Vice President - Operations

Vice President of Operations

United Petroleum Transports / Florida Rock & Tank Lines

Location: Various

Reports To: President/CEO

Department: Operations

FLSA: Exempt

Job Summary

The Vice President of Operations is the regional business leader for an assigned group of terminals, with full accountability for the market's operational performance, financial results, leadership strength, and growth.

This role develops capable CSC Managers, owns the regional P&L, strengthens customer relationships, identifies business opportunities, and ensures terminals operate safely, reliably, and profitably. The Vice President leads through others: coaching leaders, identifying risk, improving performance, and ensuring accountability at the right level.

Success in this role is reflected in strong leaders, healthy terminals, profitable growth, and retained and expanding customer relationships.

What You Will Own

• Drive the development of CSC Managers across the region, holding them accountable to individual growth and identifying the training and support they need.
• Hold regional financial accountability across all terminals, including budgeting oversight and cost and revenue trends.
• Reinforce clear decision rights so CSC Managers own terminal-level decisions while regional issues are elevated appropriately.
• Coordinate and reallocate equipment, drivers, and other resources across terminals to protect service and performance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key regional customers to anticipate needs and prevent avoidable escalations.
• Drive growth across the region by expanding accounts and identifying new business, partnering with Sales.
• Review regional performance data to identify trends, root causes, and emerging risks.
• Hold CSC Managers accountable for safety and compliance across every terminal.
• Represent the region in company leadership discussions, advocating for what the region needs with supporting data.
• Step into issues beyond a CSC Manager's authority or capability, coaching them through resolution and building their capability for the future.
• Maintain regular visibility across the region through terminal visits, customer meetings, and industry activity.

Who Thrives Here

• Sees problems early and addresses them before they turn into bigger operational, customer, or people issues.
• Is comfortable making decisions and taking ownership of the outcome.
• Stays close enough to the region to know what's happening without needing every issue brought to their desk.
• Sets clear expectations and follows through when those expectations are not met.
• Can be firm and fair without avoiding conflict or trying to keep everyone happy.
• Keeps multiple priorities moving without letting the most urgent issue consume the entire day.
• Communicates effectively across a wide range of audiences, tailoring the message, level of detail, and context so people understand what matters, what is needed, and what happens next.
• Looks for the cause of recurring problems instead of repeatedly fixing the same symptom.

Qualifications

What You Need

• Business degree or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in the bulk fuel or related transportation industry.
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience, including direct responsibility for managing other managers.
• Strong knowledge of FMCSA/DOT regulations and other relevant state guidelines.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize regional data into clear insight and action.
• Strong written and verbal communication, negotiation, and customer relationship skills.
• Ability to lead and prioritize across multiple terminals and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Office and transportation-related software.

Nice to Have

• Proven track record building scalable, repeatable processes and a disciplined, data-driven culture.
• Established relationships with high-quality carriers.
• Experience operating across a multi-entity or recently merged organization.

What Success Looks Like

Regional Financial Performance

• The region delivers strong, consistent profitability, built on sound budgeting, cost discipline, and capable terminal leadership.
• Financial forecasts prove reliable over time and reflect a real understanding of the region's business.

Leadership and Bench Strength

• CSC Managers across the region grow more capable and self-sufficient over time.
• The region has a credible succession plan, with a clear answer for who is ready to step up if a CSC Manager left tomorrow.
• Escalations to the VP from CSC Managers trend down as the CSC Manager leadership shift takes hold.

Safety and Compliance

• The VP is responsible for building a culture and environment where safety is taken seriously across every terminal, reflected in a strong and consistent safety record.

Customer Relationships

• Key regional accounts are retained, and customers recognize the VP as an active, engaged partner.

Account Growth

• New business and expanded accounts grow from the VP's own relationship building and outreach.
• The region's growth contribution is specific and visible: named accounts, named opportunities, real numbers.

Decision Rights and Organizational Clarity

• CSC Managers know clearly what they can decide alone, what needs the VP, and what needs to go further, and that clarity holds up in practice.
• Issues reaching the VP are regional or cross-terminal in nature.

Regional Readiness

• The VP maintains a current, accurate picture of the entire region.
• The region operates ahead of problems.

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment, with regular travel to terminals, customer sites, and industry events across the region.
• Travel required 50 percent or more.
• Sitting for extended periods, walking, and standard office activity including typing, talking, and visual work.
• Occasional lifting up to 20 pounds.

Purpose

Embrace, promote and achieve the Vision, Values and Mission of the company, and to assist in meeting the Owner's plan each year. UPT is committed to the Guiding Principles of the Responsible Care initiative and anticipates that all employees will share our commitment by conducting themselves consistent with those principles to make the industry even safer for our employees and communities.

Equal Opportunity

United Petroleum Transports and Florida Rock & Tank Lines are Equal Opportunity Employers, committed to a workplace where every employee is treated with dignity and respect. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.