Construction Department Manager - JR Johnson

Position Summary:

JR Johnson is a Watterson Solutions Company. The JR Johnson Construction Department Manager is responsible for leading and managing a profitable, efficient, and high-performing Construction Department. This role focuses on driving consistent growth in sales, revenue, and profitability while ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction. The manager oversees all field operations to ensure projects meet Watterson’s standards and client expectations. As a key leader within the company and the broader industry, the Construction Department Manager plays a vital role in promoting ongoing client relationships, enhancing the company's reputation, and contributing to long-term business success.

Responsibilities:

Employee Management

• Provide strategic leadership to drive a productive, efficient, and profitable Construction Department.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training, and professional development of team members to ensure independence and performance.
• Define clear performance expectations and subsequent metrics to build and maintain a high-performing, goal-oriented team.
• Set clear goals and monitor performance regularly.
• Promote efficiency in time management and resource utilization across the team. 
• Create, update, and enforce departmental processes and procedures.
• Foster cross-departmental collaboration and team buy-in.

Estimating

• Direct all estimating functions within the department.
• Master and utilize estimating software for efficient proposal creation.
• Manage bid requests and ensure timely, high-quality submissions.
• Verify scope alignment with project needs and company standards.
• Develop and maintain accurate estimating tools, templates, and databases.
• Conduct audits/reviews of all estimates to ensure accuracy, clarity, and mitigate risk.
• Regularly evaluate and offer process improvement within the systems to support “design-build” and traditional project scopes.

Project Management

• Ownership of project execution, ensuring timeliness fulfillment within defined scope and budget.
• Maximize Timberline and other software tools to support project tracking and documentation.
• Maintain and update project schedules and labor requirements.
• Provide weekly budget updates and ensure financial health of projects.
• Facilitate regular team meetings to review margins, schedules, and quality, and provide feedback and coaching, when necessary.
• Ensure effective handoffs, closeouts, and punch list completion.
• Manage warranties and resolve issues within a one-week window.
• Remain informed on present and ongoing compliance updates regarding OSHA, EPA, and company safety standards.

Sales, Marketing & Customer Relations

• Develop and foster strong relationships with clients and industry partners.
• Act as a company representative at meetings, networking and promotional events, and interviews to solicit new business.
• Oversee project closeout and solicit feedback from clients to collect data for future process improvement and to strengthen rapport.
• Maintain timely communication with clients, meeting company standard response time of 24 hours.

Budgeting & Administration

• Create and manage the annual Construction Department budget.
• Monitor department expenses against the budget.

Competencies:

• Leadership & Team Management: Demonstrates the ability to lead, develop, and manage high-performing construction teams with clear goals and accountability.
• Construction Project Oversight: Effectively oversees all phases of construction projects to ensure timely, on-budget, and high-quality delivery.
• Estimating & Preconstruction: Skilled in managing estimating processes, preparing accurate proposals, and aligning scopes to project and company standards.
• Financial Acumen: Capable of managing departmental budgets, controlling costs, and optimizing project profitability through strategic oversight.
• Client Relations & Business Development: Builds strong client relationships and drives sustainable growth through professional representation and responsive communication.
• Process Improvement & Compliance: Continuously improves departmental processes while ensuring adherence to safety, regulatory, and company standards.
• Technical Proficiency: Utilizes construction management software and tools to support scheduling, documentation, and project performance tracking.
  

The successful and eligible candidates will receive a competitive compensation package that includes: health, dental, vision, life and AD&D, voluntary life, short-term and long-term disability, accident, critical illness insurance, hospital indemnity plan, employee assistance program, company-sponsored 401K retirement plan, holidays, cell phone stipend, and paid time off (PTO). Watterson is an E-Verify and Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift heavy materials on a regular basis up to 100lbs.
• Willingness to work in varying conditions, including exposure to water, smoke, or mold (with proper protective equipment).
• Ability to drive to worksites, as required.

Requirements:

• 7-10 years of experience in the Construction industry with 3-5 years in a senior or departmental leadership role.
• Strong working experience in building envelope and exterior components.
• Experience managing departmental budgets and staffing plans.
• Deep understanding of construction schedules, scopes, and financials.
• Experience working with business development or sales teams to drive revenue.
• Skilled at building and maintaining client relationships and delivering excellent customer service.
• Experience in developing SOPs, workflows, and internal processes for construction or operations teams.
• Background in estimating and contract negotiation.
• Proficient in Microsoft word and excel.
• Physically able to perform job related tasks (climbing a ladder, ability to lift 40lbs.).
• OSHA 30 Certification Preferred.
• Driver’s License in good standing.