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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