KT Holden Construction

Compensation

Full Description

Client Summary KT Holden Construction, owned by Kate and Tyler Holden, is a values-driven heavy civil construction company serving the greater Cincinnati region in both the public and private sectors. Since 2020, the company has grown to 60 employees and is known for its intentional culture and commitment to its four deeply held values: Structure Before Load, Be a Good Apple, Love the Dirt You Dig, and Honest to Greatness. KT Holden exists to build successful projects and exceptional teams while elevating the construction industry through integrity, accountability, and people-first leadership. The company is in a high-growth season with significant upcoming project opportunities and long-term aspirations, like becoming a benchmark for excellence in heavy civil construction. Position Objective KT Holden is looking to hire a Director of Operations to join their leadership team. This person will be the strategic and tactical leader responsible for all construction operations—field, project management, and shop support. This role exists to bring structure, consistency, and operational excellence to a rapidly scaling business. Reporting directly to the owners and sitting on the leadership team, this leader will drive execution, develop people, implement systems and processes, optimize resources, ensure compliance, and protect and advance KT Holden’s culture as the company enters its next phase of growth. The position is essential to enabling the owners to step out of day-to-day operations and positioning the company for major project wins and long-term expansion. Position Key Responsibilities • Lead and oversee all construction operations, including field crews, project managers, and shop operations. • Actively promote KT Holden and its values to clients, partners, and the industry. • Optimize manpower, equipment, and resource utilization to minimize waste and reduce costs. • Ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements, safety standards, permits, and environmental guidelines. • Conduct regular field visits, inspections, and quality audits to evaluate performance and identify improvements. • Build structure, processes, SOPs, and operational systems to support consistent execution and scalability. • Strengthen communication flow between field and office; surface issues clearly and early. • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, values alignment, and continuous improvement. • Build strong relationships with clients, subcontractors, and vendors; resolve issues and maintain client satisfaction. Skills and Experiences Needed • 15+ years in the construction industry with 5+ years in operations leadership. • Heavy civil/sitework background strongly preferred. • Proven record of managing complex projects, multiple crews, and both field and office operations. • Deep understanding of the construction project lifecycle, regulatory compliance, permits, and quality standards. • Strong analytical problem-solver with the ability to drive repeatable, sustainable improvements. • Exceptional communicator capable of bridging field/office divides, interpreting nuance, and elevating issues constructively. • Skilled in building teams, developing people, and cultivating a healthy, values-aligned culture. • Financial acumen: budgeting, forecasting, job cost tracking, and resource allocation. • Must embody KT Holden’s values and be energized by building a company—not just projects. FireSeeds is the retained search firm leading this hiring process. All interested candidates must apply and engage directly through FireSeeds, as we are managing all initial stages of candidate review and communication on behalf of our client.