A design-build operations manager directs the daily work on every open job. They decide which carpenters go where, when each sub arrives, and what must be done before the next inspection. They keep crews busy across additions, remodels and custom homes, and send warranty callbacks to the right crew.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $56,880, middle half $79,320 to $177,210, 90th percentile $259,820. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
General Manager
Department
Operations
Schedule
Weekdays, some weekend or holiday calls · The template sets Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, with longer days in peak phases and some weekend or holiday on-call
Also called
Director of construction · Construction manager · Field operations manager · Production director
Lead and direct day-to-day operations for our design-build projects to ensure that crews are allocated efficiently and project schedules are met while optimizing resource utilization. Serve as the key operational liaison between field teams and management to drive project success and operational excellence. Enhance overall efficiency and productivity by applying best practices and data-driven decision-making. Contribute to the company’s growth by fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Allocate crews to projects and adjust assignments to address shifting priorities and emerging challenges.
Organize and maintain detailed project schedules to ensure timely completion of all phases.
Monitor resource usage and implement strategies for improving efficiency and reducing waste.
Collaborate with project managers and clients to proactively address potential delays or conflicts.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily project assignments and adjust crew allocations accordingly.
Coordinate with subcontractors and vendors to secure necessary materials and services.
Conduct regular on-site visits to assess project progress and quality standards.
Maintain open communication lines with team members and stakeholders to resolve issues promptly.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-Time Project Completion Rate: ≥ 95%.
Crew Utilization Rate: ≥ 90%.
Reduction in Resource Wastage: ≤ 5% deviation from planned consumption.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: > 4.8 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of operational management experience within the design-build or construction industry.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring quality and efficiency.
Strong communication, time management, and decision-making skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience with project management software and resource planning tools in a design-build environment.
Previous experience leading a diverse team of construction professionals.
Familiarity with safety regulations and quality control standards within the home services industry.
Demonstrated history of process improvement and operational excellence in similar roles.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to frequently lift up to 25 pounds and perform light to moderate physical tasks.
Comfort with extended periods of standing, walking, and occasional climbing on construction sites.
Exposure to outdoor environments and variable weather conditions.
Capability to work in dynamic site conditions including confined spaces and active construction zones.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, with occasional extended hours during peak project phases.
Travel frequently to on-site project locations to oversee operations and team activities.
On-call duties may be required to address urgent operational challenges during weekends or holidays.
Operate in both office settings and active construction sites.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $70,000 – $90,000 USD per year, based on qualifications and experience.
Performance-based bonuses available to reward exceptional operational improvements.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
Retirement savings plan with 401k and additional fringe benefits as applicable.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a forward-thinking organization that champions teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Our culture is built on a foundation of mutual respect, professional growth, and client satisfaction.
We offer a supportive environment that empowers employees to take initiative and drive meaningful change.
Join us to be a part of a dynamic team that values both professional excellence and personal development.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A design-build firm's own carpenters frame and finish, while subs handle the plumbing, electrical and HVAC. The operations manager keeps both moving across jobs that started months apart and run for months.
In-house crews need a full week
Lead carpenters and their crews count on steady hours. When an inspection fails or a cabinet delivery slips, the operations manager moves the crew to another job's punch list, a small change or a warranty visit. Sending them home is the last choice. That is what the template's crew utilization number measures, so line up fill-in work a week ahead.
Families live in the house during the work
Many clients stay home through a remodel. The operations manager plans the work so a family keeps one working bathroom. They warn the family which days the water or power will be off, and set up a temporary kitchen while theirs is out. Check each town's rules on work hours before planning early starts.
Long-lead items set the start date
Windows, custom cabinets, specialty doors and some appliances take weeks or months to arrive. The operations manager tracks each order against the day the crew will need it and won't start demolition on a job whose key materials have no ship date. A kitchen torn out too early leaves a family without one while the crew waits.
One sub, several of your jobs
The same plumber or electrician may have three of your jobs open at once, each at a different stage. The operations manager sets one weekly plan per sub across all jobs, so a rough-in on one house doesn't push a final on another. Track each sub's show-up rate, failed inspections and callbacks, and bring those numbers to the general manager, who keeps the market's trade list.
