Director, Operational Excellence

Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.; Fort Mill (SC); On-site; USD 147,000 - 202,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision plans

401(k) match

Volunteer time off

Disability insurance

Life and travel insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Length of service awards

Job summary

Sunbelt Rentals is hiring a Director, Operational Excellence to lead our Operational Excellence function across 1,400+ locations. You will drive high-impact initiatives, pilot new approaches, and scale successful playbooks, collaborating with senior leadership and field teams.

This builder’s role demands strategic thinking, hands-on execution, and the ability to translate technology into practical field changes, with a small senior team and direct access to the VP of Operational Excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 10–15 years of progressive experience in operations or related fields.
• Experience designing, piloting, and scaling operating model changes across multiple sites.
• Ability to build business cases from operational data and translate into action.

Responsibilities

• Surface and prioritize major operational opportunities across the organization.
• Drive improvements in productivity, assetUtilization, customer experience, and profitability.
• Lead scoping, design, and in-market piloting of top initiatives.
• Partner with local and regional leadership to ensure scalable solutions.
• Quantify operational and financial impact to support executive decisions.
• Evaluate new technology and plan rollout and change management.
• Own the initiative pipeline end-to-end from prioritization to enterprise execution.
• Lead, coach, and grow a small high-caliber team.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Strategic thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Join Our Team!

Sunbelt Rentals strives to be the customer's first choice in the equipment rental industry. From pumps to scaffolding to general construction tools, we aim to be the only call needed to outfit a job site with the proper equipment. Not only do we offer a vast fleet that ranks among the best in the industry, we pair it all with a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Our employees are our greatest asset, and although we present a comprehensive equipment offering, our expertise and service are what truly distinguish us from the competition.

We pride ourselves on investing in our workforce and offer competitive benefits, as well as extensive on-the-job training for all eligible employees.

As a highly successful national company, we are constantly looking for talented individuals to support our growth. If you are interested in pursuing a rewardingcareer, we invite you to review our opportunities!

Job Description Summary

Position Objective

Sunbelt Rentals is hiring a Director, Operational Excellence to lead our Operational Excellence function, driving operational performance, growth, and customer experience through the identification, piloting, and scaling of high-impact operational initiatives across our multi-site North American network. This is a builder's role: you and a small, senior team (Analysts and field-facing Managers) will scan the landscape across 1,400+ locations, get into branches and markets, design and run pilots hands-on, and package validated playbooks for enterprise-wide rollout. Success in this role requires equal parts strategic thinking, operational execution, and field credibility. You'll also be a key translator of new technology and new ways of working into operational reality the field can actually use — reporting directly to the VP, Operational Excellence and working daily with senior operating leadership.

You’ll have a unique opportunity to influence how Sunbelt operates at scale — helping shape the future of field operations, service delivery, logistics, and technology adoption across more than 1,400 locations, while partnering directly with senior leadership on some of the company's most important strategic priorities.

Position Responsibilities

• Partner with operations leadership across the organization to surface and prioritize the biggest operational opportunities — logistics performance, service and maintenance performance, process gaps and other high impact opportunities.
• Drive measurable improvements in productivity, asset utilization, customer experience, and profitability through operational initiatives and operating model enhancements.
• Personally lead the scoping, design, and in-market piloting of top initiatives, iterating rapidly on field feedback before scaling — this is hands-on work, not just oversight.
• Partner closely with local and regional operations leadership to ensure solutions are practical, scalable, and grounded in real-world, on-the-ground realities.
• Quantify operational and financial impact, developing clear, fact-based recommendations that support executive decision-making.
• Act as an early, hands-on evaluator of new technology and platforms, shaping rollout and change management plans so new tools and processes get adoption from operations team.
• Own the initiative pipeline end-to-end, from prioritization through handoff to enterprise execution teams, staying engaged as initiatives scale.
• Lead, coach, and grow a small, high-caliber team, including managers who bring direct, hands-on operating experience into the group.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience, plus 10–15 years of progressive experience in operations, operational excellence, strategy, or project/portfolio management within a multi-site or geographically distributed business.
• A demonstrated track record of turning financial/operational data into business cases that moved the needle on real performance metrics across multiple locations or markets.
• Experience designing, piloting, and scaling operating model changes across a multi-site network — cost reduction, logistics/service redesign, shared services, or process re-engineering.
• Comfort operating at both altitudes: building the analytical case for change and getting into the field to build the solution yourself.

Preferred

• Background in equipment rental, industrial distribution, implementation / turn-around consulting, logistics, field service, construction services, or another multi-site, asset-intensive operating environment.
• Experience leading large-scale operational transformations or business performance improvement programs across a distributed network of locations.
• Leadership experience overseeing multiple locations, a district, or a region, with direct accountability for multi-site performance.
• A career path that combines early strategic or advisory experience with a subsequent move into direct operating or field leadership roles.
• Experience driving adoption of new technology, digital tools, and operational platforms across multiple sites.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodology experience is a plus.

Physical Demands

Must be able to bend, squat, crouch and/or reach and lift up to 25 pounds or more, as required by the job. Some Sunbelt jobs may require driving for long periods of time, loading and unloading heavy equipment, performing work in extreme weather conditions including rain, wind, or excessive temperatures and/or night and weekend work. All duties must be performed according to Sunbelt’s safety policies and guidelines. Reasonable accommodations may be made to comply with ADA/ADAAA.

Sunbelt Rentals is an Equal Opportunity Employer — Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran and any other protected ground

Base Pay Range: $146,880.00 - 201,960.00

Starting rate of pay may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, position offered, location, education, training, and/or experience.

Sunbelt also provides a comprehensive benefits package to its full-time employees. This package includes:

• Health, Dental and Vision plans
• 401(k) Match
• Volunteer time off
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Accident, Life and Travel insurance, as well as flexible spending
• Tuition Reimbursement Options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Length of Service Awards

You will become eligible for benefits on the first of the month following 30 days from your start date.

Flex Time for Leaders

At Sunbelt Rentals our leaders including District Managers and above enjoy the freedom of Flex Time. It is not about tracking hours, it is about delivering great work and having the flexibility to recharge when you need it. Flex Time can be used for vacation, personal needs, or time covered by paid sick or safe leave laws. It is a simple way to balance life while keeping our business goals moving forward.

Gear up for an exciting career!

Sunbelt Rentals supports service members.