Director, Operations IS

Heritage - Crystal Clean LLC•Signal Hill, CA

About The Position

This role provides full operational oversight for multiple regions or business units, with accountability for profit and loss (P&L), revenue growth, margin performance, and cost control. The Director, Operations will lead annual operating plans, budgets, forecasts, and long-term strategic initiatives in alignment with company objectives. This position drives operational consistency, standardization, and best practices across all locations, and ensures effective deployment and utilization of capital assets, fleet, and labor resources across regions. The role also champions a strong, visible safety culture and ensures adherence to all Patriot Health & Safety programs, DOT requirements, and environmental compliance standards. The Director will maintain expert-level knowledge of federal, state, and local hazardous waste regulations and ensure all operations are audit-ready. They will partner with EHS and Compliance leaders to proactively identify operational risks and implement corrective actions. Furthermore, this role involves leading, mentoring, and developing Area Managers and senior operational leaders, building a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline. It ensures consistent performance management, coaching, and accountability across regions, and makes key hiring, promotion, and termination decisions in partnership with HR. The Director will model leadership behaviors that reinforce integrity, accountability, and collaboration. In addition, this position partners with Sales and executive leadership to support strategic growth initiatives, including major pursuits, pricing strategy, and large or complex proposals. The Director will maintain executive-level relationships with key customers and ensure resolution of escalated issues, and evaluate market opportunities, operational scalability, and potential acquisitions or expansions. Finally, the role provides executive oversight for complex, high-risk, or high-value projects, ensuring strong project controls, including schedule adherence, budget control, and disciplined change order management, and reviews regional performance metrics and drives continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in environmental services, hazardous waste, remediation, or related industrial operations
10+ years of direct P&L leadership with multi-location or multi-region responsibility
Deep knowledge of environmental, DOT, and safety regulations
Proven success leading large, geographically dispersed teams
Experience partnering with executive leadership on strategy and growth initiatives

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced professional certifications (PG, PE, CHMM, etc.) strongly preferred
Executive-level leadership presence and decision-making capability
Strong strategic and financial acumen
Ability to drive alignment across regions and functions
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
Results-driven with a continuous improvement mindset
High level of integrity, accountability, and professionalism

Responsibilities

Provides full operational oversight for multiple regions or business units, with accountability for profit and loss (P&L), revenue growth, margin performance, and cost control.
Leads annual operating plans, budgets, forecasts, and long-term strategic initiatives in alignment with company objectives.
Drives operational consistency, standardization, and best practices across all locations.
Ensures effective deployment and utilization of capital assets, fleet, and labor resources across regions.
Champions a strong, visible safety culture and ensures adherence to all Patriot Health & Safety programs, DOT requirements, and environmental compliance standards.
Maintains expert-level knowledge of federal, state, and local hazardous waste regulations and ensures all operations are audit-ready.
Partners with EHS and Compliance leaders to proactively identify operational risks and implement corrective actions.
Leads, mentors, and develops Area Managers and senior operational leaders; builds a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline.
Ensures consistent performance management, coaching, and accountability across regions.
Makes key hiring, promotion, and termination decisions in partnership with HR.
Models leadership behaviors that reinforce integrity, accountability, and collaboration.
Partners with Sales and executive leadership to support strategic growth initiatives, including major pursuits, pricing strategy, and large or complex proposals.
Maintains executive-level relationships with key customers and ensures resolution of escalated issues.
Evaluates market opportunities, operational scalability, and potential acquisitions or expansions.
Provides executive oversight for complex, high-risk, or high-value projects.
Ensures strong project controls, including schedule adherence, budget control, and disciplined change order management.
Reviews regional performance metrics and drives continuous improvement initiatives.