Service Manager

Position Summary

Tennessee Valley Equipment is seeking an experienced heavy equipment Service Manager to lead the service department at our Columbia, TN dealership. This person owns the full-service cycle — from the customer's first call through diagnosis, repair, quality check, invoicing and follow-up — and is accountable for technician productivity, work-order accuracy, warranty compliance, shop safety, and service department profitability.

This is a hands-on leadership role. The Service Manager sets the daily schedule, manages a team of shoptechnicians, and works closely with the Parts and Sales departments to keep customers' equipment running and their downtime short.

Key Responsibilities

Operations and Scheduling

• Plan and manage the daily service schedule for shop technicians, balancing workload, urgency, and technician skill set. Open, monitor, and close work orders; ensure labor hours, parts, and shop supplies are captured accurately and billed on time. Coordinate with the Parts department on parts availability, special orders, and core returns to prevent jobs from stalling. Manage work-in-process, minimize comebacks, and keep aged open work orders and unbilled labor to a minimum.

Team Leadership

• Supervise, coach and develop shop technicians, including hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and performance reviews. Set and monitor technician performance standards — billable/productive hours, efficiency, and repair quality. Identify training needs and coordinate manufacturer and vendor training to keep certifications current. Lead by example on safety, professionalism, and customer service; enforce shop safety rules, PPE use, and OSHA-compliant practices.

Customer and Financial Accountability

• Serve as the primary escalation point for service customers; communicate estimates, repair status, timelines and change orders clearly and proactively. Prepare, review and approve repair estimates and final invoices; resolve billing disputes fairly and quickly. Manage the service department to budget — labor rate, gross margin, expense control and department profitability. Administer warranty and manufacturer programs: submit claims accurately and on time, track credits, and maintain required documentation. Report on service department KPIs and provide input on labor rates, staffing levels, tooling, and capital equipment needs.

Facility and Compliance

• Maintain a clean, organized, safe shop and yard, and ensure tools, lifts, diagnostic equipment and service vehicles are maintained and inspected. Ensure compliance with company policy and applicable federal, state and local regulations, including environmental handling of fluids, filters and waste.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience as a Service Manager at a heavy equipment dealership is preferred. Demonstrated working knowledge of heavy equipment systems: diesel engines, hydraulics, electrical and electronic controls, powertrain, and undercarriage. Proven track record supervising a team of technicians, including scheduling, performance management, and development. Hands-on experience with dealership service operations — work orders, flat-rate and time-and-material billing, warranty claim submission, and service department P&L. Proficiency with dealership management or service management software, plus Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word). Strong written and verbal communication skills and a customer-first approach under pressure. Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record. Ability to pass a pre-employment background check and drug screen. High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Manufacturer service training or certifications from a major heavy equipment OEM. Experience in agricultural, construction, or compact equipment markets served by an authorized dealer. Associate degree or technical certification in diesel technology, heavy equipment technology, or business management. Prior responsibility for a service department budget or profit center.

Skills and Attributes

• Organized and decisive — able to re-prioritize a full schedule when a customer goes down unexpectedly. Financially literate — understands labor rate, effective rate, gross profit, and how technician efficiency drives both. Calm and credible with customers, technicians, and manufacturer reps alike. Comfortable holding people accountable to standards of the company. Detail-oriented in documentation; warranty and billing accuracy is a core part of the job.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in a shop, yard, office, and occasionally at customer job sites; exposure to noise, dust, fumes, moving equipment, and seasonal weather. Must be able to move about the shop and job sites, climb on and off equipment, and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds. Requires standard business hours with additional hours during peak season; occasional after-hours or weekend availability for down-equipment situations. Some local travel to customer sites and to manufacturer training.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base Salary: $80,000 and up annual base salary plus depending on experience. Health Insurance: Medical / dental / vision Vacation eligibility

Pay: $80,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person