Director of Operations - Self-Perform Paving

Keeley Construction is looking to hire a Director of Operations for our Self-Perform Paving Group in St. Louis, MO.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for all self-perform paving operations across assigned markets nationwide. 
• Lead, mentor, and develop Operations Managers, Project Managers, Superintendents, and field leadership teams to drive consistent operational excellence. 
• Establish operational standards and best practices that improve safety, quality, schedule performance, and profitability across all paving projects. 
• Oversee project execution from preconstruction through closeout, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and to client expectations. 
• Partner with estimating and preconstruction teams to review pursuit strategies, production assumptions, resource planning, and project execution approaches. 
• Monitor project financial performance, including revenue, cost, margin, cash flow, change orders, and forecasting. 
• Drive accountability for project performance through regular operations reviews and key performance indicators. 
• Develop workforce planning strategies to ensure proper staffing, succession planning, and leadership development across the paving group. 
• Collaborate with equipment management teams to maximize fleet utilization, maintenance planning, and equipment availability. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with owners, developers, municipalities, agencies, and general contractor partners. 
• Identify operational risks and implement proactive solutions to improve project outcomes and reduce financial exposure. 
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on production efficiency, schedule reliability, quality performance, and operational consistency. 
• Support market expansion efforts by identifying growth opportunities, evaluating operational readiness, and helping establish new paving operations in strategic regions. 
• Champion the company's safety culture through active participation in site visits, operational reviews, incident investigations, and leadership engagement. 
• Partner with executive leadership to develop and execute annual business plans, operational goals, and long-term strategic initiatives. 
• Accountable for the overall operational performance, profitability, and strategic growth of the Self-Perform Paving Group, including revenue, backlog, margin performance, workforce development, client relationships, and operational execution.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business Management, or a related field preferred. Equivalent industry experience will be considered. 
• 15+ years of progressive experience in heavy civil construction, paving, roadway construction, site development, or transportation infrastructure. 
• 7+ years of experience leading multiple project teams, business units, or construction operations at a regional or national level. 
• Strong understanding of self-perform paving operations, project sequencing, scheduling, production planning, labor management, and equipment utilization. 
• Demonstrated success managing large-scale construction operations and achieving financial performance objectives. 
• Experience overseeing multiple concurrent projects across diverse geographic markets. 
• Strong knowledge of project controls, forecasting, budgeting, risk management, and construction financials. 
• Proven ability to recruit, develop, mentor, and retain high-performing operational leaders. 
• Exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills. 
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively with executive leadership, clients, and operational teams. 
• Experience working with DOT, municipal, commercial, industrial, and private-sector paving projects preferred. 
• Ability to travel nationwide to support operations, client relations, strategic initiatives, and business growth opportunities.

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