Director of Construction Services

SWIMS, an Apex Company is seeking an experienced, hands-on Director of Construction Services to lead and grow our Construction Services team in California.

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for building a high-performing, accountable, and scalable Construction Services organization. The successful candidate will develop and mentor a strong team, improve operational and financial performance, strengthen customer relationships, create greater visibility through effective processes and metrics, and help drive continued business growth.

This is a player-coach leadership role focused on developing people, strengthening operations, improving performance, supporting business growth, and delivering exceptional customer experience. The Director will lead Project Managers, Estimators, and Coordinators while remaining actively involved in estimating, project management, client relationships, and field operations as needed.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Project Managers, Estimators, and Construction Services team members.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and professional development plans.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, customer service, safety, and continuous improvement.

Operations, Processes & Performance

• Improve processes, systems, and workflows to enhance efficiency, consistency, and profitability.
• Establish KPIs, monitor performance metrics, and drive continuous improvement.
• Provide visibility into project status, backlog, staffing, financial performance, and departmental priorities.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve communication and operational effectiveness.

Project & Financial Oversight

• Oversee estimating, project execution, financial performance, and project closeout.
• Ensure projects are properly scoped, staffed, scheduled, executed, documented, and billed.
• Monitor budgets, forecasts, change orders, costs, cash flow, and profitability.
• Review estimates, contracts, schedules, and project documentation.
• Support Project Managers on complex projects, pricing decisions, and customer issues.

Customer & Business Development

• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, vendors, subcontractors, and business partners.
• Deliver a high level of customer service and support business growth initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to expand services, strengthen client relationships, and enter new markets.
• Support business development efforts and significant pursuits.

Field & Operational Leadership

• Maintain active involvement in field operations and project execution.
• Coordinate staffing, equipment, materials, vendors, and subcontractors.
• Conduct site visits to monitor progress, quality, safety, and customer satisfaction.
• Resolve operational, scheduling, and field issues to ensure successful project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Business Management, or a related field.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in construction project management, estimating, field operations, or construction-services leadership.
• 7+ years of leadership experience managing, coaching, and developing Project Managers, Estimators, Superintendents, or similar construction professionals.
• Proven ability to improve team, operational, financial, or customer-service performance.
• Strong understanding of construction estimating, project management, cost control, and field operations.
• Experience managing budgets, schedules, forecasting, labor, equipment, materials, vendors, and subcontractors.
• Ability to read and interpret construction plans, specifications, scopes of work, and contracts.
• Experience developing and using KPIs and business data to drive decisions.
• Strong communication, negotiation, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment with changing priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project management, estimating, accounting, CRM, or other business systems.

Preferred Experience

• Experience leading construction services, environmental construction, erosion control, civil/site development, commercial landscape construction, or other field-based service operations.
• Proven success managing multi-disciplinary teams across estimating, project management, operations, and field execution.
• Experience driving organizational growth through process improvements, operational efficiencies, and performance management initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement KPIs, reporting tools, and operational metrics that support informed business decisions.
• Experience supporting business development efforts, client relationship management, and expansion into new markets or service offerings.
• Spanish language proficiency is a plus.

Work Environment & Travel

This is an active leadership position with a combination of office, customer, and field responsibilities.

Frequent travel to project sites, customer locations, and company facilities is expected. A company vehicle and gas card will be provided for business travel. Occasional overnight travel may be required to support projects, company meetings, training, professional development, or other business needs.

Why you'll love working for us:

• Company-subsidized medical and dental.
• Company-paid life, short, and long-term disability.
• 401k match, tuition assistance, and more.
• Cross-training and the ability to work on a variety of projects.
• Performance-based bonuses or other incentives.
• Working with the best and brightest in the industry.
• 2,000+ employee national firm with 70+ locations across the US.

Apex Title: SWIMS Construction AM

Req ID: 12155

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Annual Expected Pay Range 145000 - 200000 USD