Pay: $170,000.00 - $190,000.00 per year
Job description:
Operations Manager – Commercial & Public Works Construction
Old Ironsides Construction is one of the fastest-growing commercial GCs in Kern County. We build K–12, municipal/public works, and private commercial projects with public-works-level rigor and low-drama execution.
We’re hiring an Operations Manager to run the office-side production machine: PMs, estimating, documentation, and process. This role reports directly to the owner and is the key step from a projected ~\$8M, highly profitable 2026 toward \$50M+ in annual revenue without blowing up quality or sanity.
Who we are
Our values:
Relentless Pursuit of Excellence – we compete to be the absolute best on every project.
Brutal Honesty – direct, transparent communication, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Ironclad Integrity – do the right thing, especially when no one is watching.
Our key pillars:
Project Mastery – tight bidding, clean execution, zero drama from award through closeout.
Stakeholder Alignment – owners, architects, engineers, subs, and agencies all on the same page.
Regional Strength – we build Bakersfield and Kern County for the long term.
If that doesn’t resonate, this won’t be a fit.
What you’ll own
Your mission: make projects boringly predictable as we scale from a projected ~$8M this year toward $50M+.
You will:
Lead the office-side team: Commercial PMs, Estimator, Project Engineer; partner tightly with our Controller and field leadership (supers/foremen).
Own project ops from award through closeout: contracts, subcontracts, POs, RFIs, submittals, change events, projections, and closeout.
Make Procore the single source of truth: RFIs, submittals, drawings, specs, meeting minutes, change events, and correspondence are current and audit-ready on every job.
Drive schedule coordination with our third-party scheduler and keep schedules aligned with field reality.
Oversee California public-works compliance: prevailing wage, certified payroll (eBacon), and documentation.
Run a weekly ops / WIP huddle: schedule, RFIs, submittals, changes, cost reports, cash, and risks for every project.
Build and enforce SOPs for contract & cost control, document control, change management, stakeholder communication, and closeout.
Help recruit, onboard, and level up PMs and project engineers as we grow the book of business.
Scorecard (how you’ll be measured):
≥90% of projects hitting contractual milestones
Margins protected and improved (currently ~40% gross, ~15% net on a projected ~$8M 2026 run rate)
15%+ change-order revenue on awarded work without surprises or drama
Owner escalations reduced to a planned cadence (not daily fire drills)
Who you are
7+ years in commercial and/or public-works construction in California.
At least 3 years leading multiple projects or an ops/PM team for a GC.
Deep experience with K–12, municipal/public works, and/or private commercial (office, medical, light industrial, retail/flex).
Fluent in Procore and Bluebeam; public-works / certified payroll experience is a plus.
Can read contracts, manage change orders, and talk WIP and cost-to-complete with a Controller/CPA.
Calm under pressure, direct communicator, high ownership. You like clean logs, clear standards, and turning messy ops into simple systems.
Compensation & benefits
Base salary: $170,000–$190,000 per year, depending on experience
Profit share: target 3–5% of company profit, vesting over 4 years with a 1-year cliff
401(k) with 4% company match
Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
Paid time off
Company credit card
Cell phone reimbursement
This is a true leadership seat, not a glorified PM role.
How to apply
Email your resume and a short note on two complex projects you helped deliver on time and on budget (contract value, schedule, and margin if you can share).
We're looking for the person who makes Old Ironsides’ operations boring, predictable, and highly profitable as we grow from a projected ~$8M this year toward $50M+. If that’s you, reach out.
Benefits:
401(k)
401(k) 4% Match
Cell phone reimbursement
Company truck
Dental insurance
Disability insurance
Fuel card
Health insurance
Life insurance
Opportunities for advancement
Paid time off
Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
