Chief Operating Officer-Heavy Equipment

About the Company

Our client is a well-established and rapidly growing heavy equipment dealership serving the construction, infrastructure, and industrial markets. With a strong reputation for customer service, technical expertise, and long-standing OEM partnerships, the organization operates across multiple locations and offers a full suite of equipment sales, rentals, parts, and service solutions. The company is entering a new phase of strategic growth and is seeking a seasoned operational leader to help scale the business while preserving operational excellence.

About the Position

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for translating the CEO's strategic vision into day-to-day operational execution. This role oversees the dealership's core functions-sales, rental, service, parts, logistics, and fleet management-with a focus on profitability, efficiency, and sustainable growth.

The COO will drive operational excellence across all branches, implement scalable processes and systems, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional performance. This executive will also partner closely with the CEO on strategic initiatives such as geographic expansion, OEM negotiations, and post-acquisition integration.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the company's growth objectives and the CEO's vision.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee daily dealership operations, including Parts and Service Departments, to maximize productivity, utilization, and customer satisfaction.
• Process Improvement: Implement policies, procedures, and automation tools (e.g., ERP, WMS) to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
• Team Leadership: Recruit, develop, and motivate high-performing teams across sales, rental, service, and branch management.
• Operations Management: Lead equipment sales, rentals, logistics, maintenance, and fleet operations across multiple locations.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Establish performance dashboards and analyze metrics to guide operational and strategic decisions.
• Asset & Inventory Management: Manage the full lifecycle of heavy equipment, including new and used equipment acquisitions, fleet rotation, and rental purchase options (RPO).
• Financial Stewardship: Develop and manage operating budgets, capital expenditure plans, and revenue forecasts; oversee P&L performance and gross margin targets.
• Strategic Growth Initiatives: Support expansion into new markets, OEM relationship management, and integration of acquired businesses.
• Customer & Vendor Relations: Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key customers, OEMs, and strategic suppliers.
• Performance Tracking: Implement and monitor KPIs such as Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), Right First Time (RFT), equipment utilization, and technician efficiency.

Requirements

• Experience: 10-15+ years of progressive leadership experience within heavy equipment, construction machinery, or industrial distribution environments.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field required; MBA strongly preferred.
• Industry Expertise: Deep understanding of dealership operations, including rental fleets, depreciation strategies, RPO programs, and regulatory/safety compliance.
• Leadership Capability: Proven success leading multidisciplinary, geographically dispersed teams and building a high-performance culture.
• Executive Skills: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building abilities, with a hands-on yet strategic leadership style.
• Analytical Acumen: Strong financial and operational analytics skills with a track record of data-driven improvement initiatives.

Benefits

• Competitive executive compensation package with performance-based incentives
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
• Retirement plan with company contribution
• Vehicle allowance or company vehicle (as applicable)
• Executive-level autonomy and influence within a growing organization
• Opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a market-leading dealership