VP of Project Management

Title : VP of Project Management

Reports to : President

Select Electric, Inc., a subsidiary of Meruelo Enterprises, is a trusted leader in electrical contracting with over 50 years of experience serving Southern California. As part of a Latino-owned Minority Business Enterprise, we specialize in large-scale transportation infrastructure projects, including traffic signals, highway and airport lighting, rail systems, fiber optics, and intelligent transportation systems. With offices in Vista, and Anaheim, our experienced team delivers innovative, safety-first solutions with integrity and quality at the core.

About the Role :

As Vice President of Project Management, you will build and lead our enterprise Project Management Office (PMO), standardize project controls, and drive delivery excellence across a portfolio of transportation and infrastructure programs. You'll establish governance, metrics, and rhythms that ensure projects land on scope, schedule, budget, and quality-while developing a high-performing, customer-obsessed team grounded in Lean principles.

Key Responsibilities :

• ² PMO & Governance
• ² Stand up and mature the PMO : define operating model, stage-gate governance, portfolio prioritization, and enterprise project lifecycle.
• ² Implement standardized project controls (cost, schedule, risk, change, quality), including reporting cadences, KPIs / OKRs, and dashboarding.
• ² Build integrated portfolio views and decision forums for executive stakeholders; ensure audit-ready records and traceability.
• ² Project Controls & Delivery Excellence
• ² Own the enterprise framework for estimating, baseline development, performance measurement (e.g., earned value), risk / issue management, and change control.
• ² Introduce portfolio-level health reviews, variance / root-cause analysis, recovery planning, and continuous improvement loops.
• ² Champion data-driven decision-making with visual management and tiered operating reviews.
• ² Caltrans Programs
• ² Lead or oversee delivery of Caltrans work from initiation through closeout; ensure conformance with Caltrans PDPM (scope, schedule, cost controls, approvals), Construction Manual practices, and local / federal coordination requirements.
• ² Navigate cooperative agreements, permits / encroachments, and stakeholder interfaces; align with oversight guidelines and funding / compliance expectations.
• ² Lean Leadership
• ² Embed Lean Construction practices (Last Planner System®, A3 problem solving, 5S, standard work, visual management) to eliminate waste and increase flow and reliability.
• ² Coach leaders and teams on daily / weekly tiered reviews, gemba / "go see," and continuous improvement behaviors.
• ² People & Stakeholders
• ² Recruit, develop, and lead a diverse team of project managers, schedulers, and controls professionals.
• ² Build trusted relationships with clients, partners, and regulators; communicate clearly from field to boardroom.

Qualifications :

Preferred Qualifications (nice-to-have)

At Meruelo, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and better business outcomes. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. We actively encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.