Residential Operations Leader

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process. Residential Operations Leader Full-time Regular Portage, MI, US 30 days ago Requisition ID: 1047 Salary Range: $210,000.00 To $240,000.00 Annually COMPENSATION RANGE: $210,000-$240,000 Annually JOB SUMMARY: The Residential Operations Leader is an enterprise-focused executive responsible for the full lifecycle performance of the Residential Group’s communities and homes, from infrastructure delivery through homebuilding and post-close homeowner service. This leader ensures land development, construction, project management, procurement, and customer care operate as a coordinated, outcome-driven production system, delivering on safety, quality, cost, schedule, and homeowner satisfaction. Reporting to the President and serving on the Residential Group Leadership Team, this leader partners closely with Development, Sales & Marketing, Design, Finance, and HR to optimize production flow, capacity, and gross margin performance across multiple communities. Success comes from aligning horizontal and vertical delivery, building disciplined operating systems, leveraging data, and driving continuous improvement, innovation, and financial discipline. ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: Integrated Community Delivery Lead end-to-end delivery of communities, ensuring seamless alignment from infrastructure to home completion and warranty. Optimize lot release pacing, home starts, and production flow for predictable schedule and cost performance. Implement lean, repeatable processes and dashboards to drive continuous improvement and innovation across all functions. Ensure projects are delivered on-time, on-budget, and achieve targeted gross margins through disciplined cost management, accurate estimating, and proactive risk mitigation. Land Development & Infrastructure Oversee horizontal construction: grading, utilities, roads, stormwater systems, and site improvements. Manage sequencing, budgets, and schedules to support vertical construction and production targets. Apply lean principles to reduce delays, cost overruns, and rework, while maintaining safety and quality standards. Construction Execution Direct field execution of all homes, ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and installation standards. Oversee inspections, mockups, and close-out processes to reduce variability and defects. Drive innovation in construction methods, materials, and tools to enhance productivity and homeowner experience. Monitor labor, material, and subcontractor costs to ensure adherence to budget and margin objectives. Project Management & Governance Lead project management for infrastructure and vertical programs, ensuring schedule reliability, budget control, and risk mitigation. Maintain portfolio-level visibility into production metrics (linear scheduling, critical path, releases, home starts, cycle times, completions), capacity, and financial performance. Establish governance frameworks that support operational clarity, accountability, and continuous improvement. Oversee estimating, purchasing, and trade partner strategy across horizontal and vertical scopes. Ensure cost modeling integrity, disciplined procurement, aggregate and detailed capacity planning, and supplier accountability. Identify opportunities for process improvement and innovative sourcing strategies to increase efficiency, throughput, and profitability. Customer Care & Warranty Performance Drive homeowner satisfaction and post-close service excellence. Use warranty and service data to implement continuous improvement initiatives and inform upstream operational decisions (e.g., warranty performance tracking, defect trend analysis). Ensure close-out practices minimize long-term service exposure while protecting financial outcomes. QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Business, or related field. 15+ years of residential construction and operations experience, including 10+ years in senior leadership across multiple functions (construction, PM, procurement, operations, customer service). Proven experience managing multi-community delivery portfolios with 30+ direct and indirect reports. Strong expertise in construction financials, estimating, procurement, scheduling, and operational risk management. Experience implementing lean operating systems, PMOs, KPIs, procurement, and continuous improvement frameworks. Proficiency with construction management platforms, ERP/reporting tools, and familiarity with regional permitting processes, utilities coordination, and municipal interfaces. LEADERSHIP QUALITIES & COMPETENCIES Enterprise Ownership : Accountable for full lifecycle delivery and cross-functional operational outcomes. Operational Excellence: Builds disciplined systems that ensure safety, quality, cost control, schedule adherence, and reliability delivery. Lean & Continuous Improvement: Embeds lean principles, iterative improvement, and innovation into all functions. Financial Stewardship: Drives accountability for cost control, estimating integrity, and gross margin delivery. People Development: Builds strong leaders and high-performing teams across disciplines. Client Stewardship: Treats homeowner experience as a key operational metric. Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses analytics and leading indicators to anticipate risk, optimize costs, and improve outcomes. Cross-Functional Influence: Aligns diverse stakeholders toward shared delivery goals. Resilient Executive: Navigates complexity, growth, and market shifts with clarity and confidence. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: This role operates across office and field environments and includes regular travel to active communities and construction sites. Responsibilities include walking job sites, navigating uneven terrain, reviewing plans and reports, communicating with clients and trades thus requiring utmost presence and professionalism, and occasional lifting of materials or documents up to 25 pounds. Exposure to outdoor weather conditions, construction noise, and typical jobsite hazards is expected, with appropriate safety equipment provided. #J-18808-Ljbffr