Regional Director of Fleet Operations

Centuri Group, Inc.•Chicago, IL

3d•$150,000 - $180,000•Remote

About The Position

The Regional Director of Fleet Operations is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational performance, and financial optimization of the company’s fleet of vehicles and equipment supporting utility construction operations. This role oversees fleet acquisition, maintenance, compliance, lifecycle management, and vendor strategy to ensure safe, reliable, and cost effective asset availability across all operating regions. The Director partners closely with Construction Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, ESG, Safety, and IT to align fleet strategy with project demands, capital plans, and long term business objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, Transportation, or related field (or equivalent experience).
10+ years of fleet or equipment management experience, including leadership at a regional or national level.
Extensive experience with heavy equipment and vocational fleets (bucket trucks, digger derricks, cranes, line trucks, service bodies, trailers).
Strong knowledge of DOT/FMCSA regulations and fleet compliance requirements.
Proven experience managing large CapEx budgets and multi state operations.
Advanced vendor negotiation and contract management skills.
Pass pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion drug screens
Provide valid US work authorization documents for E-Verify
Satisfactory results of pre-employment background check results

Nice To Haves

Experience in utility or infrastructure construction environments preferred.
Familiarity with telematics platforms, maintenance systems, and Power BI or similar analytics tools preferred.
Experience supporting ESG initiatives, fuel transition strategies, or electrification pilots preferred.

Responsibilities

Fleet Strategy & Leadership
Develop and execute a comprehensive fleet strategy supporting transmission, distribution, gas, telecom, and related utility construction work.
Lead and mentor regional fleet managers, maintenance teams, and fleet support staff across multiple locations.
Establish fleet standards for vehicles, heavy equipment, tooling, upfitting, and specifications.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on uptime, utilization, cost efficiency, and safety.
Asset Lifecycle & Capital Planning
Own fleet lifecycle management from specification and acquisition through disposal.
Create and manage annual and long range CapEx and replacement plans aligned with business growth and project forecasts.
Evaluate lease vs. buy decisions, asset redeployment, and utilization optimization.
Partner with Finance on depreciation strategy, residual value management, and ROI analysis.
Maintenance & Reliability
Ensure effective preventive and corrective maintenance programs to maximize fleet availability and reliability.
Standardize maintenance practices, PM intervals, and inspection processes across all regions.
Oversee in house and third party maintenance programs, ensuring quality, cost control, and compliance.
Implement telematics and data driven insights to reduce downtime and improve asset performance.
Safety, Compliance & Risk Management
Ensure compliance with all DOT, FMCSA, OSHA, EPA, CARB, and applicable state and local regulations.
Oversee fleet safety programs including driver qualification, training, inspections, and accident management.
Partner with Safety and Risk Management on incident investigations, claims reduction, and corrective actions.
Ensure equipment certification, aerial device compliance, and jobsite readiness.
Vendor & Supply Chain Management
Lead OEM, dealer, upfitter, fuel, tire, and maintenance supplier relationships.
Negotiate pricing, service levels, warranties, and national agreements.
Collaborate with Supply Chain on sourcing strategies, lead time mitigation, and inventory controls.
Evaluate and onboard new technologies and vendors that improve fleet performance.
Technology, Data & ESG
Leverage telematics, maintenance systems, and ERP tools to drive visibility and performance measurement.
Establish KPIs and dashboards (uptime, utilization, cost per mile/hour, dormancy, emissions, safety).
Partner with ESG and Sustainability teams on emissions tracking, fuel strategy, and alternative energy pilots.
Support electrification and low emission initiatives where operationally feasible.