Vice President, NA Operations - Austin, TX

KOMPAN, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of the KOMPAN A/S, the global leader in outdoor playground and outdoor fitness solutions. KOMPAN, Inc. is the largest subsidiary and has 5 consecutive years of 20% annual growth serving municipalities, schools, real estate developers, and community organizations across the United States and Canada. The company delivers complete, design build solutions, from initial estimation through project delivery and post-sale service and maintenance. The VP of Operations leads a team of more than 80 employees spanning project management, field operations, multi-state warehousing, procurement, subcontractor management, and post-sale service and maintenance. Four direct reports anchor the organization. The full job scope runs from estimation through project delivery to ongoing customer support, a complete end-to-end accountability model. As a global leader with an organizational focus on people, passion, progress, and performance, our mission is to create healthier and happier communities by delivering the best in play and fitness solutions. We’re KOMPAN - let’s play! Who We Are KOMPAN Inc. is the North American subsidiary of KOMPAN Group, a global leader in outdoor playground and outdoor fitness solutions headquartered in Denmark. With $240M+ in annual revenue and a $325M target, KOMPAN Inc. is the Group's largest and fastest-growing subsidiary. The company delivers complete design-to-installation solutions — from initial estimation through project delivery and post-sale service. Manufacturing is centralized in Europe; the North American organization owns sales, marketing, customer support, project delivery, and installation operations. KOMPAN operates as a general contractor across the United States and Canada, managing a network of subcontractors while executing a strategic transition toward a self-perform installation model. What You’ll Do Project Management and Scheduling Own the operational organization across all US and Canadian operations — thousands of projects annually ranging from small municipal installations to large multi‑phase design‑build engagements. Build and enforce scheduling discipline, project transparency, and a single source of truth for project status, milestones, and risk flags. Establish the handoff framework from estimation through pre sales to project management to field to service. Connect project delivery visibility to financial forecasting, eliminate reactive operations. Define and implement the Order Position (OP) planning standard: equipment ordered, POs issued, contracts with performance milestones confirmed. Field Operations and Subcontractor Management Oversee field operations across a geographically distributed subcontractor network. Lead the strategic transition from subcontractor‑led to self‑perform installation — target: 40% of a $125M installation base self‑performed within 3‑5 years. Build the self‑perform infrastructure: crew deployment model, geographic rollout, utilization modeling, break‑even analysis, and licensing/bonding requirements by state. Maintain subcontractor network performance during the transition so active project delivery is never disrupted. Define and enforce subcontractor qualification standards — insurance minimums, additional insured requirements, safety program compliance. Legal, Compliance, and Risk Management Own multi‑state GC contractor license compliance. Build a surety and bonding program: engage a specialized broker, establish a pre‑negotiated bonding capacity agreement, and build an aggregate bond exposure register with LD rates and project health visibility. Oversee warranty and operational claims. Supply Chain and Procurement Manage vendor and procurement relationships including Danish/Czech factory coordination. Explore safety stock, secondary sourcing, and force majeure contract language to mitigate supply chain exposure. Team Leadership Lead a team of 80+ across project management, field operations, procurement, subcontracting, customer care, warehouse, quality and claims. Direct reports include Director of Operations, Director of Construction, and Customer Service Manager. Build management cadence, escalation paths, and bench strength across all functions. Drive alignment across functions with very different day‑to‑day realities — PM teams, field crews, customer‑facing teams, and procurement. Strategic and Financial Partner with the President and CFO on operational strategy, financial forecasting, and risk management. Own ZVO approval discipline, define the standard, approval thresholds, and regional enforcement. This position is 30‑40% travel around North America. Requirements What You’ll Need Surety and bonding literacy — has managed a surety program at a GC, understands aggregate capacity agreements, LD exposure tracking, and broker relationships. Multi‑state GC compliance experience — qualifier management, multi‑state licensing, controlling employer doctrine, subcontractor insurance compliance. General contractor operating experience at $150M+ revenue. Proven builder — has built operational infrastructure, not just managed existing systems. Strongly Preferred Self‑perform installation experience — has built or scaled an internal field crew or installation capability. Experience managing warranty and operational claims at the manufacturer‑installer‑GC intersection. Familiarity with design‑build or specialty contractor environments. Track record of improving project scheduling transparency and operational visibility at scale. Leadership Profile Operates with urgency and calm simultaneously — this organization is moving fast and has gaps that require immediate attention. Builder mindset — sees the infrastructure that doesn't exist and knows how to create it without disrupting day‑to‑day delivery. Communicates credibly with field crews, PMs, CFO, CEO, counsel, and Group leadership in Denmark. Holds accountability without micromanaging — direct reports are capable and need leadership, not supervision. Comfortable with ambiguity and complexity — this is not a defined steady‑state role. Perks And Benefits Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental plans. Employer‑paid life and disability insurance. 401(k) retirement plan with company match. Competitive PTO and robust holiday schedule. Mileage reimbursement. KOMPAN is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affluent Action Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. All employment is based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. #J-18808-Ljbffr