VP of Operations - HVAC at Cogent Talent Solutions | Swiftcruit

VP of Operations - HVAC at Cogent Talent Solutions | Swiftcruit

Position Summary

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for the design, execution, and ongoing effectiveness of the company’s operational system, including construction, service, and project management functions.

This role ensures that work is planned, executed, and completed profitably, predictably, and to standard, replacing informal coordination and personality-driven decision-making with clear accountability, documented processes, and measurable performance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Performance & Margin Accountability

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for overall operational performance across construction, service, and project management.

This includes accountability for:

Enforcing standardized execution practices across all operational functions
Preventing margin erosion from labor overruns, rework, and missed change orders
Ensuring disciplined job and project kickoff, execution, and closeout
Aligning operational capacity with committed workload

2. Leadership of Operations Management Team

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for the effectiveness and accountability of the Construction Director, Service Director, and Project Manager.

This includes accountability for:

Clear role definition and performance expectations for each direct report
Coaching leaders to manage through systems, KPIs, and cadence
Enforcing accountability without bypassing the chain of command
Developing leadership depth and succession readiness

3. Project Management Control

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for disciplined project execution across applicable work.

This includes accountability for:

Clear project ownership and authority
Standardized project lifecycle control (authorization → plan → execute → close)
Schedule integrity and scope control
Prevention of undocumented or unpaid work

4. Operational Planning & Coordination

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for ensuring work is planned realistically and executed reliably.

This includes accountability for:

Capacity planning across construction and service operations
Coordination between project management and field execution
Prevention of overcommitment and reactive rescheduling
Maintaining a consistent operational cadence

5. Process Ownership & Standardization

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for defining and enforcing the company’s operational standard work.

This includes accountability for:

Defining SOPs for critical operational functions
Ensuring SOPs are trained, used, and enforced
Eliminating variation that creates inefficiency or risk
Supporting continuous improvement without disrupting execution

6. Operational Reporting & Leadership Visibility

The Vice President of Operations is accountable for providing leadership with accurate, timely, and actionable operational information.

This includes accountability for:

Defining operational KPIs across construction, service, and project management
Conducting weekly operational reviews with direct reports
Managing by exception when results are out of range
Providing transparent upward reporting to executive leadership

Qualifications

Qualifications

Experience

Minimum 10 years of operations leadership experience
HVAC, plumbing, or construction industry experience strongly preferred
Demonstrated success managing operations through metrics and systems

Knowledge & Skills

Bachelor’s degree in business, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field
(or equivalent experience)
Strong operational judgment
Ability to enforce standards consistently
Clear written and verbal communication
Independent decision-making with appropriate escalation