Drywall and plaster chief operating officer job description
A drywall and plaster chief operating officer settles how crews stack board on a floor, when finishing can start in a cold house, and how each area is checked before taping. The COO also runs the safety program, from heater checks to where stilts are allowed.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $69,930, middle half $100,570 to $283,340, 90th percentile $386,670. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, specialty trade contractors.
Reports to
Chief Executive Officer
Department
Operations
Schedule
40 to 50 hours, occasional weekends · A 40- to 50-hour week, with occasional evenings or weekends near production deadlines and regular visits to job sites
Also called
COO · Vice president of operations · Director of field operations
Drywall and plaster chief operating officer job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Lead and manage daily production operations for the drywall and plaster division to ensure unparalleled quality and efficiency. Implement innovative process improvements and ensure stringent compliance with industry standards. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive business growth while maintaining exceptional operational performance.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee and streamline daily production schedules to maximize operational efficiency and meet project deadlines.
Develop and enforce operational policies, procedures, and quality controls in compliance with industry regulations.
Identify areas for process improvement and implement innovative solutions to enhance productivity and safety.
Partner with senior management to develop growth strategies and oversee the implementation of new technologies.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily briefings with production teams and monitor progress against established targets.
Perform regular review of production workflows and ensure adherence to quality and safety standards.
Evaluate and adjust resource allocations to optimize output and reduce waste or downtime.
Coordinate with other department heads to address operational challenges and improve customer service.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Daily production on-time rate: ≥95%.
Customer satisfaction rating: ≥4.8 stars.
Callback rate for rework or errors: <5%.
Gross profit margin: ≥30%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible operational leadership experience.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Excellent communication, leadership, and team-building abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the home services industry, specifically in drywall and plaster production or similar manufacturing environments.
Proven track record in implementing process improvements and operational efficiency strategies.
Familiarity with industry-specific compliance and quality management systems.
Prior experience working with cross-functional teams in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift or move materials up to 25 lbs.
Comfortable working in active production environments that may include exposure to construction sites and variable weather conditions.
Capable of standing, walking, or sitting for extended periods during shifts.
Adherence to safety protocols and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Full-time position requiring 40-50 hours per week.
Occasional evening or weekend work to meet production or project deadlines.
Moderate travel expectations for site visits and operational assessments.
Fast-paced, dynamic work environment that values flexibility and proactive problem-solving.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and incentive programs.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401k retirement plan with company matching and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company is committed to innovation, quality, and continuous improvement in every aspect of our operations.
We foster a collaborative environment where every team member is valued and encouraged to contribute ideas.
Our culture emphasizes customer satisfaction, professional growth, and community involvement.
Join us to be part of a supportive, forward-thinking team dedicated to excellence in the home services industry.
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
Board is heavy, ceilings are high and joint compound needs a warm room. The COO turns those facts into rules every crew follows the same way.
Stacked board can fall or overload a floor
OSHA wants stacked material secured so it won't slide, fall or collapse, and the weight kept under what the floor can safely hold. On a building going up, board stays at least six feet back from shafts and floor openings. It also stays ten feet in from any outside wall that doesn't rise above the stack. Houses and wood-framed apartment buildings don't need posted load limits, but the weight rule still applies, so the COO writes how crews stock and lean board there. Source: 29 CFR 1926.250: General requirements for storage (eCFR).
Winter finishing needs heat and fresh air
USG's sheet for one all-purpose compound says to keep the building at 55 degrees F or warmer while joints are finished, with fresh air to carry off moisture. In a new house that often means temporary heaters. Where heaters run, OSHA wants enough fresh air for the crew, with fans or blowers when natural air isn't enough. Solid-fuel salamanders are banned inside buildings. The COO sets which heaters crews may use and who checks them. Source: 29 CFR 1926.154: Temporary heating devices (eCFR).
Stilts need a written company rule
OSHA's scaffold rule lets a worker wear stilts on a scaffold only if it's a large-area scaffold, such as one built over nearly the whole floor of a room. Any guardrail there must be raised by the stilts' height, and the guardrail rule says the same near open edges. The surface must be flat and clear of holes and debris, and only the maker may approve changes to the stilts. The COO decides where stilts are allowed, and who sweeps and checks first. Source: 29 CFR 1926.452(y): Stilts on scaffolds (eCFR).
Hanging mistakes become finishing hours
Screws driven through the paper and wide gaps packed with mud cost finishers extra coats. Joints should stay off the corners of doors and windows, where they tend to crack later. The COO writes a hanging standard with the production manager. A lead finisher or field supervisor checks each area before taping, and fixes go back to the hangers.
