Chief Executive Officer - Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California - Livermore, CA

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Associated Builders and Contractors NorCal – Livermore, CA

Build and lead the merit shop’s voice in Northern California, strengthening contractors, expanding opportunity through apprenticeship programs, workforce development, and delivering practical value that members can feel.

“Our mission is simple: champion merit shop contractors, build pathways into the trades, and deliver real value to the members we serve, every day.”

Why this role matters

ABC NorCal strengthens the merit shop construction community through advocacy, workforce development, and practical member value. The CEO leads a pivotal chapter, bringing clarity, operational excellence, and confident external presence to an organization that supports contractors across Northern California.

This is a high-impact, mission-driven role for a steady, visible leader who enjoys building systems, developing people, and partnering with an engaged Board. You’ll have the opportunity to shape strategy, reset culture, strengthen key partnerships, and create measurable outcomes for member companies and the workforce they employ.

Candidates must live within commuting distance of the ABC NorCal office in Livermore, California, as this is a full-time, onsite role.

Compensation: $340–$360K with generous benefits, including 401K.

• Visible, values-led leadership: be the face of ABC NorCal to members, partners, and the broader construction community.
• Real leverage: lead a team and operating platform where disciplined execution quickly translates into member value.
• Meaningful impact: strengthen contractor success while expanding pathways into the trades through workforce development.
• Board partnership: work with committed volunteer leaders who want accountability, transparency, and progress.

Responsibilities

• Lead a member-first strengthening phase. Build trust with contractors and partners through consistent follow-through, responsiveness, and measurable value.
• Set direction and drive execution. Establish priorities, operating cadence, and success metrics; translate strategy into clear plans and ownership.
• Build operational discipline. Strengthen policies, procedures, and role clarity so the organization runs reliably and efficiently.
• Strengthen culture and performance. Coach leaders, raise expectations, celebrate wins, and address performance issues directly and fairly.
• Be a present, hands-on leader. Lead primarily in person; create a practical plan for team cohesion and collaboration.
• Navigate governance and stakeholders. Partner effectively with the Board and committees; build coalitions across chapter leaders, partners, and national; communicate clearly, including when the right answer is “no.”
• Lead across related entities. Bring clarity to decision rights and coordination across the chapter and affiliated training/benefit structures.
• Own financial stewardship. Lead budgeting and key financial decisions; ensure strong controls, transparent reporting, and clean audits.
• Operate effectively in the California environment. Stay current on labor, regulatory, and apprenticeship dynamics impacting merit shop contractors.
• Support retention and growth.
• Help deliver a member experience that earns renewals and attracts new contractors through relevant programs and relationships; as needed, support business development efforts that reinforce membership as a core revenue stream.

Qualifications

If you’re excited by this mission, but your experience doesn’t match every qualification, we encourage you to apply, especially if you’ve led change, built strong teams, and delivered results in complex, stakeholder-driven environments.

Required

• Executive leadership experience with a track record of change management and operational improvement in complex environments, paired with humility, sound judgment, and an adaptable leadership style.
• Mission alignment with ABC NorCal’s member-centric purpose and the merit shop/open shop model.
• Readiness to operate in California’s labor/regulatory context; informed perspective on issues impacting merit shop contractors.
• Construction industry familiarity and credibility with contractor audiences (not required to be a tradesperson).
• Experience leading or working closely with member-based, nonprofit, or board-governed organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to set expectations, hold teams accountable, and make tough calls with clear, direct communication, including saying “no,” explaining tradeoffs, and outlining a path forward.
• Strong operational leadership: process building, role clarity, KPI/scorecard thinking, and creating consistent operating rhythm.
• P&L management experience and comfort partnering through audits, controls, and financial decision tradeoffs.
• Experience working with Boards/committees and navigating stakeholder complexity with professionalism and composure.
• Commitment to visible, primarily in-person leadership and team cohesion.
• Candidates must live within commuting distance of Livermore, California, as this position is full-time on-site and in person.

Preferred, but not Required

• Experience leading across multiple related entities or complex asset/governance structures (including trust participation).
• Exposure to workforce development/apprenticeship programs in compliance-heavy environments.
• Familiarity with government affairs, coalition-building, and relationship-driven influence across partners (not required to be a lobbyist).
• Deeper accounting/finance background or experience improving financial controls and reporting.
• Established Northern California network within construction, workforce, or business community.

What you’ll achieve

• Strengthen operations and create a clear, repeatable operating system for the organization.
• Rebuild member trust and satisfaction through consistent delivery and transparent communication.
• Improve team engagement and performance with clear expectations, coaching, and accountability.
• Create strong alignment across the chapter and related training/benefit structures, with clear decision rights and coordination.
• Strengthen financial stewardship and reporting, supporting successful audits and confident Board oversight.
• Position ABC NorCal for sustainable membership growth and long-term influence in the California construction landscape.

Procedure for applying

To apply or see our other positions available, please submit a resume and brief cover letter describing your alignment with the mission and a period of organizational change/renewal you led.

If our current open positions are not the right fit for you and you would like us to share relevant opportunities, please send your resume and a brief cover letter to info@AcumenExecutiveSearch.com.

All inquiries and submissions will be handled confidentially.

About Acumen

Established in 2007, Acumen Executive Search is a three-time recipient of the Portland Business Journal’s Most Admired award and is recognized as the leading certified woman-owned Executive Search Partner in the Pacific Northwest with a global clientele. We deliver high-impact results and more than double the average retention rates while nurturing genuine long-term relationships. Acumen works shoulder-to-shoulder with our clients to provide customized, meaningful, and proven leadership solutions that empower organizational success.

Keywords

CEO, Executive Director, President, COO, CFO, executive leadership, association leadership, nonprofit leadership, member-driven organization, construction, trades, building, electrical, HVAC, merit shop, open shop, government advocacy, Northern California, change management, operations, organizational strengthening, governance, board partnership, board management, board development, P&L, financial acumen, budgeting, audit, workforce development, apprenticeship, stakeholder management, culture building, accountability, business development, membership growth, complex structures, training, trusts