Operations Manager - Electrical Testing Group

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering (WM) is a 100% employee-owned ESOP and one of the largest and most well-established engineering companies in the United States. When you join WM you become part of a company that is:

• 100% employee-owned with 40+ years of industry history
• ENR (Engineering News Record) Top 500 firm
• Rated as a top System Integrator Giant

Wunderlich-Malec’s Electrical Testing Group (ETG) is expanding — and we’re seeking an entrepreneurial Operations Manager to lead our newest regional location from the ground up. This position combines operational leadership with entrepreneurial drive — serving as both Integrator and Builder of a new ETG Business Unit. You’ll take ownership of day-to-day execution, lead a growing technical team, manage P&L objectives, and work side‑by‑side with ETG leadership to bring our proven business model to a new region.

This is a rare opportunity to see a business evolve from Infancy → Growth → Maturity — with your leadership at the center of that transformation.

• Operational Leadership & Execution:
  Faithfully execute the ETG business plan — achieving or exceeding P&L, revenue, and performance goals.
• Lead all regional operations including scheduling, resource planning, quality assurance, safety, and project delivery.
• Implement and maintain ETG’s operating systems, testing standards, and documentation processes.
• Manage field operations for protective relaying, SCADA, and IEC 61850 systems commissioning.
• Ensure alignment between technical execution and business objectives — balancing efficiency, quality, and profitability.
• Integration & Team Alignment:
  Integrate all major functions of the local ETG operation — ensuring everyone is rowing in the same direction.
• Lead, manage, and hold team members accountable for results and commitments.
• Build and nurture a healthy, functional, and cohesive leadership team under the EOS framework.
• Resolve issues effectively: identify root causes, address conflict constructively, and drive solutions to completion.
• Business Unit Development:
  Build the BU from the ground up — recruiting, training, and developing a skilled team of field engineers and technicians; establish vendor partnerships and client relationships within the region; drive growth through operational excellence, local market development, and client satisfaction; create and maintain structure and process as the BU transitions from startup to sustainable operation.
• Vision &
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Collaborate closely with the ETG Visionary and National Leadership Team to ensure clear direction and alignment; translate vision into actionable, measurable goals; maintain a strong, respectful partnership with ETG leadership—ensuring ideas are filtered, prioritized, and implemented effectively; ensure that key messages and decisions are properly cascaded across the team so that everyone is informed, aligned, and focused.
• Systems, Structure, and Process:
  Operate within ETG’s EOS framework: own the scorecard, lead local L10s, and manage to defined KPIs; ensure consistency in how core processes are followed, documented, and improved; demonstrate strong project management discipline and operational consistency; uphold ETG’s values of safety, integrity, quality, and innovation in every aspect of operations.

• Establish the foundation: hire key staff, build client relationships, deliver first projects successfully, and drive the BU toward break-even.

• Transition into the Growth Phase: solid team structure, sustainable backlog, and strong client confidence.
• Local L10s running consistently, scorecard metrics trending upward, and P&L tracking toward profitability by month 12.

• The BU is Mature: operating as a profitable, independently functioning unit within the national ETG network, recognized for its technical quality and reliability.

• 7+ years in power systems testing, commissioning, or utility operations.
• Proven leadership experience managing people, budgets, and project delivery.
• Strong understanding of protective relaying, automation, and SCADA systems.
• Entrepreneurial mindset — thrives in building structure…