Warranty work arrives after the crew moves on
Callbacks come after final payment: a door that sticks after the first winter, a drywall crack, a drip at a new shower. The operations manager logs each one, sends the right crew or sub, and traces the cause to design or the field. In Michigan, for example, a homeowner has 18 months from the latest of completion, move-in or closing to file a workmanship complaint, and in most cases must show the firm had notice and didn't make repairs within 60 days. Date every callback. Source: Michigan Compiled Laws 339.2411: complaints and conduct that brings penalties.
How much design-build operations managers make
The closest BLS group for design-build operations managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for building contractors earned a median of $123,080 a year ($59.18 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 72,580 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for building contractors.
Salary and bonuses for operating gains, as the template sets. Tie them to crew utilization and on-time finishes, and count warranty callbacks against them so speed never beats quality.
Building contractors
$123,080$123,080 median Middle half $79,320–$177,210 10th–90th $56,880–$259,820
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building contractors
$56,880
$79,320
$123,080
$177,210
$259,820
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
BLS doesn’t publish pay for design-build firms on their own. These figures cover construction of buildings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has scheduled carpenters and subs across several residential remodels or new homes at once
Reads drawings and a schedule well enough to catch a sequencing problem
Has run warranty or service work after completion
Has used data to choose and drop subcontractors
Keeps schedules, logs and photos in a project management app
Teach these on the job
Your crews' strengths and your lead carpenters
Your subs and how far ahead each one books
How your warranty and callbacks work
Each town's inspection booking rules
Your supplier accounts and order lead times
The operations manager runs the crew and sub calendar in the project management app, often Buildertrend or JobTread, tracks material orders with suppliers, and logs warranty requests in the same system. Ask finalists to show a schedule they built for several jobs at once.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Idle crews from client delays
A client's slow approval means a crew will sit idle next week. What do you do?
A strong answer: Moves the crew to other work, asks the designer or project manager to set a decision deadline with the client, and documents the delay.
Behavioral · Managing change pressure
Tell me about a time you kept several projects on schedule while design changes kept coming in.
A strong answer: Explains how they set change cutoffs, resequenced crews, and told clients and designers the impact of each change.
Measure these each week across open jobs, then compare quarter to quarter once the busy season's jobs close.
On-Time Project Completion Rate
Phases finished by the master schedule date across all jobs, rolled up into jobs finished by contract date, with weather and late client selections noted.
Crew Utilization Rate
Paid crew hours spent on job work, out of all paid crew hours, with time lost waiting on material, inspections or subs logged by cause.
Reduction in Resource Wastage
Material bought for each job against the estimate's quantities, plus returns and dumpster loads, so overbuying and damage show up by crew.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Client ratings on scheduling, cleanliness and communication during the build, plus how quickly warranty requests were closed.
Career path
Field supervisorOversees crews and subs on several sites at once.
Project managerLeads several jobs and their clients through construction.
Operations managerPlans each week's work for every crew and sub.
General managerAnswers for a market's results, from designers to local trades.
Who decides when two project managers want the same crew?
The operations manager. A project manager owns a few jobs from contract to closeout: the client, the budget and the changes. The operations manager owns what every job shares: crews, subs, materials and the inspection calendar. When two project managers ask for the same lead carpenter on Monday, the master schedule decides, and the operations manager tells both why.
How much does a design-build operations manager make?
General and operations managers who work for building contractors earned a median of $123,080 a year ($59.18 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $79,320 and $177,210 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How physical is a design-build operations manager's job?
The template's lifting, climbing and confined-space lines ship as written. On remodels they describe real tasks: crawling into attics and crawl spaces to check framing, insulation or a leak, climbing ladders on additions, and carrying tools, samples and boxes of tile on site. Describe those tasks and how often they come up in the ad, along with your offer of reasonable accommodation.
Who should handle warranty requests?
Decide in writing who owns them, and put it in the contract. Give clients one way to report a problem, check the written warranty before promising a fix, and offer a walk-through near the end of the first year to catch issues together.
Should you promote a field supervisor to operations manager?
Often, but test the planning, not the building. A field supervisor thinks a day or a week ahead on a few sites; this job looks months ahead across every open job. Ask finalists to bring a look-ahead schedule from a past job and explain what changed between the first draft and the finish.
