Suffolk Construction Co Inc

Program Management Associate, Operational Excellence

Suffolk Construction Co Inc$70K — $95K *
Real Estate & Construction
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in business, STEM, Construction Management, or related field required; MBA preferred.
  • 3-5 years of experience in program management, operations improvement, or related environment.
  • Ability to manage cross-functional programs through planning and execution stages.
  • Strong program management skills, including risk management and status reporting.
  • Excellent communication skills for interacting with various stakeholder levels.
  • Proven relationship-building ability to manage multiple stakeholders effectively.
  • Experience with data analytics or technology teams in operational settings.

Responsibilities

  • Manage operational excellence programs from planning to implementation, ensuring adherence to schedules and goals.
  • Establish routines for effective project delivery including planning and reporting elements.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to analyze operational issues, gathering data to inform solutions.
  • Facilitate meetings and working sessions to align teams and share program updates effectively.
  • Engage with field teams to implement initiatives, ensuring practical application of solutions.
  • Track performance metrics post-implementation to assess success and address challenges.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of program standards and documentation practices.

Benefits

  • Work on-site in a vibrant office environment in Boston with free parking.
  • Access to a gym and cafeteria, promoting health and well-being.
  • Opportunities for professional growth through engagement with high-impact projects.
  • Gain exposure to various operational functions and senior leadership within the firm.
Full Job Description
Overview

Role Summary

The Operational Excellence (Ops Ex) team shapes how Suffolk builds — defining standards, driving improvement, and delivering programs that help our projects and people succeed at scale.

 

As Program Management Associate, you will be a key leader driving Suffolk’s most important operational initiatives. You’ll blend strategic problem-solving, structured program delivery, and hands-on field engagement to identify opportunities, design solutions, and lead cross-functional implementation that strengthens operational performance across the company.

 

The role requires a proactive and highly organized program manager who can bring structure to complex work, build trusted relationships, and drive follow-through across teams without relying on formal authority. The Program Management Associate will work closely with regional and project leadership and Ops Ex capabilities Operations Analytics, Mission Control, Change Management, and Construction Technology to ensure solutions are practical, scalable, and grounded in how work is performed in the field.

 

This is an opportunity to develop broad enterprise and field exposure while taking meaningful ownership of high-impact operational initiatives. The Program Management Associate will contribute analytical thinking and sound judgment, independently lead assigned programs and workstreams, and partner with the leadership on portfolio-level decisions, executive governance, and the most complex cross-enterprise issues.

The Program Management Associate is required to be on-site in our vibrant Boston office five days a week, where they can take advantage of free parking, an on-site gym, a cafeteria, and other perks that contribute to a welcoming culture and distinctive workplace environment!

Responsibilities
  • Program and Workstream Management
    • Manage assigned Operational Excellence programs and major workstreams from planning through implementation. Develop and maintain program charters, schedules, milestones, deliverables, roles, and success measures. Translate direction from program and business leaders into clear actions, coordinate contributors, and keep work moving toward agreed outcomes.
  • Planning, Governance, and Delivery Discipline
    • Establish and maintain the day-to-day management routines that support effective delivery, including workplans, status reporting, decision and action logs, risk and issue tracking, dependency management, and meeting cadences. Prepare clear governance materials, surface emerging concerns early, and follow through with owners to ensure commitments and decisions are carried into execution.
  • Operational Analysis and Solution Development
    • Partner with operational leaders, Operational Excellence, project teams, and subject-matter experts to document current-state practices, clarify pain points, and identify root causes. Support the development and evaluation of future-state processes, standards, tools, and capabilities. Organize qualitative and quantitative inputs, test assumptions, and help convert findings into practical recommendations and implementation requirements.
  • Stakeholder Coordination and Communication
    • Build productive relationships with regional, functional, and project stakeholders. Plan and facilitate working sessions, document decisions, and communicate program status, risks, and next steps in a concise and audience-appropriate manner. Help resolve routine misalignment and escalate material tradeoffs or decisions with clear context and recommended paths forward.
  • Field Engagement, Pilots, and Implementation
    • Engage directly with jobsites and regional teams to understand operational realities and incorporate frontline feedback. Coordinate pilots and implementation activities, including readiness assessments, schedules, stakeholder communications, training logistics, feedback collection, and issue resolution. Partner with Change Management and business owners to make new ways of working clear, practical, and sustainable.
  • Measurement, Reporting, and Benefits Tracking
    • Support the definition of baselines, key performance indicators, adoption measures, and target outcomes. Partner with Operations Analytics, Data, and IT teams to gather and validate information, maintain dashboards and reporting, and identify performance trends. Track results after implementation and coordinate follow-up actions when adoption or outcomes are below target.
  • Program Standards and Continuous Improvement
    • Apply consistent Ops Ex program-management practices and contribute to the ongoing improvement of templates, tools, and playbooks. Capture lessons learned, maintain organized program documentation, and share effective practices across initiatives. Identify opportunities to simplify delivery, improve coordination, and strengthen the experience of operational stakeholders.
Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, STEM, Construction Management, or a related field required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
  • 3-5 years of experience in program management, project management, operations improvement, business transformation, management consulting, construction, or a related environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional programs or substantial workstreams through planning, execution, implementation, and performance tracking.
  • Strong program management fundamentals, including work planning, milestone and dependency management, risk and issue tracking, meeting facilitation, documentation, and status reporting.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare concise materials and communicate effectively with functional leaders, regional partners, and field teams.
  • Ability to influence, build relationships, and manage multiple stakeholders.
  • Willingness to dive into operational details while maintaining a strategic view.
  • Experience working with data, analytics, or technology teams on operational enablement.
  • Proficiency with program management and reporting tools such as Asana, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Power BI, or similar platforms preferred.
  • Experience in construction or another field-based, project-driven operating environment preferred.
Working Conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time; talk or hear; perform fine motor, hand and finger skills in the use of a keyboard, telephone, or writing. The employee is frequently required to stands; walk; and reach with arms and/or hands. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The employee will spend their time in an office environment with a quiet to moderate noise level. Job site walking.

Compensation Information

Where required by law, pay ranges can be found in Suffolk's job postings. Base Salary for this position is just one component of Suffolk’s total rewards package for employees. Actual salaries may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's skill set, experience, education and other qualifications. Suffolk offers a comprehensive benefits package as part of its overall total rewards strategy. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly to reflect market trends.

About Suffolk Construction Co Inc

Suffolk Construction is a privately held construction company founded in 1982 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company provides preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting services to clients in the healthcare, education, science and technology, commercial, and government sectors. Suffolk Construction has completed projects in 35 states and has offices in Florida, New York, Texas, and California. The company is known for its innovative use of technology in construction, including virtual reality and 3D printing.
Learn more about Suffolk Construction Co Inc
Size
5,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1982

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