Landscaping director of admin & operations job description
A landscaping director of admin and operations runs the work behind the crews: the schedule, dispatch, customer service, HR, billing and the books. The director reports to the CEO. Production managers, office staff and customer service reps report to the director.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
As the Director of Admin & Operations, you will play a pivotal role in our landscaping company overseeing all administrative aspects of the business, including scheduling, dispatching, customer success, operations, HR, financial reporting & accounting. You will directly report to the CEO, with production managers, techs, office assistants, and CSRs reporting directly to you.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee all administrative functions, including scheduling, dispatching, and customer success.
Manage operations including HR, financial reporting & accounting, and CRM ownership.
Ensure seamless communication between all departments within the company.
Provide direct reports to the CEO regarding all business operations.
Supervise and guide production managers, techs, office assistants, and CSRs.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor daily operations and make necessary adjustments to ensure efficiency.
Address customer inquiries and resolve any issues to ensure customer satisfaction.
Review financial reports and devise strategies for budgeting and cost management.
Conduct team meetings to discuss operational updates and improvements.
Manage HR functions including hiring, training, and performance evaluations.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Gross Margin %
Capacity Efficiency Score
Setting
Operational Efficiency - 95%+
Customer Satisfaction Rating - >4.8 stars
Financial Accuracy - 98%
Employee Retention Rate - >85%
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related field.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in operations management.
Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Proficient in CRM and other business software.
Strong leadership and communication skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in the landscaping industry.
Proven track record in managing successful teams.
Experience in financial reporting and accounting.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in an office setting.
Ability to sit for extended periods.
Capable of occasional site visits.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Occasional weekend work may be required during peak seasons.
Minimal travel may be necessary.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $75,000- $85,000 per annum.
Performance bonuses applicable.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401k retirement plan.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we believe in the power of growth, innovation, and exceptional customer service. We strive to create a culture that encourages collaboration, continuous learning, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Our goal is not only to succeed as a business but to help our employees level up and succeed in their careers.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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What makes landscaping admin and operations different
This role fits a company that wants one leader over the office and the schedule before it hires a COO and a CFO. In landscaping, the calendar drives most of the work.
Renewal season sets the year
At many home lawn care companies, maintenance agreements renew in late winter. The director runs that push. Price letters go out, signed agreements come back, and someone calls the customers who haven't answered. Routes, crew counts and the spring hiring plan all depend on who's coming back, so a slow renewal season delays everything after it.
The same crew members come back each spring
Seasonal crews often come back year after year. USCIS gives you a choice when you rehire someone within three years of their last Form I-9. You can fill out a new Form I-9, or complete Supplement B on the old one. The director picks one way, keeps the forms in order, and runs onboarding so returning crews are ready on day one. Source: USCIS I-9 Central: Completing Supplement B, reverification and rehires.
The CRM holds the property, not just the customer
A homeowner's record needs more than a phone number. Crews need gate codes, pet notes, mowing height, bed maps, irrigation zones and what was promised at the last visit. The template makes the director the CRM owner, so the director decides what crews must log, who cleans up records, and how a customer's request reaches the crew leader.
Credentials come due on their own clocks
Lawn treatment and sprinkler work can need state licenses, and each one renews on its own schedule. In Florida, each person who applies fertilizer for hire needs a state certification. They earn it after the state's Green Industries best practices training, and it has to be renewed every four years. The director keeps a list of who holds what, when it runs out, and which crews can't go out without a license holder. Source: UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Fertilizer certification.
Customers see the crew every week
Weekly service means weekly chances for a complaint: a skipped visit, a gate left open, an invoice that's off from the agreement. The director sets how fast the office answers, when a crew goes back, and when a manager phones the customer. The same customers decide on renewal next winter. How the office handles small problems now shows up then.
How much landscaping directors of admin & operations make
The closest BLS group for landscaping directors of admin & operations is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $89,990 a year ($43.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 34,230 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for landscaping companies.
