Vice President of Landfill Operations

Capital Waste Services LLC•Columbia, SC

11h•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President of Landfill Operations is an executive leader responsible for the strategic, operational, and financial performance of all landfill operations across the organization. Reporting to the COO, this role provides enterprise-level oversight of permitted facilities, ensuring safe operations, regulatory compliance, cost control, revenue optimization, and long-term asset sustainability. This position sets landfill strategy, drives operational excellence, and ensures alignment between landfill operations, hauling/division leadership, environmental compliance, and capital planning. The VP of Landfill is the senior authority for landfill performance, risk management, and regulatory readiness.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Operations Management, or related field.
10+ years of progressive landfill or environmental operations leadership experience.
5+ years in a senior management or executive role overseeing multiple landfill facilities.
Deep knowledge of landfill regulations, permitting, airspace management, and environmental compliance.
Strong P&L ownership and capital planning experience.
Proven ability to lead large, field-based teams in regulated environments.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or MBA.
Professional Engineer (PE) or similar certification.
Experience in waste management, environmental services, or vertically integrated disposal organizations.
M&A or landfill acquisition/start-up experience.
Advanced data, analytics, or operational reporting expertise.

Responsibilities

Lead all landfill operations across multiple sites, including municipal solid waste (MSW), C&D, and special waste facilities.
Establish and execute landfill strategy aligned with company growth, hauling needs, and long-range disposal capacity planning.
Serve as the executive point of accountability for landfill safety, performance, and compliance.
Partner closely with the COO on operational planning, budgeting, and system-wide optimization.
Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations governing landfill operations.
Oversee permit management, regulatory reporting, inspections, audits, and corrective action plans.
Partner with Environmental Compliance, Safety, and Legal teams to mitigate risk and maintain audit-ready operations.
Proactively manage relationships with regulatory agencies and local stakeholders.
Own landfill operating budgets, forecasting, and cost controls.
Drive revenue optimization through tipping fees, contracts, and volume management.
Oversee life cycle planning for landfill assets including cell development, airspace utilization, and closure/post-closure planning.
Collaborate with Finance on capital planning, depreciation, reserves, and long-term cost modeling.
Standardize operating procedures across all landfill sites.
Drive continuous improvement in safety, productivity, uptime, and equipment utilization.
Oversee heavy equipment operations, maintenance coordination, scale operations, and material flow efficiency.
Identify and implement operational best practices across facilities.
Coordinate with hauling, transfer station, and brokerage leadership to optimize waste flow and capacity utilization.
Partner with Sales and Commercial teams on landfill contracts, pricing strategy, and customer relationships.
Collaborate with HR on leadership development, staffing models, and workforce planning.
Support acquisitions through landfill due diligence, integration planning, and stabilization.
Lead and develop landfill managers, superintendents, and support leaders.
Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, and succession plans.
Foster a culture of safety, compliance, professionalism, and operational discipline.
Address performance, engagement, and retention challenges proactively.