Vice President of Operations - DS Bus Lines - Kansas City market
Position Summary
A leading transportation services organization is seeking a Vice President of Operations to oversee a multi-state, multi-location region within its portfolio. This senior leadership role carries full operational and financial accountability and is responsible for delivering safe, reliable, and efficient service while driving strong financial performance and customer retention.
The Vice President will serve as the business leader for the region, providing strategic direction and hands-on operational leadership across a geographically dispersed footprint.
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Scope of Responsibility
· Executive oversight of a large, multi-location, multi-state operation (1,300 employees spanning 22 locations in 6 states)
· Direct leadership of senior field operators and general managers
· Full P&L ownership ($85M) and regional financial accountability
· Travel required up to approximately 40 percent
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Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
· Lead all day-to-day operations across a distributed service network
· Ensure consistent service delivery aligned with safety, regulatory, and quality standards
· Drive accountability for operational KPIs including safety, service performance, labor management, and customer satisfaction
· Champion continuous improvement and operational discipline across all locations
Financial & Business Ownership
· Own and manage full regional P&L, including revenue performance, cost control, and margin improvement
· Partner with executive leadership and finance to monitor results and implement corrective actions
· Drive disciplined execution across labor, fleet, maintenance, and facilities
Customer & Commercial Engagement
· Serve as executive relationship lead for key customers and community stakeholders
· Support contract performance, renewals, and retention initiatives
· Maintain strong executive presence in client-facing settings
Leadership & Culture
· Provide visible, field-oriented leadership across operating locations
· Build high-performing teams and strengthen leadership bench depth
· Foster a culture of accountability, safety, and service excellence
· Lead organizational change and performance improvement initiatives as needed
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Qualifications
· 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in transportation, logistics, mobility, distribution, or other high-volume service-based operations
· 5+ years in a senior multi-unit operations role with full P&L accountability
· Demonstrated success leading geographically dispersed teams
· Strong financial acumen and ability to drive EBITDA performance
· Experience managing executive-level customer relationships
· Experience in unionized environments preferred
· Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
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Leadership Profile
· Operates with an ownership mindset
· Highly visible and engaged leader
· Strong communicator who builds trust across all levels of the organization
· Comfortable navigating operational complexity and multiple stakeholder groups
· Data-driven with a strong focus on safety and performance metrics
Beacon Mobility is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.
This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Beacon Mobility makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.
DS Bus Lines is a family-oriented company that focuses on our core values of family, respect, service, and safety. We understand how important of a responsibility transporting children is and we take that role very seriously. We strive to create mutual respect and trust with school districts so that we can work together to provide the best possible service for students and parents.