VP of Operations

Title: VP of Operations

Reports to: President

At Meruelo Enterprises, we're building more than infrastructure, we're building communities, careers, and a better tomorrow.

Founded in 1986 and proudly minority-owned, we've grown into one of California's leading construction and engineering firms, serving major utility, transportation, and telecom clients across the West Coast. With a talented team of over 2,500 professionals and a family of top-tier subsidiaries, we deliver innovative, high-impact solutions in gas, electric, water, and more.

From the ground up, we're committed to safety, quality, and integrity. If you're looking to be part of a fast-growing, mission-driven company making a real difference, welcome to Meruelo Enterprises.

About the Role:

Serve as the operational right hand to the President-translate the President's vision into executable operating plans, lead multi-site field and office teams, and ensure business plan delivery across safety, delivery, quality, and financial outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• ² Own operations across functional groups; set direction, allocate resources, and ensure disciplined execution.
• ² Build and deepen relationships with customers, subcontractors, and vendors to drive revenue growth and operational efficiency.
• ² Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing workforce.
• ² Co-create the strategic/annual operating plan and operational budget; monitor performance and course-correct as needed.
• ² Stand up and lead standard KPIs and reviews; evaluate methods, processes, and resourcing to improve throughput, cost, and quality.
• ² Lead/perform estimating; participate in strategy reviews to select winning approaches and price to target.
• ² Establish consistent project/financial controls and company-wide reporting processes.
• ² Model and reinforce the company culture consistent with the President's vision.

Leadership & Operating Competencies

• ² Comfortable leading cadence-based reviews, driving action from visible metrics and dashboards.
• ² Applies standard work, problem-solving, and waste elimination to improve daily execution.
• ² Anticipates utility client needs; converts performance and safety leadership into repeat awards and scope growth.
• ² Partners with finance, EHS, fleet, and supply chain to deliver integrated plans and risk-balanced outcomes.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• ² Demonstrated safety leadership and ability to integrate safety into planning, field execution, and performance reviews.
• ² Working knowledge of OSHA, DOT, and utility owner standards; drives quality through documented procedures, inspections, and corrective actions.

Qualifications:

• ² Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). Degree preferred.
• ² 15+ years progressive experience with utility contractors/CA utility companies focused on civil, electric, and gas infrastructure; demonstrated success running complex programs and projects.
• ² 5+ years as a Vice President or Divisional Manager with full P&L responsibility or equivalent experience
• ² Proven record managing, recruiting, and growing union field crews; strong working knowledge of labor agreements (IBEW and allied trades preferred).
• ² Hands-on experience bidding/estimating and managing both long-term unit-rate MSAs and competitive bid projects.
• ² Proficiency building budgets, tracking direct/indirect/SG&A, and establishing standard KPIs to drive performance to goal.
• ² Ability to review contracts, bid packages, and specifications to identify, quantify, and mitigate risk.
• ² Executive-level verbal and written communication with customers, executives, vendors, and subcontractors.
• ² 5+Experience directly supervising field crews.

Preferred Qualifications:

• ² Prior hands-on field experience such as Journeyman Lineman (IBEW), Gas Crew Lead, Underground Civil Foreman, or equivalent craft role.
• ² Demonstrated use of Lean "5 Plays" (Visual Management, Operating Reviews, Problem Solving/A3, Standard Work, Waste Elimination).
• ² Track record of modeling safety culture and coaching leaders to lead for safety, engagement, and productivity.

Tools & Systems (Preferred)

• ² Estimating (e.g., HCSS/HeavyBid or similar), scheduling (Primavera P6/MS Project), cost and project controls, ERP (e.g., Viewpoint/SAP/Oracle), and analytics dashboards (Power BI/Tableau).
• ² Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and collaboration tools.

² Certifications & Credentials (Preferred)

• ² Professional Engineer (PE), PMP, CCM, or equivalent credential desirable.
• ² OSHA-30 (Construction) or higher; evidence of continued professional development.

Travel & Work Conditions

• ² Regular travel to multiple job sites and customer offices across our operating footprint; periodic off-hours support based on utility outage/standby work.

Key Success Metrics

• ² Lost time/recordable rates; near-miss learning rate
• ² Schedule adherence; unit productivity; rework/quality defect rates
• ² EBITDA/GM vs. plan; cash and change-order cycle time
• ² Customer satisfaction and market share growth
• ² Employee retention, hiring velocity, apprenticeship progression
• ² Compliance audit scores and close-out timeliness

At Meruelo, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and better business outcomes. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. We actively encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.