A salary in the template's range plus performance bonuses, which can follow the KPIs below, such as financial accuracy and staff retention.
Landscaping companies
$89,990$89,990 median Middle half $62,400–$123,080 10th–90th $46,520–$164,110
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Landscaping companies
$46,520
$62,400
$89,990
$123,080
$164,110
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
BLS reports residential and commercial landscaping companies together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run an office with scheduling, billing and HR under one roof
Owns a CRM or field service system and keeps its data clean
Reads financial reports and catches billing errors
Handles upset customers calmly and fairly
Plans hiring and onboarding around a seasonal calendar
Teach these on the job
Your landscaping software and route setup
Maintenance agreement terms and renewal steps
Plant, turf and sprinkler words homeowners use
State license and certification tracking for crews
H-2B paperwork and deadlines
The director owns the systems the office runs on: your landscape software (Aspire, Jobber or LMN, for example), the accounting package, payroll and HR tools, and the phones. Let candidates know what works, what's messy and what you'd like replaced.
Landscaping director of admin & operations interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
The template lists seven measures, some with sample targets and some without. Agree on real targets with the CEO from your own numbers, and review them monthly.
Gross Margin %
Revenue minus direct job costs, divided by revenue, read each month from the income statement. The director's part is making sure hours, materials and invoices are recorded right, so the margin is real.
Capacity Efficiency Score
The template doesn't define it. A workable version: hours booked on the schedule divided by the crew hours you have each week, by division. Low means open routes; over full means overtime.
Setting
The template lists this line with no definition or target. Read it as target setting: before each season, agree with the CEO on a written target for every measure here, and check monthly that each team has its own.
Operational Efficiency - 95%+
Share of scheduled visits and jobs completed on their planned day, from your scheduling software each week. Log rain delays separately so weather doesn't hide office mistakes.
Customer Satisfaction Rating - >4.8 stars
Online star ratings and post-install survey scores. Each week, read the comments for office problems, such as slow callbacks or billing mistakes.
Financial Accuracy - 98%
Share of invoices, payroll runs and bills that go out with no correction needed. Count credit memos, rebilled invoices and payroll fixes each month, and write down why each happened.
Employee Retention Rate - >85%
Of everyone on payroll in January, the share still with you in December. Track seasonal crew members who return each spring apart from year-round staff.
How is a director of admin and operations different from a COO?
A COO sets how the whole operation runs and spends more of the week in the field. A general manager has one branch to run, including its sales and profit. This director runs the office and the schedule, with production managers reporting in. If you later hire a COO, the director usually keeps the office, HR and reporting, and the field moves to the COO.
How much does a landscaping director of admin & operations make?
General and operations managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $89,990 a year ($43.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $62,400 and $123,080 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Is a director of admin and operations the same as an office manager?
No. An office manager handles phones, billing, supplies and the office team. This director also owns HR, financial reporting, the CRM and the production schedule, and leads managers rather than only clerks. Many directors were office managers first. If you promote one, plan for training in HR rules and financial reports.
When do landscapers file for H-2B workers?
Federal rules set a window. The labor certification application must be filed no more than 90 and no less than 75 calendar days before your date of need. It has to include a prevailing wage determination from DOL, so ask for that first. USCIS and the State Department act after DOL certifies. For a spring start, the work begins in the fall, so the director often keeps the calendar and works with your agent or lawyer.
Does this director need an accounting background?
The template prefers experience in financial reporting and accounting, and it helps. The director should be able to read an income statement, spot billing errors and ask good questions of your bookkeeper. A CPA license isn't needed for this seat. If the director is light on accounting, lean on an outside CPA for the monthly close and year-end work.
What should a landscaping director of admin and operations job ad include?
List every area the role owns, since the title means different things at different companies: the schedule, dispatch, customer service, HR, billing, reports and the CRM. Name who reports to the director and how many crews they support. Mention seasonal visa paperwork or level billing if the director will handle them. Describe the late-winter rush of renewals and hiring.
