Director Protection & Controls

Shermco Industries is seeking a Director - P&C Operations. The Director of Protection & Controls Operations is responsible for the safe, consistent, and profitable execution of Shermco’s Protection & Controls business. Reporting to the Vice President of Protection & Controls, this role sets direction for and leads day-to-day operations across multiple locations and converts business priorities into disciplined field execution. The Director will lead General Managers, Area Managers, and their teams; drive safety, quality, productivity, utilization, forecasting, and customer service; and build the operating structure and workforce capability required to support profitable growth in relay protection, controls, testing, commissioning, and related substation services.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day P&C operations across multiple branches and service locations in the United States and Canada.

• Translate the Vice President’s strategy, budget, and operating priorities into clear plans, accountabilities, and execution rhythms for branch and operations leaders.

• Provide direct leadership to General Managers and Area Managers, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, development, succession planning, and performance management.

• Own operating execution for safety, quality, labor utilization, productivity, project delivery, customer service, and financial performance.

• Monitor and act on key performance indicators, including labor hours, revenue, gross margin, utilization, backlog, forecast accuracy, and project performance.

• Lead the operating forecast and develop the annual budget, workforce, equipment, and capacity planning.

• Ensure appropriate staffing and resource deployment across locations, balancing customer commitments, technician capability, travel, backlog, and profitability.

• Drive compliance with Shermco safe work practices, field-audit expectations, near-miss reporting, corrective actions, and applicable regulatory requirements.

• Promote consistent work methods, technical quality, documentation, and accountability across P&C operations.

• Partner with technical leaders to maintain the qualified workforce, equipment, processes, and technical capability required for relay testing, protection and controls, commissioning, and related substation work.

• Support technician qualification, evaluator signoff, training, career progression, and leadership development programs.

• Maintain effective customer relationships, participate in account planning and major proposals, and resolve operational or service issues promptly.

• Coordinate with Business Development, Engineering, Safety, Finance, Human Resources, Fleet, Procurement, and other Shermco operating groups to align resources and execution.

• Identify and implement process, reporting, and technology improvements that increase visibility, scalability, productivity, and control.

• Support expansion into adjacent services and emerging markets, including apparatus testing and battery energy storage system testing and commissioning.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, construction management, or a related field; equivalent operations leadership experience will be considered.

• 15+ years of progressive experience in electrical services, utility services, field operations, construction, testing, commissioning, or a related technical services environment.

• 5+ years of experience in a multi-location operations leadership role.

• Experience leading managers who have direct reports and demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop operating leaders.

• Demonstrated P&L responsibility for an electrical or technical services business of approximately $40 million or greater.

• Working knowledge of relay protection and controls, electrical testing, commissioning, utility substations, or closely related services is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to manage labor, revenue, margin, utilization, backlog, forecasts, budgets, and project performance.

• Experience with business development, major customers, proposals, contracts, and customer issue resolution.

• Strong safety leadership and understanding of applicable electrical, field-service, and employment requirements.

• Strong analytical judgment and the ability to turn operating and financial data into timely actions.

• Excellent leadership, communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to travel regularly among operating locations and customer sites.

• Ability to work effectively under pressure, manage competing priorities, and meet deadlines.

Measures of Success

• Safe execution and sustained field engagement in Shermco safety programs.

• Revenue, gross margin, utilization, productivity, and forecast performance against plan.

• Backlog conversion, project execution, technical quality, and customer satisfaction.

• Effective recruiting, retention, qualification, and development of technicians and leaders.

• Recruit 3+ techs/month; retain 90% of workforce on a TTM basis (currently at ~93.5%); and achieve a field tech/engineer department-wide average of 85% (billable hours divided by all hours, including PTO/Holiday).

• Profitable growth and successful expansion of P&C and adjacent testing and commissioning capabilities.