VP of Project Management

CLIENT SUMMARY

Founded in 1943, Hardy Corporation is a long-standing, market-leading commercial mechanical contractor headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. With approximately 200 employees, Hardy specializes in HVAC and plumbing systems for commercial construction projects, serving a strong and loyal client base across Alabama with selective travel for key relationships. For over 80 years, Hardy has built its reputation on delivering high-quality mechanical systems while maintaining a culture rooted in trust, work ethic, and teamwork. The company exists to “build environments where people thrive,” reflecting a commitment not only to the built environment but to its employees, clients, and partners. Hardy operates as a highly respected subcontractor within the commercial construction ecosystem, partnering closely with general contractors and owners to deliver complex mechanical systems. The company’s capabilities span preconstruction, project management, field execution, and service—allowing Hardy to maintain control over quality, schedule, and client outcomes. At its core, Hardy’s longevity has been driven by consistency, relationships, and execution. However, the company is now at a pivotal inflection point—balancing its legacy foundation with a forward-looking investment in systems, leadership, and operational maturity.

Over the past several years, Hardy has experienced significant growth with continued momentum ahead. This growth has created both opportunity and strain, particularly within project management, where increased scale is outpacing existing systems and processes. Employees describe Hardy as a company that has evolved meaningfully in recent years. While historically more legacy-oriented, the organization is actively investing in its culture, leadership, and employee experience—introducing new initiatives around team engagement, communication, and development. Leadership, led by President Warren Stewart and CEO Kevin Cordell, is intentionally strengthening the company’s operational foundation seeking to improve consistency, accountability, and financial predictability without losing the relational, people-first culture that has defined Hardy for decades. Hardy’s culture is anchored in three core values: Trustworthy. Positive Work Ethic. Team Player. These values are deeply ingrained and widely respected across the organization, serving as the foundation for how employees interact, how work gets done, and how the company shows up to its clients. As Hardy continues to scale, the company is making a deliberate investment in leadership and structure, recognizing the need to evolve from relationship- and individual-driven execution to more standardized, scalable operations.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

Hardy Corporation is seeking a Vice President or Director of Project Management to lead and mature the company’s project management function across its growing portfolio of commercial mechanical work. This role is central to improving operational consistency, financial performance, and client experience—while helping the organization successfully transition into its next phase of growth. As the leader of project management, you will oversee a team of approximately 10 Project Managers and Assistant Project Managers, driving accountability across job cost control, billing, collections, forecasting, and overall project execution. Reporting directly to President Warren Stewart, this individual will serve as the critical connector between field operations, project management, finance, and client relationships—ensuring alignment across all aspects of project delivery. Just as importantly, this role is not simply a functional leader—it is a change agent. Hardy is evolving, and this leader will play a key role in introducing process rigor, standardization, and accountability into the PM function—without disrupting the company’s culture or alienating existing team members. This is a unique opportunity to step into a high-impact leadership role within a well-established company at an inflection point. The VP/Director of Project Management will help define how projects are executed at scale—improving predictability, strengthening margins, and elevating both internal and external relationships. For the right leader, this role offers growth opportunities as the company continues to expand

POSITION KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and Develop the Project Management Team – Provide leadership, structure, and accountability to a team of PMs and APMs, elevating performance while building consistency across the group.
• Own Job Cost Control, Billing & Collections Discipline – Drive rigor around financial management of projects, including cost tracking, billing accuracy, collections, and profitability.
• Standardize PM Processes and Operating Rhythms – Implement consistent systems, tools, and expectations across the PM function to replace variability with repeatable execution.
• Bridge Field Operations and Project Management – Improve alignment and communication between field teams and PMs, reducing friction and improving execution outcomes.
• Strengthen Client Relationships & Experience – Elevate the professionalism and consistency of client interactions, increasing repeat business and long-term partnerships.
• Drive Business Development & Revenue Growth – Actively contribute to business development efforts by building and maintaining relationships with key general contractors, identifying new project opportunities, supporting pursuit strategies, and helping convert existing relationships into repeat and expanded work.
• Drive Forecasting Accuracy & Financial Predictability – Improve visibility into project performance through better projections, financial discipline, and proactive issue identification.
• Serve as Escalation Point for Projects – Step in on critical issues related to clients, schedules, or financial performance to protect outcomes and relationships.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE NEEDED

Education & Experience

• 15 years of experience in construction project management, ideally within mechanical contracting or related commercial construction environments
• 5 years of experience leading and developing project management teams
• Experience in building and maintaining strong customer and client relationships
• Strong background in job cost accounting, billing, collections, and financial oversight of projects
• Experience working directly with general contractors and maintaining client relationships
• Proven ability to operate within a growing organization and help scale teams and processes
• Bachelor’s degree in a business, engineering, construction management or technical field preferred

Skills & Traits

• Strong financial acumen with the ability to drive accountability around project performance
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Ability to balance big-picture leadership with hands-on involvement in projects
• Change agent mindset—capable of introducing structure without disrupting culture
• High emotional intelligence and strong communication skills across all levels of the organization
• Ability to lead through influence, not just authority
• Organized, disciplined, and process-oriented
• Professional presence with strong client-facing credibility
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment