Operations Manager Automation Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Branch Operations Manager

Summary
The Branch Operations Manager leads both the Service and Construction departments, reporting to the Regional Operations Manager. This role ensures safe, profitable, and high‑quality delivery of building automation and controls projects and service agreements while driving business development efforts to expand construction sales and establish the branch in a growth market. The ideal candidate combines technical operations leadership with a strong ability to pursue and close new construction opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day operations of the Service and Construction departments, including project execution, scheduling, resource planning, and workload balancing across both teams.
• Own departmental P&L performance by managing revenue, gross margin, labor utilization, and job cost control to meet or exceed the annual business plan.
• Oversee project management, installation, commissioning, and service activities for building automation systems to ensure on‑time, on‑budget delivery that meets design intent and specifications.
• Develop and standardize construction and service workflows, quality checklists, and installation procedures to support efficient, scalable growth.
• Plan and justify manpower, tools, vehicles, and subcontractor resources to match forecasted workload and business expansion goals.
• Directly manage project managers, service supervisors, and technical leads; provide coaching, goal setting, and development plans that strengthen the team’s building automation expertise.
• Lead business development initiatives focused on securing new construction projects in the building automation and controls market.
• Identify and pursue relationships with general contractors, mechanical firms, engineers, and owners to position the branch as a preferred controls partner in the region.
• Collaborate with estimating and sales teams to develop bid strategies, review scopes, and generate competitive proposals for design‑build and plan‑spec opportunities.
• Support ongoing service sales by ensuring construction-to-service handoffs are smooth, profitable, and maintain client satisfaction.
• Monitor financial and operational metrics (backlog, billings, labor productivity, change orders, and project margins) and implement corrective actions where needed.
• Ensure compliance with company safety policies, quality standards, and commissioning protocols across all field activities.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying operational bottlenecks, implementing standardized project management practices, and reporting performance trends to leadership.
• Coordinate cross‑functional alignment between Operations, Sales, Engineering, and Finance so that project details, design changes, and cost impacts are managed proactively.

Leadership and Structure

• Manage a combined operations team including project managers, service technicians, commissioning engineers, installers, and administrative support.
• Foster a collaborative culture between the Service and Construction departments to optimize project execution and customer lifecycle management.
• Lead regular operations and financial review meetings to assess project status, backlog health, and growth performance.
• Partner with regional and corporate sales teams to align construction pipeline targets and business development strategies.

Service: contract/service sales support, service dispatching, field service technicians, service supervisor.
Construction: project managers, field foremen, installers, startup/commissioning technicians.

Background and Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in building automation, mechanical/HVAC controls, or electrical contracting with multi‑project oversight.
• 3+ years in a management role leading project and/or service teams.
• Deep technical understanding of building automation systems (control panels, software integration, DDC programming, and field commissioning).
• Demonstrated experience managing construction project financials: forecasting, job cost tracking, change orders, and margin management.
• Proven success driving new business development in the building automation construction sector, including bid development, client acquisition, and partnership building.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills for interacting with contractors, engineers, and end‑users.
• Proficiency with project management software, ERP tools, and scheduling systems.

Performance Metrics

• Growth in construction revenue, awarded project volume, and market share in building automation and controls.
• Achievement of annual P&L goals including gross margin and backlog performance.
• On‑time, on‑budget completion rate for new construction projects.
• Labor utilization and efficiency gains across project teams.
• Customer satisfaction, repeat project awards, and contract renewal rate.