Area Construction Manager - Meritage Homes Corporation

Meritage Homes is seeking an experienced Area Construction Manager.  This person will manage new home construction for an assigned area, ensuring homes are delivered according to specified cycle time, within allotted budgets, and achieve division and company customer satisfaction goals.  This person will manage Construction personnel through implementation and oversight of systems and procedures.

FUNDAMENTAL JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Personnel Management

• Recruit, interview, and hire area construction personnel utilizing Meritage Homes Standard Operation Procedures.
• Ensure the thorough training of all area construction personnel, i.e. technical training; scopes-of-work, warranty specifications, and customer satisfaction.
• Continually assess the educational needs of construction personnel and provide internal or external training as necessary.
• Conduct quarterly Growth Reviews with Construction Managers; set goals.
• Resolve any employee questions or issues; handle performance problems as necessary.
• Generate and monitor monthly management reports reflecting pertinent employee data, i.e. Customer satisfaction, cycle time, quality inspections, budgets, etc.
• Meet with Construction Managers, Project Managers and Customer Care to discuss pertinent issues and maintain open communication.
• Establish and maintain a career path system for Construction to promote growth opportunities.
• Make determinations and set criteria on financial incentives to be given to construction personnel.
• Handle personnel terminations, (after reviewing information with management).

Plans and Designs

• Continually review and value engineer plans; make recommendations for improvements/changes.
• Work with all departments, as necessary, to produce plans and specifications within established time frames.
• Review and ensure the accuracy, completeness of all plans. Standardize all plans to the highest
  extent possible.

Start Process

• Monitor construction activity to ensure homes are started within the established parameters for both pre-sold and showcase homes.
• Track and monitor Accounting Release process and performance.
• Monitor the Start Status Report and recommend priorities.
• Release homes per established slotting schedule to ensure proper sequencing of starts and closings.

Scheduling

• Monitor the construction personnel's use of the weekly schedule to maximize utilization across the Area/Division.
• Continually evaluate the effectiveness of the schedule and make recommendations for improvements.
• Maintain a master schedule and weekly production report for key phases of construction to ensure contractor availability and even flow construction.
• Monitor cycle time to ensure division goals for building cycle time are met.

Construction and Warranty Costs

• Establish General Construction and Weather Conditions budgets.
• Monitor hard costs for adherence to budget.
• Monitor budgets for variances and approve/disapprove all cost variances.
• Provide input on the creation of all budgets.
• Ensure Construction personnel document and properly communicate variance data in order to identify take-off and budget problems.
• Summarize and chart variance data provided by Construction personnel; provide feedback to
  management regarding ways to eliminate or minimize problems.
• Ensure job site waste is properly controlled.
• Communicate Key Performance Measures and cost information and the role the Construction
  Managers have in impacting these factors.
• Continually develop and solicit feedback to determine ways to execute all functions more efficiently to improve overall margins of the Division.
• Capture Warranty costs by item to identify areas for improvement.

Quality Assurance

• Establish and enforce quality standards for materials, workmanship and final product.
• Conduct periodic inspections of all homes under construction in assigned area; inspect all aspects of construction including foundation, framing, stucco installations, electrical, plumbing, etc.
• Review quarterly Avid surveys for actionable items and trends; initiate procedures to resolve
  issues to improve customer satisfaction.
• Monitor adherence to all phases of the established quality control system; i.e. in-line inspections, final management quality standards inspection.
• Ensure quality is built into each home in order to minimize warranty issues.
• Work with the Purchasing Department to establish quality standards for materials.
• Assist in the resolution of any construction quality issues, which become apparent during the
  construction and warranty period.
• Ensure procedures for water intrusion and mold remediation are adhered to.

