President

Opportunity

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced operator who can guide the operational evolution of a private equity-backed specialty contracting business into its next stage of growth. The company has a strong market reputation, loyal employees, and long-term customer relationships, but its current size and complexity now call for tighter project discipline, stronger controls, clearer visibility, and a more accountable operating model.

This is an execution-focused position rather than a purely strategic leadership seat.

About the Company

The business is a Midwest-based specialty contracting company supported by private equity as part of a broader building services platform. The wider platform produces more than $300M in annual revenue and includes several operating companies across the region. Within that group, this portfolio company is one of the larger and historically stronger businesses, with an established market presence and a committed workforce.

The company operates in several core areas, including electrical contracting and field services, technical infrastructure and low-voltage services, and construction, service, and maintenance work in commercial and industrial settings.

The next phase of growth is centered on shifting from entrepreneurial, relationship-driven success to a more scalable operating model with consistent execution, stronger project governance, and improved accountability.

Why This Role Matters

This opportunity is designed for a strong operator looking for scale, complexity, sponsor visibility, and the chance to create immediate impact in a private equity environment. It is not a turnaround situation. The business already has a respected brand, a solid customer base, engaged employees, and meaningful growth potential. The challenge is not demand, backlog, or market access.

The real mandate is to professionalize operations and make delivery repeatable.

What You Would Be Responsible For

• Leading a respected specialty contracting business with annual revenue above $90M.
• Strengthening operational discipline across project delivery and field execution.
• Putting robust project controls, forecasting processes, and risk visibility in place.
• Partnering closely with the platform leadership team to drive performance.
• Supporting growth in technically complex infrastructure markets.
• Establishing the operating foundation needed for future scale and transaction readiness.
• Building a more consistent and accountable leadership culture.

Measures of Success

During the first 12 months, success would mean improved project review routines, more accurate forecasting, better visibility into field and project performance, stronger leadership accountability, more standardized execution practices, fewer local workarounds, better workforce planning in a union labor setting, and reliable delivery of major active projects.

Over the following 12 to 24 months, the focus shifts to creating durable operating infrastructure, improving risk management and early-warning systems, growing the leadership bench across operations and project management, increasing consistency in field execution, keeping execution aligned with growth, and preparing the company for its next stage of scale and possible transaction readiness.

Ideal Background

The right candidate is likely to have held a senior operating role such as President, General Manager, COO, VP of Operations, Division Manager, Branch President, or another senior field operations leadership position.

They should bring full P&L responsibility in a contracting, field services, or specialty trades environment, along with self-perform construction or field operations experience, leadership of large field teams, and exposure to union labor or similarly complex labor settings.

Experience with project execution, project controls, and operating systems is important, as is a history of improving accountability, consistency, and operating discipline. The ideal leader can quickly evaluate project health, question reporting when needed, and lead change within a long-established, relationship-led business.

Comfort working directly in the field and with customers is essential. Background in electrical, mechanical, industrial services, or specialty trades construction is preferred. Prior leadership in a business generating roughly $40M to $150M+ in revenue would be especially relevant.

The preferred leader will be decisive, humble, operationally disciplined, and comfortable leading from the front. They must be able to set clear expectations, make difficult decisions, challenge legacy ways of working, and earn credibility with long-tenured employees.

Location

The role is based in Indiana, USA, and is expected to be performed on-site. Relocation support is available.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary: $200,000 to $250,000.
• Bonus opportunity: 50% to 100%.
• Potential future equity/incentive participation.
• 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• Employer-paid healthcare coverage.
• Relocation assistance.

Additional Information

Raw Selection is an executive search firm working exclusively with private equity firms and their portfolio companies across Europe and North America.

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