The Service Operations Manager is responsible for leading the operational infrastructure of the Service Department, with a strong focus on Work in Progress (WIP) management, process discipline, coordination workflows, team oversight, and operational efficiency. This role provides leadership over the Service Coordinator function through its direct supervisor and is responsible for helping ensure service work moves efficiently from intake through execution, billing, and closeout.
This position plays a key role in connecting service operations, field leadership, sales, and finance to improve visibility, accountability, and performance across the department. The Service Operations Manager is expected to assess current workflows, identify operational gaps, strengthen processes, and implement improvements that support consistent execution and stronger financial results. This is a hands-on operational leadership role for someone who can bring structure, improve reporting, and help build a scalable service operation.
Responsibilities
Operational Leadership and Process Improvement
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Lead the day-to-day operational support structure of the Service Department, with responsibility for improving workflow, coordination, accountability, and overall department efficiency.
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Assess current systems, team structure, and departmental workflows to identify inefficiencies, service bottlenecks, breakdowns in communication, and opportunities for improvement.
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Develop, implement, and maintain operational processes and tools that improve execution, efficiency, consistency, and visibility across the Service Department.
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Drive operational discipline around service workflow from work order creation through scheduling, execution, billing preparation, and closeout.
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Train operations staff, service leadership, sales teams, and field supervisors on established processes, tools, and new workflow expectations.
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Partner with cross-functional leaders, including service leadership, sales, field teams, operations, finance, and other department stakeholders, to improve service department efficiency and develop practical solutions to issues.
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Receive feedback from sales, operations, and the field and adapt processes as needed.
WIP and Billing Oversight
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Oversee WIP management across the Service Department to help ensure work is progressing, documented properly, billed timely, and closed out accurately.
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Monitor open work orders, aging WIP, billing delays, and closeout issues to identify trends, gaps, and areas requiring intervention.
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Partner closely with service leadership, coordinators, technicians, purchasing, and accounting to resolve issues affecting billing timeliness, job completion, and work order accuracy.
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Establish expectations and accountability around documentation, labor capture, notes, materials, and other requirements needed to support efficient billing and clean job closeout.
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Support process improvements that strengthen invoice readiness, reduce backlog, and improve cash flow.
Team Leadership and Oversight
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Provide leadership to the Service Coordinator function through its direct supervisor, ensuring the team is structured effectively and performing at a high level.
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Optimize the service operations support team by evaluating workloads, clarifying responsibilities, improving workflows, and driving cost-effective operational improvements.
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Support staffing decisions for the operations support function, including interviewing, hiring, performance management, development, and separation decisions as needed.
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Provide mentorship and direction to supervisors and team members to build capability, accountability, and consistency across the department.
Financial Reporting and Systems Management
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Work closely with the VP of Finance to develop and maintain service-specific financial and operational reporting that can be regularly distributed and used by service, sales, field, and operations leaders.
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Fiduciary responsibility with respect to the service department.
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Use financial and operational data to evaluate performance, identify trends, support forecasting, and guide decision-making within the service operation.
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Partner with business systems administration and internal stakeholders to improve data accuracy, clean up legacy issues, and strengthen the reliability of service-related systems and reporting. (manage call center phone systems, after-hour call center vendor, etc.)
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Collaborate with ERP and service platform vendors to optimize system functionality, improve user adoption, and support business needs.
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Help ensure operational processes align with reporting requirements, financial expectations, and department goals.
Competencies
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Strong operational leadership
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Process improvement mindset
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Financial and business acumen
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Work in Progress discipline and accountability
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Team leadership and development
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Problem-solving and sound judgment
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Cross-functional collaboration
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Communication and accountability
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Systems thinking and workflow optimization
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Organization and follow-through
Required Skills/Abilities Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
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Minimum of 5 years of operational leadership experience, preferably in a service, construction, mechanical, HVAC, plumbing, or similar field-based environment.
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Experience leading support or operations teams in a fast-paced service environment.
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Strong understanding of workflow management, process improvement, and operational accountability.
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Experience working with financial reporting, billing processes, and performance metrics.
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Strong systems aptitude, including experience with ERP platforms, service management systems, and reporting tools.
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Ability to lead change, improve structure, and drive results across multiple teams and priorities.
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Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with field leadership, finance, sales, and operational teams.
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Build Ops experience is a plus
United Mechanical is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity in our employee population. We provide equal opportunity to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, special disabled veteran, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.