Community Management

• Ensure Construction Managers maintain the established standards for the community regarding
  cleanliness, safety and appearance, i.e. accessibility to homes, erosion control, street cleaning, etc.
• Ensure all trade partners and employees fully comply with OSHA Regulations and Meritage safety program.
• Ensure Construction Managers enforce all job site rules and regulations as stated in contractor
  agreements.
• Ensure field compliance with the community SWPPP
• Ensure show homes are completed and turned over to sales within established cycle time and are maintained in accordance with division standards.

Trade Partner Management

• Ensure all construction personnel maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between trade partners and the division.
• Ensure a complete Scope of Work is provided to and reviewed with each trade partner.
• Ensure new trade partners receive proper training in all division policies and procedures.
• Provide support to Construction personnel regarding the resolution of trade partner conflicts; make final decisions regarding resolution of issues, when necessary.
• Solicit feedback from contractors on areas for improvement and ways to strengthen the
  division/contractor relationship.
• Ensure all trade partners are under contract and are current with all insurance requirements.
• Establish a system to measure trade partners' performance with regards to quality workmanship, on cycle completion and other standards set for new home construction.

Customer Satisfaction

• Ensure Construction Managers promptly and courteously respond to all customer questions and
  concerns.
• Resolve any homeowner issues during the construction and warranty process, which cannot be
  effectively handled by the Construction Manager.
• Review homeowner survey results with respect to the construction process; implement changes or improvements where necessary.
• Ensure all homeowner contact points, i.e., pre-construction meetings, pre-drywall meetings, homeowner orientations, are conducted according to established procedures.
• Communicate to Construction personnel the customer satisfaction process and the role they play in that process.
• Ensure all elements of the Homeowner's Manual are being properly communicated to homeowners; ensure accurate expectations are set with the homeowner for new home maintenance versus warranty items.
• Work with the Area Customer Care Manager to analyze data regarding recurring warranty problems; implement changes to minimize or eliminate concerns.

Construction Management Planning

• Plan for ways to anticipate and deal with problems or recurring issues in an ongoing effort to minimize crisis management.
• Use a Manning or Staffing plan to determine Construction personnel capacities, location of field staff, and future hiring needs based on projected sales and growth levels.

Experience:

• Five (5) years experience in homebuilding. A portion of the experience qualifications may be substituted
  by a degree in Construction Management.
• Two (2) years of experience managing Construction personnel on multiple job sites.

Knowledge/Technical Skills:

• Advanced training in one or more trades, strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of homebuilding and construction systems/processes, building codes, and Register of Contractor Standards (ROC).
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints and other construction plans.
• Good computer skills; proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Interpersonal/Communication Skills:

• Strong Communication, Interpersonal, and Customer Service skills
• Ability to explain complex issues in a manner easily understood by industry personnel and customers with limited knowledge of construction processes or terminology
• Ability to work with contractors, laborers, employees at all levels, and customers with a high degree of professionalism
• Excellent problem/conflict resolution skills; ability to influence others and manage conflict in a positive manner
• Strong leadership skills; ability to set priorities, delegate tasks, train and mentor Construction Managers

Are you looking for an incredible career opportunity? Then Meritage Homes is the place for you!  From the homes we build to the careers we offer, we believe in quality.   Meritage Homes is the ENERGY STAR® Partner of The Year in Sustained Excellence for being a leader in protecting the environment and advancing energy efficiency in homebuilding. We are looking for candidates who are excited about furthering their careers, as well as being a part of an organization that helps people live happier, healthier lives.  With over 100,000 homes built, Meritage Homes is looking for professionals who are self-starters and want to help our organization grow by providing new and innovative ideas. 

When joining Meritage Homes, you and your career can benefit in several ways, including:

• A work environment that encourages creativity and innovative ideas from every level
• An organization that lives by its core values everyday
• Team atmosphere where every individual is considered a vital asset
• State of the art technology to provide an optimal working environment
• A competitive pay structure
• Strong benefits
• Flexibility in work-life integration
• Team-oriented environment where all individuals play an integral role in the company
• Opportunity to further your career in a growing national organization
• Maintain a competitive drive to be the best

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