Operations Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Operations Manager – Smart Road Technology (SRT)The Operations Manager – Smart Road Technology (SRT) is responsible for the day-to-day leadership, management, and performance of the SRT Division. This position ensures projects are properly planned, staffed, executed, monitored, and closed out safely, efficiently, and profitably.

The Operations Manager provides leadership across traffic signal, ITS, lighting, utility, and transportation infrastructure projects and is responsible for project performance, safety, quality, financial management, scheduling, forecasting, resource planning, contract compliance, client relationships, and team development.

This position works closely with Project Managers, Project Engineers, Superintendents, Foremen, Safety, Accounting, Estimating, Survey, Traffic Operations, Contracts, Fleet, and other support teams.
 
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Operations Leadership

• Lead the day-to-day operations and overall performance of the SRT Division.
• Oversee projects from award and startup through execution and closeout.
• Establish priorities and expectations for Project Managers, Project Engineers, Superintendents, Foremen, and field teams.
• Maintain visibility across active projects and identify operational, financial, or scheduling risks early.
• Resolve escalated project issues and remove roadblocks affecting project performance.
• Promote accountability, communication, consistency, and operational excellence throughout the division.

Safety & Quality

• Champion CMES/SRT's safety culture and ensure safety is incorporated into project planning and field execution.
• Partner with Safety professionals on field planning, inspections, training, corrective actions, and incident follow-up.
• Ensure high-risk activities are properly identified, planned, communicated, and supported.
• Reinforce quality standards, inspection requirements, testing, documentation, and accountability.
• Work with project teams to reduce deficiencies and rework.

Project Planning & Execution

• Participate in Estimating-to-Operations handoffs to ensure project teams understand scope, bid assumptions, risks, opportunities, production expectations, and contract requirements.
• Oversee project startup activities, including budgeting, procurement, scheduling, resource planning, contract review, and risk identification.
• Ensure each project has a clear execution plan prior to mobilization.
• Coordinate with Estimating, Contracts, Safety, Survey, Traffic Operations, Fleet, and other departments to ensure project readiness.

Financial Management & Forecasting

• Oversee division-level financial performance, including project profitability, margins, forecasting, cost exposure, revenue, and cash flow.
• Review project budgets, committed costs, pending costs, cost-to-complete forecasts, and margin gain/fade.
• Ensure Project Managers complete required monthly cost updates and project reviews.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and establish recovery plans when cost, schedule, or performance concerns arise.
• Partner with Accounting, Project Controls, and project teams to support accurate financial reporting and billing.

Scheduling & Resource Management

• Monitor schedules and production performance across active SRT projects.
• Review critical path activities, milestones, look-ahead schedules, production trends, and recovery plans.
• Coordinate manpower, equipment, materials, subcontractors, and suppliers based on project requirements.
• Identify staffing, supervision, equipment, or resource gaps early and develop solutions with operations leadership.

Contract, Change & Risk Management

• Ensure project teams understand contract requirements, notice obligations, change order procedures, and project-specific risks.
• Monitor change orders, issue logs, notices, risk registers, and outstanding project items.
• Support Project Managers in protecting contractual rights through timely documentation, pricing, notice, and follow-up.
• Escalate significant safety, cost, schedule, quality, client, subcontractor, supplier, or contractual risks.
• Support claims development and dispute resolution when necessary.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable SRT Project Managers, Project Engineers, Superintendents, Foremen, and assigned operations personnel.
• Conduct performance discussions, coaching, and development planning.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, retention, succession planning, and employee development.
• Reinforce CMES/SRT core values and leadership expectations.
• Build a culture centered on ownership, accountability, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain professional relationships with owners, agencies, designers, inspectors, utilities, subcontractors, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
• Serve as an escalation point for significant project or client concerns.
• Ensure project teams communicate risks, commitments, decisions, and project changes clearly and promptly.
• Support strong relationships with owners and confidence in SRT's project delivery.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Promote consistent use of Procore, Vista, HCSS HeavyJob, Primavera P6, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office, Teams/OneDrive, and other approved systems.
• Maintain discipline around cost reporting, production tracking, scheduling, project documentation, and change management.
• Identify recurring operational challenges and lead process improvement initiatives.
• Support the development and implementation of SRT/CMES procedures, standards, scorecards, and training initiatives.

Project Closeout

• Ensure project closeout activities begin before field completion.
• Monitor punch lists, final quantities, change orders, billing, as-builts, warranties, subcontractor closeout, and owner acceptance.
• Ensure outstanding project issues are resolved promptly.
• Lead or participate in lessons-learned reviews and provide feedback to Operations, Estimating, and leadership.

 
Supervisory Responsibilities
The Operations Manager provides direct leadership to SRT Project Managers, Project Engineers, Superintendents, and other assigned operations personnel.
Responsibilities include performance management, coaching, accountability, employee development, hiring input, succession planning, and coordination with field teams and support departments.
 
Required Qualifications

• Significant experience managing traffic signal, ITS, lighting, transportation, utility, or similar infrastructure construction operations.
• Strong knowledge of construction cost control, forecasting, scheduling, contract administration, change management, and project documentation.
• Ability to read and interpret construction plans, specifications, contracts, schedules, estimates, and cost reports.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple projects and competing operational priorities.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Working knowledge of construction safety, quality, environmental, traffic control, utility, and public infrastructure requirements.

 
Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Business, or a related field; equivalent industry experience will also be considered.
• Experience with DOT, county, municipal, heavy highway, traffic signal, ITS, lighting, or utility projects.
• Experience with Procore, Vista, HCSS HeavyJob, Primavera P6, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office, and Teams/OneDrive.
• Experience leading Project Managers, Superintendents, Foremen, subcontractors, suppliers, and project stakeholders.
• Design-Build or Alternative Delivery experience is a plus.

Key Competencies

• Operational leadership and accountability
• Financial and forecasting discipline
• Project planning and execution
• Scheduling and resource management
• Contract and change management
• Risk identification and mitigation
• Team leadership and development
• Client relationship management
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Process improvement
• Strong communication
• CMES/SRT core values alignment

Work Environment

• Ability to work in both office and field environments.
• Ability to visit active construction sites and comply with all safety requirements.
• Ability to participate in project meetings, owner meetings, site walks, inspections, and field coordination meetings.
• Local or regional travel may be required based on project needs.

What Success Looks Like

• Success in this role means the SRT Division operates safely, efficiently, profitably, and consistently. Projects are properly planned before execution, risks are identified early, financial forecasts are reliable, teams are supported and held accountable, client relationships remain strong, and projects are delivered in accordance with schedule, quality, profitability, and CMES/SRT standards.