Compost Crew- VP of Operations

Sandbox•Rockville, MD

4d•$145,000 - $155,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Compost Crew is a high-growth organics recycling business based near Washington, D.C., dedicated to eliminating food waste and revitalizing soil health through convenient and affordable composting services. Today, we serve thousands of homes, businesses, communities, and government organizations across Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, diverting tens of millions of pounds of food waste from landfills each year. Compost Crew is entering an exciting new phase of growth as we continue building a more sustainable future and scaling our impact across the region. At Compost Crew, operational excellence and environmental impact go hand in hand. Every route completed, every customer served, and every process improved contributes directly to creating healthier communities and reducing waste. We're looking for a hands-on, results-driven, and entrepreneurial operations leader to build and scale the operational foundation that supports Compost Crew's next phase of growth. This is not a maintenance role. We're looking for someone who enjoys building systems, solving operational complexity, and creating repeatable playbooks that can support future growth and scalability. This role balances strategic leadership with day-to-day operational ownership. You’ll be responsible for managing multiple locations, driving operational efficiency, maintaining a strong safety culture, and ensuring the organization can continue scaling while delivering an exceptional customer experience. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role will be responsible for: Operations Leadership, Execution & Strategy Lead daily operations across collections, hauling, facilities, inventory, and fleet management Ensure operations consistently meet customer demand while driving efficiency, service quality, and scalability Partner with the CEO and CRO to develop operational strategy that supports long-term growth and future expansion Build scalable systems, processes, and operational playbooks that can support growth and future acquisitions Lead long-term operational planning, including fleet strategy, technology infrastructure, and capacity planning Evaluate and implement technology solutions that improve routing, fleet performance, operational visibility, and efficiency Conduct root-cause analysis on operational challenges and implement sustainable solutions that improve performance over time Team Leadership & Development Managing 5–10 direct reports with responsibility for a growing team across multiple locations Providing leadership, coaching, and accountability to route supervisors, operational leaders, and support staff Establishing clear expectations and building a culture centered around ownership, accountability, and collaboration Supporting team development while maintaining strong communication across functions Fleet, Facilities & Safety Management Supervising fleet operations to maintain a high-performing and safe truck fleet Developing and implementing best-in-class safety practices and training programs Maintaining safe, secure, organized, and efficient facilities and operational spaces Ensuring compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations and safety standards Financial Management & Strategic Planning Developing and managing operating budgets, financial plans, and key performance indicators Ensuring financial goals and divisional profitability targets are achieved Supporting the CEO with strategic planning initiatives and long-term operational growth efforts Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and maximize operational performance Own operational gross margin performance by identifying opportunities across labor efficiency, fuel utilization, fleet performance, and route optimization Connect operational decisions directly to financial outcomes and P&L performance Cross-Functional Collaboration & Customer Experience Partnering closely with sales and marketing teams around pricing, service levels, and territory planning Supporting customer service teams and resolving priority customer issues when necessary Building alignment across departments to ensure operational decisions support company goals Coordinating effectively across functions to support growth and maintain a strong customer experience

Requirements

Experience leading operationally complex environments such as logistics, delivery, transportation, supply chain, or other high-volume field operations
Understand how daily operational decisions impact financial outcomes and overall business performance
Have built teams and developed frontline leaders rather than carrying every responsibility yourself
Comfortable operating in environments where processes are still evolving and structure is being built
Naturally connect frontline work to larger company goals and mission
Tech-forward and comfortable evaluating systems, tools, and emerging technologies that improve operations
Curiosity and an entrepreneurial mindset to solving challenges

Nice To Haves

Experience from logistics, transportation, fleet, delivery, or route-based businesses (UPS, Penske, Amazon Logistics, FedEx, etc.)
Experience in high-growth or scaling organizations
Implemented new technology or operational systems
Built and developed frontline leadership teams

Responsibilities

Lead daily operations across collections, hauling, facilities, inventory, and fleet management
Ensure operations consistently meet customer demand while driving efficiency, service quality, and scalability
Partner with the CEO and CRO to develop operational strategy that supports long-term growth and future expansion
Build scalable systems, processes, and operational playbooks that can support growth and future acquisitions
Lead long-term operational planning, including fleet strategy, technology infrastructure, and capacity planning
Evaluate and implement technology solutions that improve routing, fleet performance, operational visibility, and efficiency
Conduct root-cause analysis on operational challenges and implement sustainable solutions that improve performance over time
Managing 5–10 direct reports with responsibility for a growing team across multiple locations
Providing leadership, coaching, and accountability to route supervisors, operational leaders, and support staff
Establishing clear expectations and building a culture centered around ownership, accountability, and collaboration
Supporting team development while maintaining strong communication across functions
Supervising fleet operations to maintain a high-performing and safe truck fleet
Developing and implementing best-in-class safety practices and training programs
Maintaining safe, secure, organized, and efficient facilities and operational spaces
Ensuring compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations and safety standards
Developing and managing operating budgets, financial plans, and key performance indicators
Ensuring financial goals and divisional profitability targets are achieved
Supporting the CEO with strategic planning initiatives and long-term operational growth efforts
Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and maximize operational performance
Own operational gross margin performance by identifying opportunities across labor efficiency, fuel utilization, fleet performance, and route optimization
Connect operational decisions directly to financial outcomes and P&L performance
Partnering closely with sales and marketing teams around pricing, service levels, and territory planning
Supporting customer service teams and resolving priority customer issues when necessary
Building alignment across departments to ensure operational decisions support company goals
Coordinating effectively across functions to support growth and maintain a strong customer experience

Benefits

Medical coverage with multiple plan options and significant employer contributions for employees and dependents
Dental and vision coverage
Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability coverage
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
401(k) with pre-tax and Roth options
Generous PTO and paid holiday schedule
Compost Crew service discounts
Free CSA produce during seasonal months
Team gatherings, barbecues, quarterly meetings, and holiday events
The opportunity to play a critical leadership role during an exciting period of company growth and expansion