Foster Lawson · 8 hours ago
Chief Operating Officer
California, United States
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$170K/yr - $230K/yrFoster Lawson is seeking a Vice President (VP) / Chief Operating Officer (COO) responsible for enterprise-wide operational execution, compliance integrity, and organizational performance. This role involves overseeing daily operations across multiple subsidiaries, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, and leading operational leaders to foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Staffing & Recruiting
Hiring Manager
Joseph Furness
Responsibilities
Direct and manage daily operations across multiple subsidiary companies and operating entities
Establish and enforce standardized operating procedures (SOPs) across construction, staffing, and support functions
Ensure operational scalability, continuity, and accountability across geographically dispersed projects
Ensure full compliance with:
Federal contracting requirements, including SBA 8(a) participation
Prevailing wage, Davis-Bacon, and certified payroll standards
State and federal labor, licensing, and regulatory requirements
Maintain audit readiness for federal agencies, Tribal oversight, and independent auditors
Identify, escalate, and mitigate operational, contractual, and compliance-related risks
Translate awarded federal, state, and Tribal contracts into executable staffing and operational plans
Oversee labor deployment, utilization, and cost controls across multiple projects and subsidiaries
Coordinate execution with project managers, subsidiary leadership, and executive staff
Monitor enterprise labor margins, billing cycles, and operational cost drivers
Support enterprise-level forecasting, backlog planning, and performance reporting
Partner with finance and accounting functions while maintaining clear separation from CFO responsibilities
Lead and manage operations, compliance, payroll, and administrative leadership across subsidiaries
Build internal systems and leadership depth to reduce dependency on the CEO for routine execution
Develop and mentor operational leaders and staff, with an emphasis on workforce stability, professional growth, and long-term capacity building across Tribal and non-Tribal teams
Foster a culture of accountability, compliance, continuous improvement, and service consistent with company's values
Approve operational hires within Board-approved budgets
Enforce compliance holds and corrective actions across subsidiaries and projects
Establish and enforce enterprise-wide operational policies and procedures
Escalate material risks, compliance issues, and performance concerns directly to the CEO
Qualification
Required
Demonstrated senior executive operations leadership experience overseeing multi-entity organizations within the federal contracting, construction, or regulated services industries
Proven responsibility for complex projects, joint ventures, and geographically dispersed operations, including CONUS-wide execution
Experience operating in environments with significant scale, complexity, and accountability, including organizations with $100M+ annual revenue
Preferred
Experience working with tribally owned enterprises or sovereign entities
Deep familiarity with federal compliance, audits, and government contracting risk
Background in construction, infrastructure, staffing, or mission-critical federal markets
Bachelor's degree in business, construction management, engineering, or a related field is preferred
Equivalent professional experience demonstrating the ability to lead complex, regulated enterprises may be considered in lieu of formal education
Company
Foster Lawson
Foster Lawson is a global search firm dedicated to providing tailored solutions to our partners across the Construction and Manufacturing spaces.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase