Senior Operational Excellence Lead

Next 150 Construction, LLC•Chicago, IL

2d•$150,000 - $200,000

About The Position

The Sr Operational Excellence Lead drives enterprise-wide operational efficiency, process standardization, and quality control across active construction projects. The Lead serves as the strategic bridge between corporate leadership and jobsite teams to ensure company systems, technologies, and operational policies are practical, field-ready, scalable, and consistently executed across large-scale projects. The Sr Operational Excellence Lead serves as the operational backbone of Next 150, partnering closely with Next 150 leadership, project leadership, finance, safety, and human resources to drive consistency, mitigate risk, and embed enterprise operating standards where appropriate, while respecting the established rules of engagement between Next 150 and Gilbane Building Company.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering or Construction Management preferred
15+ years relevant experience including integration with self-perform operations
Or equivalent combination of education and experience
Strong Technical and Communication skills are critical
Ability to work in a team environment
Leadership and management skills
Strong business acumen skills

Responsibilities

Drives and improves operations across active construction projects by building practical standards for quality control, project planning, daily planning, project execution, daily documentation, and construction technology
Partners with corporate leadership and jobsite teams to align operational standards, fix process gaps, and ensure smooth project delivery
Attends external industry seminars and vendor training to master new systems, technology, and practices, then develops and delivers internal training tailored for field staff
Researches, pilots, and deploys emerging construction technologies, tools, and methodologies to keep the company ahead of industry standards and maintain a competitive edge
Serves as the primary liaison between cross-functional departments (HR, L&D, VDC, IT, Safety, Project Management, and Field Management) to ensure new systems, technologies, and policies are practical for the field and adopted on site
Participates in executive and inter-departmental committees to align company-wide workflows, eliminate process gaps, and drive overall operational productivity
Partners with Gilbane Enterprise Operations to enhance Quality, Safety, and Schedule through coordination and peer groups
Owns the development, implementation, and maintenance of company-wide Quality Control programs such as Site Setups and Site Logistics and ongoing checklists to ensure a safe, organized, consistent and functional across all project sites
Owns the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), project checklists, and compliance tracking systems to ensure operational excellence
Partners with internal departments to create comprehensive jobsite audit checklists, conduct site audits, and manage deficiency tracking across all field operations (including safety, logistics, trade performance, quality, and contract compliance)
Ensures consistent documentation and resolution of NEXT 150 quality issues through structured tracking, analyzing deficiency data to identify operational trends, target training needs, and implement better field solutions
Owns the Procore platform strategy, administration, testing, and enterprise-wide adoption, ensuring field accessibility and standardized workflows
Evaluates, tests, and implements new software and technology tools to ensure NEXT 150 selects the right systems and maximizes their capabilities
Develops and deploys NEXT 150 Skill Matrices for Field and Project Management teams to drive employee career development, establish performance metrics, and ensure accountability to company standards
Develops and maintains standardized organizational charts and crew responsibility matrices across all projects to build consistent, repeatable field teams, optimize daily/weekly/monthly schedules, and maximize jobsite productivity
Leads the implementation, team training, and active facilitation of Pull Planning across project teams to optimize schedule reliability
Creates and delivers structured training programs, "How-To" manuals, onboarding guides, and tutorial resources for field staff and Superintendents
Drives continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing project data to streamline workflows and eliminate outdated processes
Facilitates formal project post-mortems to capture operational lessons learned, feeding insights back into estimating, scheduling, SOPs, and training to continually raise the company baseline
Partners with Safety Directors to implement digital workflows, software, and field reporting systems that keep safety compliance practical and efficient for site teams