Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location: El Paso, TX, with oversight of the Pecos, TX office
Industry: Civil Engineering • Surveying & Mapping • Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)

Position Summary

One of our clients is seeking an experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to serve as the senior operational leader of the company. The COO will work closely with the President/Owner and the existing leadership team to oversee day-to-day operations, contract performance, project delivery, and strategic growth.

The company provides civil engineering, surveying/mapping, subsurface utility engineering (SUE), and construction management services, with projects spanning federal, state, county, municipal, and private-sector clients. The ideal candidate will bring strong operational leadership and experience managing complex, multi-location and multi-state project delivery.

This is a business operations leadership role. The COO is not required to serve as the engineer or surveyor of record, as professional engineering and surveying certifications will continue to be provided by the firm's licensed PE and RPLS staff.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Project Delivery

• Oversee daily operations across civil engineering, surveying/mapping, SUE, and construction management service lines.

• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and according to quality and safety standards.

• Coordinate staffing, equipment, scheduling, and resources between multiple offices and field crews.

• Manage operational requirements associated with federal government contracts, including compliance, reporting, and deliverables.

• Resolve scheduling conflicts, resource gaps, travel, and logistics challenges across multi-state projects.

• Monitor project profitability, utilization, and contract backlog and implement corrective actions when necessary.

Financial & Business Performance

• Work closely with the CFO on budgets, cash flow, and overall financial performance.

• Develop and track KPIs including utilization, project margins, on-time delivery, and safety metrics.

• Support pricing, proposal, and contract review processes for government and private-sector clients.

Business Development & Client Relations

• Coordinate with Business Development to align operational capacity with the company's growth pipeline.

• Support relationships with key federal, state, municipal, school district, utility, and other public-sector clients.

• Identify opportunities for geographic and service-line expansion.

• Represent the company with key government agencies, clients, and industry partners as needed.

People & Leadership

• Lead HR functions in coordination with office managers and the leadership team, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and retention.

• Maintain and strengthen the company's employee-retention culture while improving operational processes.

• Build effective working relationships with the existing leadership team.

• Mentor office managers, project managers, and crew chiefs and develop the leadership bench for future growth.

Strategy & Growth

• Work with ownership and senior leadership on strategic planning and business diversification.

• Evaluate opportunities to expand SUE, surveying, and engineering capabilities through equipment, technology, staffing, or additional locations.

• Support the use of technologies such as GIS, GPS, drone/LiDAR, and related solutions.

• Represent the company with government agencies, clients, and industry partners.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with federal contracting requirements, state licensing requirements, OSHA standards, and environmental regulations.

• Oversee insurance and risk-management practices related to multi-state and international operations.

• Maintain quality-control standards across survey, engineering, SUE, and federal deliverables.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in civil engineering, surveying, construction, or related infrastructure services.

• Experience with federal government contracting.

• Demonstrated experience managing multi-location, multi-state operations and project-based field work.

• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, P&L management, project/contract cost tracking, and bonding awareness.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and relationship-management skills.

• Comfortable working alongside long-tenured ownership and executive staff in a family-business environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• PE or RPLS license preferred; candidates holding both are a plus.

• Strong working knowledge of civil engineering, surveying, and SUE practices.

• Direct experience with USACE, USBLM, USFS, or other federal agency contracts.

• Experience with public-sector contracting, including TxDOT, municipalities, counties, and school districts.

• Familiarity with Civil 3D, Trimble, and GIS platforms sufficient to manage technical teams.

• Previous experience in a family-owned or closely held business.

• Experience working with long-tenured teams and succession planning.

Travel Requirements

The COO must be willing and able to travel regularly between the El Paso and Pecos offices, with periodic travel to project sites across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and internationally.