Operations Leader - Services

Job Title: Leader of Service Operations

Role Summary:

The Operations Leader, Services is a senior leadership role with full accountability for safety, project execution, P&L performance, and operational strategy across Trystar's services business. This is the delivery counterpart to the Sales & Business Development Manager - where the BD Manager generates demand and secures revenue, the Operations Leader is accountable for delivering it safely, profitably, and at a quality standard that drives customer retention and growth. The role carries joint responsibility with the Sales & BD Manager for developing the full business strategy - commercial and operational - required to reach $150M in revenue at 50% gross margin. This means the Operations Leader is not simply an executor of a plan handed to them; they are a co-architect of the strategy and a full business partner in its achievement. The role holder must build the organization, processes, and capabilities that enable Trystar to scale managed services, SLA-backed maintenance, and field service delivery from its current foundation to a $150M operation. This requires a rare combination of safety leadership, commercial acumen, operational excellence, and strategic thinking. What “big needle mover” means here (mandate) Lead the delivery, P&L, and operational strategy of Trystar's services business - building the team, processes, and capabilities required to scale from $25M at 30% gross margin to $150M at 50% gross margin within two years. Partner with the Sales & Business Development leader to develop and execute the full business strategy, both commercially and operationally. Trystar’s stated strategic direction includes improving speed and scalability, quality and consistency, supply chain resilience, and workforce capability - all with the aim that we are truly operationally excellent and well beyond typical in the industry. This role is accountable for rapidly turning those strategic themes into execution at scale. Core Responsibilities

1. Safety Leadership

• Establish and sustain a safety-first culture in which every team member understands and acts on their personal accountability for safety. Be a leader in Safety even when you are not at our facilities.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve safety management systems, policies, and standard operating procedures for all field and project activities.
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable safety regulations, standards, certifications, and customer requirements across all service lines and geographies.
• Lead incident investigation and root-cause analysis; own corrective and preventive action through to verified resolution.
• Track and report on safety KPIs (TRIR, DART rate, near-miss reporting, safety training completion) at leadership level; hold the organization accountable to continuous improvement.

2. Service Solution Design, Development & Commercialization

• Lead the full lifecycle of Trystar's services portfolio: design, develop, commercialize, and execute service solutions that create durable, recurring value for customers.
• Design recurring and reoccurring service solutions - managed services, remote monitoring, SLA-backed maintenance, extended warranties, and subscription offerings - that address customer needs across the installed base and new accounts.
• Own the solution development process from concept through pilot to commercial launch: define scope, delivery model, pricing inputs, and the operational capability required to deliver at scale and at target margin.
• Commercialize new solutions in close partnership with the Sales & BD Manager - collaborate on packaging, pricing, and go-to-market approach to ensure offerings are both deliverable and commercially compelling.
• Execute the delivery of all developed solutions against quality, margin, and SLA commitments - closing the loop between design intent and delivered outcome.
• Continuously evolve the portfolio based on customer feedback, market signals, NPS data, and margin performance; retire or redesign solutions that do not meet recurring-revenue or margin objectives.
• Build the internal R&D and solution development capability - people, processes, tools, and partnerships - required to design and launch new service solutions at pace with market demand.

3. P&L Ownership & Business Performance

• Own the full services P&L: revenue recognition, cost of delivery (labor, materials, subcontractors, overhead), gross margin, and operating expense management.
• Drive the gross margin expansion from 30% today to 50% at scale - through delivery standardization, mix management, pricing discipline, and a deliberate shift from bespoke project work to higher-margin packaged and managed services.
• Develop and manage the annual operating plan and budget; provide regular P&L reporting and variance analysis to the COO.
• Manage cost of delivery with rigor - utilization, bench management, subcontractor rates, and material costs - without compromising safety or quality.
• Build the financial management capability within the operations team: project-level P&L visibility, earned value tracking, and margin-at-risk reporting.

