Vice President, Fire Equipment Division

W S DARLEY & CO•Itasca, IL

6h•$150,000 - $175,000•Onsite

About The Position

W.S. Darley & Co is seeking a Vice President for our Fire Equipment Division to join our Team! The Vice President, Fire Equipment provides strategic leadership, sales leadership and full operational oversight to ensure the long-term success, growth, and profitability of Darley’s Fire Equipment business. This leader holds full P&L responsibility, driving financial performance while setting and executing clear strategic vision for the division. In this role, the Vice President delivers decisive leadership across sales, operations, people leadership, customer engagement, and vendor relations. They foster strong credibility with internal teams, Darley Executive Leadership team, external partners, the Fire Advisory Board, and other state and local agencies. They work closely with the President and Chief Executive Officer to set, communicate and implement goals that align with the organization’s mission, vision, and overall direction, while scaling talent and organizational capabilities to support sustainable growth. The leader establishes an environment that emphasizes rigorous execution, advanced planning, options-based decision making, and high-performance standards. Onboarding of new teammates, training and skill development, career coaching and mentorship will be a priority. Leveraging deep experience in the Fire market, the Vice President builds trusted relationships, ensures operational excellence, and positions the division as a customer/supplier-focused organization that is a direct support enabler for their missions. This role is accountable for driving strategic results, strengthening market position, and championing a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Ideal candidates will be able to balance responsibilities in running sales for the division while also providing strategic leadership. They will also be agile and able to execute while scaling the business. About W.S. Darley & Co: Founded in 1908, W.S. Darley & Co. (Darley) remains a family owned and operated business, supplying the highest quality equipment solutions to its military and first responder customers. With origins in the equipment distribution and Midwest manufacturing, Darley offers a family of leading innovate emergency equipment brands and innovative solutions. Darley prides itself on delivering the highest quality solutions and services from its corporate headquarters in Itasca, IL and its’ ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing operations in Chippewa Falls, WI and Janesville, IA. Darley Defense, a division of the W.S. Darley company, specializes in using existing contracts to distribute products and services to the Federal Government. Darley Defense specializes in special operational equipment and fire and emergency services.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing or related field (MBA preferred) or requisite experience
10+ years of progressive experience in the fire service industry, industrial sales, or related industries, with at least 5 years in senior sales leadership role
Proven track record of success in managing large sales territories and meeting or exceeding multimillion dollar quotas
Advanced experience with CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce) and data analytics (e.g. Power BI) to drive decision making
Experience in e-commerce strategy
Deep understanding of government contracting, municipal acquisition processes, and ISO 9001 standards.
Exceptional public speaking and negotiation skills with ability to represent Darley at national trade shows and industry events
Strategic mind-set with hands-on capability
Strong communication and leadership skills
Ability to manage complex multi-division environments
Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.

Nice To Haves

Active or retired firefighting experience is highly preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of the Fire Equipment strategy and market strategy, ensuring it aligns with enterprise-wide goals.
Set clear priorities and translate strategic direction into actionable plans that drive growth, operational excellence, and competitive positioning.
Collaborate effectively with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).
Own and manage the full P&L for the Fire Equipment Division, delivering strong financial performance through disciplined planning, forecasting, and resource allocation.
Drive revenue growth, margin improvement, and operational efficiency while ensuring financial transparency and accountability across the division.
Ensure people and organizational plans are implemented to create clarity in roles, responsibilities, and decision rights throughout the division.
Attract, decide to hire, develop, and retain top-tier talent; build bench strength; and keep succession, capability-building, and leadership development at the forefront.
Ensure fair, data-driven, and strategically aligned performance and compensation plans are established that incentivize individuals to their highest performance, motivates teamwork within the teams, and the Division, drives accountability, rewards high performance, and supports retention of top talent.
Foster a culture that emphasizes learning, professional development, and continuous improvement and recognition of spectacular efforts/results.
Plan and architect the Division’s go-to-market strategy that is aligned with broader company objectives.
Strengthen and lead an integrated Sales and Marketing function to understand market opportunities; direct the Marketing resources in driving brand awareness and connect financial outcomes to marketing effort.
Lead daily operations of the division.
Identify, monitor, and manage business risks, including modernized acquisition readiness, cost/pricing risks, and revenue concentration risk.
Analyze sales data and CRM metrics to provide accurate forecasting and market insights to the executive leadership team using Salesforce platform.
Stay current on industry trends, NFPA standards, and emerging technologies to position Darley as a market leader.
Establish and lead a disciplined process for evaluating new business opportunities, setting strategic bets with clear success criteria.
Ensure company meets contractual obligations
You will lead the national sales team, manage high-level distributor and OEM relationships, and drive revenue growth across municipal and industrial sectors.
Build and maintain high-credibility relationships with key fire service influencers and decision—makers at the municipal and state levels.
Represent Darley’s Fire Equipment Division as a trusted leader in the fire market, leveraging industry expertise and executive presence to strengthen partnerships and drive long-term growth.