Assistant Operations Manager

ABOUT US: Thornton's Tree, Dumpster & Crane Services is a family-owned company that has served West and Central Texas since 1991. We operate across three lines of business — professional tree care, roll-off dumpster rental, and boom truck crane services — and we're growing. We're looking for an organized, hands-on operator to help us run a tighter ship on equipment and fleet, and to free up capacity on our estimating team. THE ROLE This is a second layer of operations management — a right hand to our Director of Operations and our ISA-Certified Arborist. The two priorities are building a real preventive maintenance program for our fleet and equipment, and taking on routine estimating, scheduling and customer support so our senior arborist can focus on high-value work. You'll own the maintenance calendar, work the shop's punch list with our mechanic, help price standard tree jobs, support daily scheduling, and help generate off-season work. Over time this role has real room to grow into broader operations leadership. WHAT YOU'LL DO: Equipment, Fleet & Maintenance: Build and own a written preventive maintenance schedule for the whole fleet — service, greasing, fluids and filter intervals by unit. Run daily pre-trip inspections and make sure they're actually reviewed, not just filed. Maintain a calendar for annual DOT, crane and equipment inspections so nothing lapses. Keep critical wear parts on hand — chipper knives, grinder teeth, hydraulic hose, filters, bar and chain — so a shortage never idles a crew. Work the standing work-order list with our mechanic and confirm repairs are completed. Track repeat failures and cost-per-hour outliers to inform repair-vs-replace decisions. Safety & Compliance: Conduct regular crew safety and compliance checks; coach employees and flag issues. Complete required safety documentation. Work toward an appropriate certified tree-care safety qualification. Help lead employee training and safety meetings. Estimating, Scheduling & Customers: Price standard tree jobs and communicate directly with customers. Assist with the daily schedule and make sure crews have the right equipment and information. Perform job-site visits and post-job quality-control checks. Follow up with customers to drive satisfaction and strong reviews. Support the operations team and office staff as needed. Off-Season Work Generation: Reach out to past customers, apartment complexes, HOAs, churches and commercial accounts during slower periods. Help develop winter work to keep crews productive year-round. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR: Hands-on experience with fleet, equipment or facilities maintenance — or a strong desire to build that skill set. Comfortable in the field and in front of customers; tree care, landscaping, construction or related trades background is a plus. Organized self-starter who can own a calendar and follow through without being chased. Clear communicator, comfortable coaching crews on safety and quality. Valid driver's license with a clean driving record. Willingness to work toward a certified tree-care safety qualification. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: Starting at $60,000 per year, commensurate with experience, plus benefits. This is a full-time, year-round position with room to grow as the role and the company do. #J-18808-Ljbffr