How much drywall and plaster chief operating officers make
The closest BLS group for drywall and plaster chief operating officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for specialty trade contractors earned a median of $169,170 a year ($81.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 3,830 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for specialty trade contractors.
Base pay comes with the template's bonuses and incentive plans. COOs fall in BLS's chief executive group, and at specialty trade firms its median lands inside the template's range. Tie some of the bonus to the callback and on-time numbers your field leaders also see, so the COO and the crews chase the same results.
Specialty trade contractors
$169,170$169,170 median Middle half $100,570–$283,340 10th–90th $69,930–$386,670
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Specialty trade contractors
$69,930
$100,570
$169,170
$283,340
$386,670
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for chief executives at drywall and insulation contractors on their own, so these figures cover specialty trade contractors. 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 led field operations at a drywall, plaster or interior systems contractor
Writes hanging and finishing standards that crews can check on the wall
Builds a construction safety program that covers storage, heaters and stilts
Balances hangers and finishers so neither crew waits on the other
Traces callbacks to a crew, a step or a site condition
Teach these on the job
Each builder's site orientation and cleanup rules
The daily report your crews fill out now
How hangers and finishers are paid today
The compounds, beads and board types you buy
The heaters and fuel your builders allow on site
Have finalists bring a hanging or finishing standard they wrote, a callback log they kept, or a safety audit form they used. Those papers, plus crew daily reports, fill most of this COO's week.
Drywall and plaster chief operating officer interview questions
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 · Finish callbacks
Callbacks for visible seams and nail pops after paint are rising. What do you do?
A strong answer: Sorts callbacks by crew, builder and defect, checks the finish level sold against the paint and lighting, drying conditions and framing moisture, and adds a work-light inspection before paint.
Behavioral · Process improvement
Tell me about a process change that raised production without hurting quality, such as stocking board by room or changing how hang and finish crews split the work.
A strong answer: Names the change, how crews adopted it, the gain in sheets per labor hour or days per house, and callback numbers that held steady.
Before setting targets, have the daily reports split misses the crews caused from ones a builder caused, such as a house released late or a floor with no heat.
Daily production on-time rate
Hang, tape and finish tasks done on the planned day, divided by tasks planned, from crew daily reports. Review the misses weekly and fix causes in the system, such as late board or short crews.
Customer satisfaction rating
Superintendent and homeowner feedback across every branch and crew, reviewed monthly with the managers who own each result. Trace each repeat complaint to the standard that should have prevented it.
Callback rate for rework or errors
Visits to fix the work itself, like popped screws, ridged joints or cracked corner bead, as a share of units finished. Sort them by crew and by step to find the standard that's failing.
Gross profit margin
Company gross margin by month and by kind of work. The COO answers for the two parts operations controls most: labor hours per sheet and material waste.
Career path
Field supervisorSees which hanging habits turn into extra coats and callbacks.
Production managerHolds every job to code and the company's quality checks.
Chief operating officerBuilds the safety program and the checks every crew's work goes through.
Describe the audits. On a visit the COO checks how board is stacked on each floor, looks over heater setups and fresh air, watches a crew working on stilts, and holds a work light to finished walls, wearing the hard hat and glasses the site requires. The template's lines on standing and walking, weather and a 25-pound lift ship as written. End with an invitation to request accommodation.
How much does a drywall and plaster chief operating officer make?
Chief executives who work for specialty trade contractors earned a median of $169,170 a year ($81.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $100,570 and $283,340 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Who supplies temporary heat, the builder or the drywall company?
Whoever the subcontract says, so settle it before winter. Some builders provide heat once a house is closed in; others leave it to the drywall sub. Spell out who supplies heaters and fuel, who checks them, who covers a crew sent home from a cold house, and who pays to redo finishing done below the compound maker's temperature.
Should hangers and finishers be separate crews?
For builder production, separate crews let each one get faster at its own work, and finishers look at the hangers' work with fresh eyes. Mixed crews suit small remodels and plaster repairs, where one person can hang a patch and finish it over a few visits. Some companies run both: separate crews for builders, mixed crews for remodel work.
Can a COO from manufacturing run a drywall company's operations?
The template lists drywall production or similar factory work as preferred. Some skills carry over: standard work, measuring output and finding root causes. But a drywall crew works on someone else's site, on the builder's schedule, beside other trades, in whatever heat or cold the building has. Favor a finalist who has also led field crews. If you hire one who hasn't, the production manager has to be the person crews trust on site.
