Construction executive search is the retained or engaged recruitment of leadership for construction companies: vice presidents of operations, preconstruction executives, division managers, chief estimators, and C-suite roles. Amundson Group is a veteran-owned executive search firm that works exclusively in construction. We have made over 1,200 placements, including 1,200+ construction placements, with a median time to fill of about 38 days.
When a construction company needs executive search
Most construction hires do not need a retained search. You need one when the role steers revenue or risk: a VP of Operations who owns delivery across multiple project teams, a preconstruction executive who decides what you bid and at what margin, a division leader opening a new market, or a chief estimator whose numbers make or break the year. These searches fail quietly when they are run like job postings. The people you want are employed, winning work, and not reading job boards.
What sets a construction-only search firm apart
Generalist executive search firms such as Heidrick and Struggles or Korn Ferry run strong processes across every industry. Construction is not their focus, and it shows in the details that decide these hires: whether a candidate has taken projects from dirt work through vertical, how they run buyout, what self-perform actually means on their resume, and which contractors in a market are quietly shedding leadership. Amundson Group recruiters work construction searches every day. Our network holds more than 90,000 construction professionals, built through placements, not list purchases.
Roles we place
Vice President of Operations, Director of Preconstruction, Chief Estimator, Division Manager, General Manager, Area Manager, Director of Field Operations, and senior Project Executives. Sector coverage includes heavy civil, water and wastewater, utility construction, sitework and earthwork, and commercial general contracting. See our dedicated pages for VP of Operations searches and preconstruction executive search.
How an Amundson Group search runs
Week one is calibration: the role scorecard, a compensation reality check against our placement data, and a mapped target list of companies and names. Weeks two through four are outreach and vetting, with references checked against people who have actually worked with the candidate. Most searches present a qualified shortlist inside three weeks, and our median time to fill across all roles is about 38 days. You deal with one senior recruiter, not a research pool.
What it costs
Engaged and contingent options, with fees as a percentage of first-year compensation. Full details on our fees page. If a search is not the right tool for your hire, we will say so on the first call.
Frequently asked questions
How is Amundson Group different from Heidrick and Struggles or Korn Ferry for construction roles?
Those firms are excellent generalists. We are construction only: every recruiter, every search, every reference network. For construction leadership below the Fortune 500 C-suite, a specialist typically moves faster and sees candidates the generalists do not. We keep an honest comparison at alternatives to Heidrick and Struggles for construction.
How long does a construction executive search take?
Our median time to fill is about 38 days across all placements. Executive searches trend slightly longer; a realistic window is 30 to 60 days from kickoff to accepted offer.
Do you work retained or contingent?
Both, matched to the role. Leadership searches usually run engaged so the search gets dedicated hours. Fee structures are on the fees page.
What data do you bring on compensation?
Desk-sourced salary bands, published in our 2026 construction salary hub and the quarterly labor market report our clients quote in board decks.
Start a confidential search or call (832) 558-7982. If the fit is wrong, we will tell you in the first fifteen minutes.