Vice President Operations

Vice President of Operations | Southern VT Residential Specialists: Future Path to COO

Our client seeks an exceptional operating leader to help build the next stage of a rapidly growing, privately owned plumbing, heating and HVAC company serving Southern Vermont. We are not looking for someone to simply maintain what already exists. We are looking for a builder: a leader who has already scaled a field-service business, knows how to develop managers, uses data to drive accountability, and can translate growth into durable profitability. The Vice President of Operations will partner directly with the Owner/CEO and assume broad responsibility for day-to-day operational performance. This leader will strengthen the management team, build scalable systems, improve execution and create the operating discipline required for substantial future growth.

The Mission

Build an operating organization capable of scaling the firm well beyond its current size while protecting culture, customer experience, quality and profitability. The successful leader will create a metrics-driven operating culture where managers own outcomes and the company can grow without adding unnecessary complexity.

What You Will Own

• Plumbing, heating and HVAC service operations
• Installation and project operations
• Service managers, field leadership and management accountability
• Dispatch, scheduling, capacity planning and workforce utilization
• Customer service, call-center performance and customer experience
• Operational recruiting, staffing and leadership development
• Technician and installer productivity, quality and callbacks
• Gross-margin performance, operational budgeting and departmental P&L accountability
• ServiceTitan utilization, dashboards, scorecards and operating reporting
• Membership and recurring-service execution
• Inventory, warehouse, purchasing, fleet and facility operations
• Safety, regulatory compliance, SOPs and quality-control systems
• Weekly, monthly and annual operating rhythms and execution of the company's operating plan

What Success Looks Like

• Build the operating system: Establish clear KPIs, scorecards, meeting rhythms and accountability across every major operating department.
• Develop leaders: Coach existing managers, strengthen the bench and build an organization where leaders own results rather than escalate routine decisions.
• Improve profitability: Identify operational leakage and improve labor efficiency, pricing execution, gross margin, capacity utilization and operating profit.
• Scale the business: Create systems that work at today's size and at substantially greater scale without sacrificing quality, culture or customer experience.
• Make ServiceTitan actionable: Ensure operating data is accurate, managers use it consistently and leadership can quickly see where performance is on or off plan.

The Executive We Want

We care more about demonstrated operating performance than title. Strong candidates will be able to show measurable results in a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, mechanical or home-services environment.

Required / Strongly Preferred Experience

• 10 years of progressive operational leadership experience
• Significant leadership experience in HVAC, plumbing, mechanical contracting, electrical or home services
• Full P&L responsibility and strong financial fluency
• Experience managing managers and field leaders, not only individual technicians
• Experience leading both service and installation operations
• Demonstrated ability to improve revenue, gross margin and EBITDA
• Experience operating a business or business unit substantially larger than our client’s firm is today
• Experience building operating systems, KPI scorecards and management cadence
• Proven ability to recruit, coach and retain high-performing leaders
• Strong understanding of dispatch, field-service economics, capacity planning and labor utilization
• High comfort level with technology, data and accountability
• Ability to operate effectively in an entrepreneurial, owner-led company
• Willingness to be highly visible in the field and throughout the organization

Highly Valued

• ServiceTitan experience
• Experience scaling a home-services company through significant organic growth
• Experience leading a $15M operating business or business unit
• Experience managing 40 employees and multiple departments or locations
• Experience with membership / recurring-revenue programs
• Experience implementing performance-based compensation and accountability systems
• Acquisition integration experience

The Leadership Profile

• Builder You enjoy creating the team, systems and infrastructure required for the next stage of growth.
• Accountable You own outcomes and create clear accountability around commitments.
• Analytical You understand the numbers and use operating data to make decisions.
• Hands-on You stay close enough to the work to know what is actually happening.
• Direct yet respectful You communicate clearly, address problems quickly and can lead experienced tradespeople effectively.
• Competitive yet humble You expect high standards without believing your title makes you the smartest person in the room.

Why Consider This Particular Firm?

This is an opportunity to join an independent company during a meaningful period of growth and have a direct impact on what it becomes. The company is actively investing in leadership, employees, technology, ServiceTitan, fleet, facilities, training, marketing, customer experience, recurring revenue and operating infrastructure. The right executive will work directly with ownership, have meaningful operating autonomy and have the opportunity to help build a significant New England home-services company. For an exceptional performer, there is meaningful long-term advancement potential.

Compensation, Benefits, Relocation

• $185,000-$215,000 base salary
• Substantial performance-based annual incentive
• Executive benefits package
• Company vehicle or executive vehicle allowance
• Health, dental and vision benefits
• Retirement plan and paid time off
• Relocation assistance available
• Long-term incentive opportunity for exceptional candidates

Location

This is primarily an on-site leadership position based in Southern Vermont. This is not intended to be a remote executive role; we believe exceptional field-service leadership requires visibility with the people doing the work.

How We Evaluate Candidates

Qualified candidates should be prepared to discuss the size and profitability of businesses they have led, P&L responsibility, team size, measurable revenue and EBITDA improvement, leaders they have developed, systems they have built and difficult organizational changes they have personally led. If you have already helped build a plumbing, HVAC, electrical or home-services company into a significantly larger and more profitable organization, we want to talk with you!