Company Overview
Freedom Boat Club is a premier members-only boat club with a growing network of locations across the country. Since its inception, the company has expanded significantly through franchising, offering a fleet of boats and a vibrant community of boating enthusiasts.
he Fleet & Operations Manager is responsible for keeping Freedom Boat Club Austin's fleet, docks, facilities, equipment, and operating systems ready for safe and reliable member use. This is a highly hands-on role focused on preventive maintenance, repair coordination, rapid problem resolution, inventory, warranties, registrations, boat deliveries, vendor coordination, facility support, and consistent operating standards across four Austin-area locations. The role works closely with location managers and dock teams but has limited direct responsibility for hiring, performance reviews, payroll, or broader personnel management.
Primary Responsibilities
Fleet Readiness and Preventive Maintenance
- Maintain a proactive preventive maintenance program for all vessels, trailers, motors, batteries, safety equipment, and related marine systems.
- Build and monitor service schedules, parts needs, supply levels, and backup plans to reduce member disruption and maximize fleet uptime.
- Review daily inspections, service concerns, and maintenance alerts; identify developing problems before they result in major repairs or extended downtime.
- Diagnose mechanical and operational issues, perform appropriate repairs, and coordinate outside service when specialized work is required.
- Prioritize repairs based on safety, member impact, parts availability, cost, and operational demand.
Repair Response and Vendor Coordination
- Respond quickly to breakdowns, incidents, damage, and service concerns and move each issue from diagnosis through completion.
- Coordinate with dealers, mechanics, mobile technicians, marinas, suppliers, manufacturers, and specialty vendors.
- Track open work orders, repair status, vendor estimates, parts orders, completion dates, and return-to-service approvals.
- Evaluate whether non-routine projects should be completed internally or outsourced and provide ownership with cost and timing recommendations.
- Maintain professional vendor relationships that support faster service, fair pricing, and dependable follow-through.
Fleetio, Inventory, and Documentation
- Maintain accurate Fleetio records for inspections, work orders, preventive maintenance, parts, labor, costs, downtime, and service history.
- Track inventory by location and ensure parts, fluids, filters, seals, tools, safety supplies, and operating materials are available and properly accounted for.
- Monitor usage and loss, identify unusual consumption, and recommend appropriate reorder levels.
- Maintain organized records for warranties, registrations, titles, permits, insurance documents, and other fleet compliance items.
- Prepare clear reports on fleet availability, repair status, maintenance cost, recurring issues, and parts needs.
Warranty, Registration, and Compliance Support
- Identify warrantable issues, document defects thoroughly, file claims, communicate with manufacturers and dealers, and track claims through resolution.
- Perform or coordinate approved warranty service and ensure reimbursable labor and parts are documented correctly.
- Ensure registrations, decals, required safety equipment, and vessel documentation remain current and properly displayed.
- Support incident documentation and provide technical findings, photographs, estimates, and repair records when needed.
Boat Ordering, Delivery, Deployment, and Sales Support
- Assist with boat ordering, option verification, delivery schedules, and manufacturer or dealer communication.
- Receive and inspect new boats, coordinate rigging and setup, verify equipment, label assets, and prepare vessels for member service.
- Coordinate movement of boats between locations based on demand, maintenance needs, and seasonal operating plans.
- Prepare boats being sold by coordinating repairs, cleaning, documentation, equipment removal, and final readiness.
Dock, Facility, and Property Support
- Inspect docks, lifts, buildings, storage areas, signs, lighting, equipment, and operational supplies across all locations.
- Coordinate repairs and improvement projects before property issues disrupt members or staff.
- Maintain appropriate tools, replacement equipment, spill-response materials, and safety supplies at each location.
- Assist with storm preparation, high-water response, dock damage, emergency repairs, and seasonal opening or shutdown projects.
Operational Support and Safety
- Work with location managers to resolve recurring operating problems and improve inspections, cleaning, fueling, launch, and return procedures.
- Provide technical guidance and practical training to dock staff on inspections, basic troubleshooting, equipment care, and issue reporting.
- Support safety audits and promptly correct hazards involving boats, docks, lifts, electrical equipment, tools, and facilities.
- Recommend process changes, checklists, equipment upgrades, or training when repeated incidents or maintenance patterns are identified.
- Remain available for urgent operational issues during peak periods, weekends, holidays, and severe weather events.
Role Boundaries
This position collaborates with managers and dock staff but is not the primary owner of recruiting, hiring, employee discipline, performance reviews, payroll approval, staff compensation plans, or broad member-retention programs. Those responsibilities remain with the Director of Operations and ownership unless specifically delegated.
Qualifications
Required
- Strong hands-on knowledge of powerboats, outboard or inboard engines, marine electrical systems, trailers, batteries, pumps, and common vessel systems.
- Demonstrated experience with preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair coordination, and vendor management.
- Strong organization, documentation, follow-through, and ability to manage multiple open projects across several locations.
- Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with staff, vendors, marina personnel, members, and ownership.
- Comfort using mobile devices, spreadsheets, email, work-order systems, and fleet-management software.
- Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.
- Ability to pass required background and drug screening.
Preferred
- Marine technician, fleet manager, service manager, marina operations, or boat-club experience.
- Experience with Fleetio or a comparable maintenance and inventory platform.
- Manufacturer training, ABYC coursework, USCG credentials, Texas boater education, or related technical certifications.
- Experience managing warranty claims, new-boat commissioning, vessel sales preparation, and dock or lift repairs.
Working Conditions
- Regular outdoor work in heat, cold, rain, wind, and changing marina conditions.
- Frequent work on fixed and floating docks, aboard boats, in engine compartments, and around tools and equipment.
- Regular driving between Austin-area locations and occasional towing or transport responsibilities, when authorized.
- Ability to safely lift and carry at least 50 pounds and to bend, squat, kneel, twist, pull, climb, and board vessels.
- May be required to respond outside normal hours to urgent fleet, dock, weather, or safety issues.
Performance Measures
- Fleet uptime and average time from issue identification to return to service
- Preventive maintenance completion and reduction of repeat failures
- Accuracy of Fleetio records, inventory, warranties, registrations, and cost tracking
- Repair quality, vendor performance, budget awareness, and parts availability
- Readiness of new boats, boats for sale, docks, facilities, and location equipment
- Professional communication, ownership of problems, and consistent follow-through
Compensation and Benefits
Competitive compensation based on experience and technical qualifications, with the potential for approved project-based incentives for specialized non-routine work that would otherwise be outsourced. Any such project scope and incentive must be approved in advance.
Pay: $76,849.88 - $86,183.39 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