4. Full Business Strategy - Commercial & Operational

• Co-lead with the Sales & BD Manager the development of Trystar's services business strategy - encompassing commercial positioning, offering design, operational model, and the financial plan to reach $150M / 50% GM.
• Own the operational strategy: delivery model design, capacity planning, geographic coverage, make/buy decisions, technology and tooling roadmap, and the build-out of managed services infrastructure (remote monitoring platforms, dispatch systems, escalation frameworks).
• Define the capabilities required to deliver managed services, SLA-backed maintenance, and recurring service agreements at scale - and build a roadmap to close the capability gaps.
• Evaluate strategic partnerships, acquisitions, or acqui-hire opportunities that could accelerate delivery capability or an installed recurring-services book.

5. Project Execution & Delivery Excellence

• Accountable for on-time, on-scope, and on-margin delivery of all contracted services work across the portfolio.
• Build and maintain project execution frameworks, SOW standards, quality management systems, and escalation protocols that scale with the business.
• Establish and operate the delivery backbone for recurring managed services: monitoring platforms, remote diagnostics, preventive maintenance scheduling, dispatch, and SLA compliance reporting.
• Own NPS and CSAT outcomes - delivery quality is the primary driver of renewal rates, expansion, and the recurring revenue model the business depends upon.
• Partner with the Sales & BD Manager on the sell-to-deliver handoff: RACI design, SOW scoping standards, and SLA tiers that are both commercially attractive and operationally deliverable.

6. Team, Process & Capability Development

• Design and build the services operations organization from its current foundation to one capable of delivering a $150M business: field technicians, project managers, delivery coordinators, operations managers, and technical specialists.
• Develop fast, effective onboarding and certification programs for field and operational staff; build a culture of continuous development and skills advancement.
• Implement utilization management and capacity planning discipline - right-sizing the bench against contracted backlog while maintaining the flexibility to pursue growth.
• Build or adopt the technology platforms, tools, and workflows that enable repeatable, scalable, data-driven service delivery.
• Identify and develop future leaders within the operations team; build organizational depth and succession readiness as the business scales.

7. Partnership with the Sales & Business Development Leader

• Operate as a true business co-leader - sharing accountability for the financial outcome of the services business, not just the operational component.
• Participate in the monthly ops-to-sales feedback loop; bring delivery insights (margin realization, scope variance, customer feedback, SLA performance) that sharpen the commercial strategy.
• Collaborate on pricing decisions - margin is ultimately delivered, not sold; operational input on pricing and SOW scoping is essential to profitability.
• Co-develop the customer success model: align on what a high-quality customer experience looks like from first sale through long-term recurring relationship, and build the operational capability to deliver it consistently.

Qualifications:

• • 10+ years of progressive operations leadership in services, field services, project-based businesses, or technical services - with demonstrated responsibility for safety, delivery, and P&L outcomes.
• Proven safety leadership track record: established and sustained a safety-first culture and management systems in a field or project services environment.
• Full P&L ownership experience at meaningful scale - accountability for revenue, gross margin, and operating cost in a services or project-based business.
• Track record of leading a services or project organization through significant growth, including building teams, processes, and capabilities to match scale.
• Experience as a co-developer of business strategy - not just an operational executor, but a participant in designing the commercial and operational model.
• Demonstrated ability to drive gross margin improvement through delivery standardization, mix management, and operational efficiency.
• People leadership: hiring, developing, retaining, and managing performance of operational and technical teams across multiple functions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in power, electrical, industrial, critical infrastructure, or technically complex field services.
• Familiarity with managed or remote-monitoring service delivery models - platforms, SLA management, and recurring service operations.
• Prior experience in a shared-P&L, co-leader model with a commercial or sales counterpart.
• M&A, integration, or capability-building-through-acquisition experience.
• Background scaling a services business from a project-based delivery model to a managed/recurring model.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline required; advanced degree and/or Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred.