Director, Utility Field Services

The Director of Utility Field Services is a national role, 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. 

• 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. 

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

• 15+ years of progressive field services experience, ideally 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. 

Shermco is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. Shermco is a drug-free workplace.