General Manager — Santa Barbara County Equipment Yard & Mechanics Shop
Company: Coastal Vineyard Care Associates (CVCA)
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Partners with: Director of Operations – Fleet & Equipment (owns utilization, tracking, and deployment)
Location & scope: Santa Barbara County, CA — based at the Santa Barbara County yard; covers the equipment that comes through this yard, not CVCA's full fleet across its state-wide footprint.
Employment type: Full-time, exempt
Direct reports: Shop foreman/mechanics, Shop Admin clerk
Position Summary
The General Manager runs CVCA's Santa Barbara County equipment yard and mechanics shop — the readiness and repair engine behind the company's equipment rental and repair business in this county. CVCA operates across seven California counties; this role is responsible for the equipment that comes through the Santa Barbara County yard, not the company-wide fleet. This role owns mechanical readiness and repair cost for the equipment in its yard — making sure those units are safe, reliable, and ready to rent when called, turned around fast when they break, and maintained at the lowest sustainable cost. By keeping uptime high and repair cost low, the GM directly protects the margin on every rental booked out of this yard.
This is a hands-on leadership role. The GM sets the maintenance program for the yard, manages the shop and yard team, controls parts and vendor spend, and is the operational owner of equipment uptime and repair cost for the Santa Barbara County operation.
Key Responsibilities
Fleet Readiness
Own mechanical readiness for the equipment that comes through the Santa Barbara County yard, across all classes that pass through it (tractors, sprayers, mowers/mulchers, ATVs/UTVs, trucks and trailers, mechanical harvesters, forklifts, generators, and ancillary implements) — every unit safe, functional, and rent-ready when the Director of Operations calls for it.
Operate the preventive maintenance (PM) program on hours/calendar intervals; drive down unplanned downtime and emergency repairs.
Maintain accurate condition and service history per unit (hours, repairs, costs); feed this to the Director of Operations, who owns the asset register, location tracking, and utilization data.
Prioritize the repair queue against rental demand — communicated by the Director — so the highest-value units return to rent-ready status first.
Recommend repair / replace / retire decisions with supporting cost and condition data, in support of the Director's fleet-investment planning.
Mechanics Shop Operations
Direct all in-house repair, diagnostic, and fabrication work; set work-order priorities and turnaround standards.
Build and enforce shop processes: work-order intake, labor tracking, parts issuance, and job costing per unit.
Maintain shop tooling, diagnostic equipment, and a clean, safe, organized facility.
Manage warranty claims and decide what stays in-house versus goes to an outside vendor based on cost and turnaround.
Cost, Budget & Procurement
Own the yard and shop operating budget; manage maintenance cost per equipment hour against target.
Run parts inventory: stocking levels, reorder points, and shrinkage control; negotiate parts and vendor pricing.
Track and report labor efficiency, parts spend, fuel, and total cost of ownership by asset.
Maintain accurate cost capture in NetSuite (work orders, parts, labor, vendor bills) so equipment cost is properly allocated to operations.
Team Leadership
Hire, train, schedule, and develop the shop and yard team; set performance standards and hold the team to them.
Cross-train mechanics and operators to cover seasonal load and reduce single-point dependencies.
Manage workload and overtime to meet operational demand without uncontrolled labor cost.
Safety & Compliance
Own equipment safety: operator training, lockout/tagout, guarding, and pre-use inspections.
Maintain compliance with Cal/OSHA
Keep sprayer calibration, equipment inspection, and maintenance records audit-ready.
Investigate equipment-related incidents and close corrective actions.
Coordination with Fleet & Equipment Operations
Partner with the Director of Operations – Fleet & Equipment: deliver mechanically ready units to meet the deployment and utilization plan they own.
Give the Director real-time visibility into downtime, repair ETAs, and any units that are or will be out of service, so rental commitments and client expectations can be managed.
Set and meet repair turnaround and rent-ready service levels for the fleet.
Qualifications
Required
5+ years managing an equipment fleet, shop, or yard operation, including 2+ years in a supervisory/management role.
Working knowledge of diesel and gas engines, hydraulics, electrical, and drivetrain systems on agricultural or heavy equipment.
Demonstrated budget ownership and cost-control results.
Proven preventive-maintenance program management and downtime reduction.
Strong people management — hiring, scheduling, training, and accountability.
Proficiency with maintenance/inventory systems and ERP (NetSuite a plus); comfortable working from data.
Valid CA driver's license; clean record.
Preferred
Agricultural / vineyard equipment experience.
Bilingual English/Spanish.
Familiarity with Cal/OSHA, DOT, and CARB off-road diesel regulations.
Welding/fabrication capability.
Physical Requirements & Work Environment
Yard, shop, and field environments with exposure to weather, noise, dust, and chemicals.
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, and to stand, bend, climb, and work around heavy equipment.
Seasonal hours during peak periods (spray, harvest, frost); on-call for equipment-down situations.
Pay: $80,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Life insurance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
