Senior Vice President of Construction

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.

The Senior Vice President of Construction is responsible for driving performance, growth, and integration across a large portfolio of construction‑focused operating companies within a rapidly expanding MEP roll‑up. This executive owns a $1.4B P&L generated by 35+ operating companies across five divisions, ensuring consistent execution, strong financial results, and a unified operating model. The SVP sets strategy, scales systems and processes, leads integration of newly acquired businesses, and builds a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

P&L Ownership & Operational Leadership

• Lead and manage the construction portfolio's $1.4B P&L, ensuring predictable financial performance across 35+ operating companies
• Directly oversee 5 Divisional Vice Presidents, with responsibility for expanding leadership capacity as the business grows
• Drive operational excellence, margin improvement, and disciplined project execution across all construction divisions

Growth Strategy & Organic Expansion

• Develop and execute strategies to achieve consistent organic growth across all construction operating companies
• Identify new market opportunities, service line expansions, and operational enhancements that drive year‑over‑year revenue and EBITDA growth

Profitability & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement initiatives to increase profitability through improved processes, labor productivity, project controls, and cost management
• Champion continuous improvement methodologies and standardization across all construction businesses

Financial Partnership & Forecasting Accuracy

• Partner closely with Finance to improve budgeting, forecasting, and financial visibility
• Enhance CRM utilization, pipeline management, and backlog reporting to increase forecasting accuracy and operational planning

Standardization & Best Practices

• Establish and enforce enterprise‑wide best practices for project management, estimating, scheduling, safety, procurement, and operational reporting
• Build scalable operating procedures that unify historically decentralized businesses

M&A Integration Leadership

• Lead construction‑focused operating companies through the post‑acquisition integration process, ensuring smooth transitions, cultural alignment, and rapid adoption of enterprise standards
• Evaluate construction capabilities and risks during diligence for future acquisitions

Enterprise Scaling & Support Function Alignment

• Partner with functional leaders (Finance, HR, Accounting, Safety, IT) to design and scale support structures that meet the needs of a rapidly growing, multi‑division business
• Ensure operating companies receive consistent, high‑quality support as the enterprise expands

Culture/Safety Leadership

• Maintain and build upon Kelso's incredible culture by ensuring that employees feel valued, respected and motivated to give their best every day

• Keep relentless focus on Kelso's core values—Partnership, Innovation, Excellence, and Safety— and ensure that all leaders stay true to them

• Champion a world‑class safety culture across all job sites and operating companies

• Partner with the corporate safety function to ensure compliance with safety standards, regulatory requirements, and proactive risk mitigation practices 

Required Skills & Experience

• Proven experience managing a very large P&L (hundreds of millions to >$1B)
• Significant M&A integration experience, ideally across multiple acquisitions
• Deep construction industry expertise, preferably within mechanical, electrical, or plumbing sectors
• Demonstrated ability to standardize operations across decentralized or multi‑site businesses

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience in a rapid‑growth or private‑equity‑backed environment
• Entrepreneurial background or experience working within an acquired company
• Strong change‑management capability and comfort operating in dynamic, evolving environments

Leadership Competencies

As a senior leader at Kelso, the SVP of Construction is expected to demonstrate Kelso's six Leadership Competencies:

• Growth Mindset — Learns, adapts, and grows through curiosity and resilience
• Decisiveness — Makes timely, informed and effective decisions to move forward
• Builds People — Invests in the development of others through coaching and mentoring
• Collaboration — Builds trust and partnerships to achieve shared success
• Communication — Turns ideas into action through clear, authentic messaging
• Emotional Intelligence — Leads with self-awareness, empathy, and calm under pressure

Success Metrics

• Improved profitability and margin consistency across all divisions
• Increased accuracy of forecasting, budgeting, and pipeline visibility
• Successful integration of newly acquired companies with minimal disruption
• Adoption of standardized operating procedures across all construction businesses
• Sustained organic growth across divisions
• Strong safety performance and reduced incident rates
• Scalable support functions aligned with enterprise growth

Other Details

• Location: SLC, UT or another major hub‑airport city
• Reports To: Chief Operating Officer
• Travel: 30–40%
• Direct Reports: 5 Divisional Vice Presidents (with continued expansion expected)

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