Thornton’s Tree Service
Assistant Operations Manager
Abilene, Texas•Full-time
$60,000+ annually
$60,000+ annually
About the Job
ABOUT US:
Thornton's Tree, Dumpster & Crane Services is a family-owned company that has served West and Central Texas since 1991. We operate across three lines of business — professional tree care, roll-off dumpster rental, and boom truck crane services — and we're growing. We're looking for an organized, hands-on operator to help us run a tighter ship on equipment and fleet, and to free up capacity on our estimating team.
Thornton's Tree, Dumpster & Crane Services is a family-owned company that has served West and Central Texas since 1991. We operate across three lines of business — professional tree care, roll-off dumpster rental, and boom truck crane services — and we're growing. We're looking for an organized, hands-on operator to help us run a tighter ship on equipment and fleet, and to free up capacity on our estimating team.
THE ROLE This is a second layer of operations management — a right hand to our Director of Operations and our ISA-Certified Arborist. The two priorities are building a real preventive maintenance program for our fleet and equipment, and taking on routine estimating, scheduling and customer support so our senior arborist can focus on high-value work. You'll own the maintenance calendar, work the shop's punch list with our mechanic, help price standard tree jobs, support daily scheduling, and help generate off-season work. Over time this role has real room to grow into broader operations leadership.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
Equipment, Fleet & Maintenance:
- Build and own a written preventive maintenance schedule for the whole fleet — service, greasing, fluids and filter intervals by unit.
- Run daily pre-trip inspections and make sure they're actually reviewed, not just filed.
- Maintain a calendar for annual DOT, crane and equipment inspections so nothing lapses.
- Keep critical wear parts on hand — chipper knives, grinder teeth, hydraulic hose, filters, bar and chain — so a shortage never idles a crew.
- Work the standing work-order list with our mechanic and confirm repairs are completed.
- Track repeat failures and cost-per-hour outliers to inform repair-vs-replace decisions.
Safety & Compliance:
- Conduct regular crew safety and compliance checks; coach employees and flag issues.
- Complete required safety documentation.
- Work toward an appropriate certified tree-care safety qualification.
- Help lead employee training and safety meetings.
Estimating, Scheduling & Customers:
- Price standard tree jobs and communicate directly with customers.
- Assist with the daily schedule and make sure crews have the right equipment and information.
- Perform job-site visits and post-job quality-control checks.
- Follow up with customers to drive satisfaction and strong reviews.
- Support the operations team and office staff as needed.
Off-Season Work Generation:
- Reach out to past customers, apartment complexes, HOAs, churches and commercial accounts during slower periods.
- Help develop winter work to keep crews productive year-round.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
- Hands-on experience with fleet, equipment or facilities maintenance — or a strong desire to build that skill set.
- Comfortable in the field and in front of customers; tree care, landscaping, construction or related trades background is a plus.
- Organized self-starter who can own a calendar and follow through without being chased.
- Clear communicator, comfortable coaching crews on safety and quality.
- Valid driver's license with a clean driving record.
- Willingness to work toward a certified tree-care safety qualification.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:
- Starting at $60,000 per year, commensurate with experience, plus benefits.
- This is a full-time, year-round position with room to grow as the role and the company do.