Portfolio CEO: High End Painting and Restoration Business

Portfolio CEO: High End Painting and Restoration Business

Have you spent your career leading in the home services or restoration trades? Have you held a P&L, managed crews, and built a reputation for quality that customers and referral partners trust? Do you hold a California Class B General Contractor license, or are you prepared to earn one? Are you ready to step into the CEO role of an established business with deep customer roots and a clear runway for growth?

ABOUT AMERICAN OPERATOR

American Operator exists to keep the American Dream alive through small business leadership and ownership. We place experienced operators into businesses of retiring owners who want their life's work placed in capable, values driven hands. Our mission is to ensure great businesses stay local, stay strong, and stay in the hands of leaders who care.

Operators who partner with us step into the CEO role of an established Main Street business, backed by hands on support, strategic guidance, and a community of peers. This is not a solo endeavor. American Operator is your partner from day one, investing in your success as you invest in the business. Over time, operators follow a clear pathway to earn significant equity in the business they lead.

THE ROLE

American Operator is hiring a CEO to lead an established home services and restoration business in the Los Angeles metro area. The company has built its reputation over roughly two decades through painting and restoration work, serving both insurance referral partners and a long standing base of private residential clients. The business runs with a tenured, loyal field team and a long serving field operations supervisor who will remain with the business through the transition and beyond.

As CEO, you will have full P&L responsibility and lead the business through a leadership transition from the retiring founder. This is a business leadership role, not a project management role. You will be leading the people who run the work, preserving the quality and reputation that define the business, and building the systems, relationships, and growth channels that will carry the company into its next chapter.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Earn the trust and partnership of the long tenured field operations supervisor and the broader crew during your first 90 days on the ground. Preserve the craft quality and customer reputation that the business has built over decades. Own the P&L. Build working relationships with the insurance referral partners and private clients who drive the business today. Put in place the job pipeline, revenue cycle, and financial reporting systems that move the business beyond its current owner dependent state. Grow the business through expanded referral partnerships, targeted business development into the residential market, and increased utilization of the company's existing capabilities. Hold or earn the California Class B General Contractor license within the first 6 months of stepping into the role.

WHO YOU ARE

You have built your career in home services, restoration, or a related trades business and have grown into the business leadership seat. You currently hold a California Class B General Contractor license, or you have the experience and credentials to earn one within your first year. You have run a P&L as a general manager, vice president, division leader, or owner operator of a residential or commercial services business. You understand margin mechanics, the cash flow dynamics of a project driven business, and how to partner with a controller or bookkeeper. You have managed tenured crews and earned their respect through credibility, not just title. You are known for quality standards and you believe that reputation is the most valuable asset a services business can hold. You are ready to relocate to the Los Angeles metro area if you are not already here.

WHAT YOU HAVE DONE

You have held a P&L owning leadership role at a home services, restoration, painting, or related trades business. You have built and maintained referral relationships with insurance carriers, adjusters, property managers, or other channel partners that drive recurring work. You have delivered work for discerning private clients where quality, discretion, and personal relationships matter more than lowest bid. You have hired, coached, retained, and when necessary released tradespeople and field leaders. You have navigated California contracting, labor, and environmental compliance requirements.

WHAT SETS YOU APART

A California C-33 Painting and Decorating Contractor License. Direct experience running a painting or restoration business. A track record of growing referral partner channels, whether with insurance carriers, property managers, or high end residential clients. Experience leading a business through a founder transition.

COMPENSATION

Base salary of $175,000 per year. The compensation package also includes distributions, performance bonuses, and equity that grows based on your ability to drive results, with the potential to become a significant owner of the business you lead over time.

LOCATION

This opportunity is located in the Los Angeles, CA metro area. Relocation will be required if you are not currently in the metro area. The exact location will be shared during the interview process.

Ready to lead the next chapter?

Before you apply, we encourage you to visit americanoperator.com to learn more about who we are, how we work, and what our operators have to say about the experience. When you are ready, apply today to start the conversation.