About the role
ABOUT AMERICAN OPERATOR
American Operator exists to keep the American Dream alive through small-business leadership and ownership. We place experienced operators into businesses of retiring owners who want their life's work placed in the hands of leaders who care. Over time, our CEOs follow a clear pathway to earn significant equity in the business they lead.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are looking for an experienced operator to lead a commercial roofing company as CEO in partnership with American Operator. This is a rare opportunity to step into an entrepreneurial opportunity where the business is already profitable, has a strong reputation, a loyal customer base, and an experienced team already in place. This business has found a niche in an institutional market which leads to recurring repair and service work.
As CEO, you'll assume full responsibility for day-to-day operations, team leadership, and P&L performance. This is not a turnaround situation, it's an opportunity to build on a solid foundation. Your focus will be on developing and growing a great team, driving revenue through project expansion, executing with operational discipline, and scaling the business from a position of strength.
American Operator will be your partner from day one, providing strategic support, resources, and guidance while empowering you to lead independently. Most importantly, you'll have a clear path to earning significant equity ownership in the business you grow and lead.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Own the day-to-day operations and P&L of a commercial roofing company
- Step in as the next leader of a newly acquired business and lead the team and customers through the ownership transition
- Own accurate job estimating and stand up an estimating function to win new commercial business
- Steward the institutional and commercial relationships that anchor the business, earning repeat work through trustworthy, responsive service
- Recruit, manage, and develop a high-performing field team to expand the company’s project capacity
- Partner with American Operator on strategy, budgeting, and growth planning
REQUIREMENTS
- 7+ years of leadership experience running a construction, contracting, or specialty-trade business
- Proven experience owning P&L performance and driving project-level margin and profitability
- Estimating experience with the ability to price and win institutional and commercial work
- Experience leading and scheduling field crews to deliver projects safely, on time, and on budget
- Experience building high performance teams with accountability for hiring and firing
- Experience personally owning and growing high-trust customer relationships in an institutional, municipal, commercial, or other referral-driven market
- Entrepreneurial leader who can set the vision and lead a business through an ownership transition
WHAT SETS YOU APART
- Estimated commercial, institutional, or specialty roofing projects
- Stepped in as the new leader after an ownership or leadership transition and earned the trust of a long-tenured team
- Worked on historic or institutional buildings and know the specialty materials and codes they demand
- Grown a trades business by adding crews and labor capacity, and brought basic systems (CRM, job costing) into a shop that ran on word of mouth
- You have scaled a founder-led contracting or trades business
- Hold, or the ability to obtain, a Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) and Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license
COMPENSATION
Base salary: $180,000, plus a 20% performance-based bonus opportunity, distributions, and meaningful equity participation beginning at 10% ownership, with the potential to increase ownership based on performance and value creation. Total compensation varies by portfolio company, individual performance, and deal structure, and includes a comprehensive benefits package.
LOCATION
This opportunity is located in the greater Boston metro area. The exact location of this business will be revealed during the interview process. Relocation will be required if you are not currently in or near the market of the opportunity.
Ready to lead the next chapter? Before you apply, we encourage you to visit americanoperator.com to learn more about who we are, how we work, and what our operators have to say about the experience. When you are ready, apply today to start the conversation.