JULY 2024CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM8IN MYOPINIONBy Julia Salgueiro, Director of Operations Technology, Preston CompaniesOPERATIONS TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENTI have a new and unique role in the construction industry. It is so new that we still do not have an industry-standard job title for it. Talk to anyone who does this role and ask them what they do for work. Watch them take a deep breath, glance to the sky, and give you their answer with a look of deep consideration (of how much time they have to spend explaining their role).When I was first approached about taking on this role by our COO in 2017, I had been transitioning back to a full-time schedule from maternity leave. My career in project management was very fulfilling, and I was very much looking forward to returning to work. "This is a need we have," he said, "pulling a strong PM out of managing work to train other PMs will raise the tide, thus bettering the whole company." I was then tasked with considering the COO's offer of stepping out of running projects as a project manager and moving into a support role. It was a tough decision to let go of something I was passionate about.After some consultation with contacts in a similar role at other construction firms, I created a job title and description for the position:Operations Technology ManagerOperations-Specific functions included:· Lead effort to establish project management standard procedures and practices; work with project executive teams to ensure understanding of compliance with established standards.· Mentor and train individuals on construction management practices and protocols (field and Julia Salgueiro
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