We’re seeking an experienced Operations Manager/Crew Leader to lead daily field operations for our new tree care company in San Diego County. You’ll oversee crews, scheduling, safety, equipment, quality control, and customer communication, while ensuring work is performed in a safe manner to industry standards per ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) & ANSI.
Key Responsibilities
Crew Leadership & Scheduling. Build weekly schedules, dispatch crews, and balance workloads across pruning, removals, stump grinding, and emergency response. Run tailgate & safety meetings; confirm job packets, utility locates, and traffic plans are in place per CAL/OSHA guidelines.
Safety & Compliance
Own the safety culture in alignment with Cal/OSHA and industry best practices.
Conduct field audits, incident investigations, and maintain training records and certifications.
Quality & Customer Experience
Perform site walks and post-job inspections; ensure ANSI A300 pruning standards and ISA Best Management Practices are met. Serve as operational point of contact for clients and resolve issues quickly.
Logistics & Equipment
Manage fleet and equipment (bucket/forestry trucks, chippers, stump grinders, saws, rigging). Oversee materials, PPE, and consumable inventory; control costs and reduce waste. Ability to operate all equipment to include forestry boom, stump grinder, chipper, chainsaws etc.
Financial & KPI Ownership
Track daily production, job margins, and labor/equipment utilization.
Approve timecards, optimize crew mix, and collaborate with sales/estimating.
People Operations
Recruit, onboard, train, coach, and performance-manage climbers, crew leaders, and ground staff. Maintain a positive, safety-first team culture.
Emergency & Storm Response
Coordinate after-hours/on-call rotations and mobilization for storm events and hazard trees.
Required Qualifications
3–5+ years of progressive experience in tree care management with at least 2 years in a lead/foreman or operations role.
Strong knowledge of safe climbing, rigging, pruning, removals, and equipment operation.
Proven scheduling/dispatch experience and ability to manage multiple crews and jobs simultaneously.
Working knowledge of Cal/OSHA requirements and ANSI Z133/ANSI A300 standards.
Proficiency with job-costing and operations software (Arbornote, SingleOps, ArborGold, or similar).
Valid CA driver’s license and clean MVR; ability to travel throughout San Diego County.
Excellent communication, situational awareness, and problem-solving skills; bilingual English/Spanish a plus.
Preferred Qualifications
ISA Certified Arborist (or ability to obtain within 6–12 months).
TCIA CTSP, EHAP, CPR/First Aid, Traffic Control/Flagger certifications.
Experience with DOT/commercial fleet compliance; CDL helpful but not required.
Estimating support experience (scope validation, change orders, site walks).
Physical & Work Environment Requirements
Frequently outdoors in varied weather; ability to walk uneven terrain and navigate active job sites.
Occasional lifting up to 50 lbs; regular site visits and hands-on equipment checks.
Typical schedule Monday–Friday with periodic early starts, overtime, and on-call storm response as needed and ability to work weekends if needed.
Compensation & Benefits
Status: Full-time, non-exempt (hourly)
Pay Range: $37 to $40 Hour depending on experience, plus performance bonus potential.
Benefits may include paid holidays, PTO/sick leave (per CA law), company vehicle or allowance (role-dependent), phone stipend, uniforms/PPE, paid training and certifications.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Safety: TRIR/incident rate, near-miss reporting, field audit scores
Production: revenue per crew day, schedule adherence, job completion times
Financial: job margin vs. target, labor and equipment utilization
