Director, Operational Excellence

Sunbelt Rentals; 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 insurance

Tuition Reimbursement Options

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Length of Service Awards

Job summary

Sunbelt Rentals is seeking a Director of Operational Excellence to lead our program across 1,400+ locations in North America. You will design and pilot high-impact initiatives, translate new technology into field-ready changes, and partner with senior leadership to drive performance and customer experience.

The role requires 10–15 years in operations or strategy, a bachelor's degree, and a track record of scaling operating model changes across distributed sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Experience turning data into business cases to improve performance.
• Experience piloting and scaling operating model changes across multi-site networks.
• Ability to build analytical cases and implement field solutions.

Responsibilities

• Partner with operations leadership to surface and prioritize opportunities.
• Drive improvements in productivity, asset utilization, customer experience, and profitability.
• Lead scoping, design, and piloting of top initiatives in-market.
• Ensure solutions are practical, scalable, and grounded in real-world realities.
• Quantify impact and develop recommendations for executive decisions.
• Evaluate new technology and plan rollout to drive adoption.
• Own the initiative pipeline end-to-end and coach a small team.

Skills

Operational Excellence

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

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.

Requirements

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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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

Base Pay Range

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.

Benefits

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.

Additional Company Information

Join our excitement! Sunbelt Rentals supports service members. Veterans encouraged to apply. A leader in the equipment rental industry, Sunbelt Rentals is constantly advancing the idea of how a company can best serve its customers, communities and the planet. With over 1,000 locations across North America and an expansive portfolio of products and services, we deliver solutions to support any job. Sunbelt’s extensive fleet exceeds and includes general construction equipment, industrial tools, pumps, power & HVAC, trench shoring, scaffolding, remediation & restoration equipment, and more. At Sunbelt Rentals, we place enormous value on the welfare and commitment of our employees as well as the superior level of service they provide for our customers. All our employees benefit from extensive on-the-job training, which is amongst the best in the industry. Our advancement opportunities are why many of our staff remain with us throughout their careers. Sunbelt Rentals means diversity, teamwork, recognition for exceptional performance, and room to grow!

We are proud to offer the following benefits: Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance 401(k) Retirement Plan - US RRS Plan – CAN Paid Parental Leave Paid Holidays and Paid Time Off Tuition Reimbursement And many more. Designed to serve distinct customer segments requiring a high level of technical expertise, Sunbelt Rentals offer a highly diversified product mix, as well as trained experts.

Climate Control Services Industrial Services Tools & Equipment Oil & Gas Services Power & HVAC Services Pile Driving Services Pump Solutions Scaffold Services Remediation and Restoration

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Please visit https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/careers/ for more information on our benefits and to join our Talent Network.