

• Lead a significant heavy civil construction business.
• Work directly with the President and other company executives.
• Influence the overall direction of Waters Construction.
• Lead through an experienced second-in-command.
• Develop the next generation of project and field leaders.
• Expand the division’s capabilities and market opportunities.
• Build upon Waters Construction’s reputation for quality, safety, integrity, and dependable performance.

Primary Responsibilities

The Vice President will:

• Establish and communicate the strategic direction of the Heavy Civil Division.
• Translate company objectives into practical divisional operating plans.
• Lead, coach, and hold accountable the Director of Operations, who will serve as the division’s second-in-command.
• Provide executive oversight of project managers, superintendents, project engineers, and other divisional leaders through the Director of Operations.
• Maintain responsibility for the division’s revenue, gross profit, overhead, cash flow, and operating profit.
• Establish annual financial and operational goals and monitor performance against those goals.
• Ensure that project forecasts, cost-to-complete projections, schedules, cash-flow expectations, and risk assessments are timely and accurate.
• Work closely with the Vice President of Work Acquisition to develop a sufficient, balanced, and profitable backlog.
• Participate in major pursuit, bid, and project-selection decisions.
• Ensure that new work is consistent with the company’s capabilities, risk tolerance, resources, and strategic direction.
• Establish effective processes for project startup, performance review, risk management, claims management, and closeout.
• Identify underperforming projects and significant business risks early and ensure that corrective action is taken.
• Provide executive oversight of major change orders, claims, disputes, contractual matters, and owner negotiations.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with public agencies, owners, engineers, subcontractors, sureties, labor partners, and other industry participants.
• Recruit, develop, retain, and promote project managers, superintendents, project engineers, and future division leaders.
• Establish succession plans for critical management and operational positions.
• Promote cooperation among the Heavy Civil, Paving, Equipment, Safety, Work Acquisition, and administrative teams.
• Participate actively as a member of the Waters Construction leadership team.
• Support company-wide strategic initiatives and place the interests of the overall company ahead of individual or divisional interests.
• Maintain a culture in which safety, quality, accountability, ethical conduct, and respect are never compromised.

Outcomes the Vice President Must Accomplish

The successful Vice President will be expected to:

• Achieve the Heavy Civil Division’s annual operating-profit and financial-performance objectives.
• Maintain a healthy, appropriately sized, and profitable backlog.
• Improve the consistency and accuracy of project forecasting.
• Identify and address project-performance problems before they materially affect profitability, schedule, safety, quality, or client relationships.
• Establish a clear and effective working relationship with the Director of Operations, including well-defined authority, accountability, and communication.
• Strengthen the division’s project-management and field-leadership capabilities.
• Build a deeper leadership team capable of supporting the division’s future growth.
• Establish succession plans for critical positions.
• Improve project startup, operational review, claims management, and project-closeout processes.
• Maintain strong safety and quality performance.
• Strengthen relationships with important owners, agencies, engineers, and industry partners.
• Expand the division’s capabilities into appropriate complementary heavy civil and alternative-delivery opportunities.
• Improve cooperation and resource sharing across Waters Construction.
• Contribute meaningfully to the company’s executive decision-making and long-term strategic direction.
• Protect and strengthen the reputation of Waters Construction.

Required Qualifications

The preferred candidate will have:

• Significant progressive leadership experience in heavy civil, highway, bridge, utility, sitework, or public infrastructure construction.
• Prior responsibility for a substantial construction operation, division, region, or portfolio of projects.
• Demonstrated responsibility for divisional or regional financial performance.
• Experience leading project managers, superintendents, and other operational leaders.
• The ability to lead effectively through a Director of Operations or comparable second-in-command.
• Strong knowledge of project planning, scheduling, forecasting, cost control, contract administration, change orders, claims, and risk management.
• Experience working with public owners and governmental agencies.
• A record of building profitable backlog and making disciplined project-selection decisions.
• Strong commercial judgment and the ability to balance growth, profitability, risk, and available resources.
• Demonstrated success recruiting, mentoring, developing, and retaining construction leaders.
• Strong executive communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to participate effectively as a member of a company-wide leadership team.
• A bachelor’s degree in construction management, civil engineering, business, or a related discipline is preferred. Substantial relevant leadership experience may be considered in place of a degree.

Leadership Characteristics

The successful candidate will be:

• Strategic but grounded in the realities of construction operations.
• Financially knowledgeable and accountable for results.
• Comfortable delegating authority while maintaining appropriate oversight.
• Capable of leading strong and experienced managers.
• Decisive without being unnecessarily controlling.
• Collaborative across departments and divisions.
• Direct, respectful, and transparent in communication.
• Effective in difficult negotiations and challenging project situations.
• Committed to developing people and building organizational depth.
• Open to new ideas, technology, construction methods, and market opportunities.
• Humble, ethical, energetic, and team-oriented.
• Personally committed to safety, quality, integrity, and the long-term reputation of the company.

Compensation and Benefits

Waters Construction offers a competitive executive compensation package that includes:

• Salary Range: $250,000–$275,000 (DOE)
• Insurance : Premium Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage (100% paid for the individual, 50% for family members)
• Bonus Program:  Significant annual performance incentive
• 401k and Profit Sharing Plan:  Safe harbor 401K profit sharing contribution. One-year vesting period for the profit sharing contribution.
• Professional development and industry member support
• Participation in deferred compensation program after first year at company
• Vehicle allowance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance where appropriate

Waters Construction is an Equal Opportunity Employer.