Marine Service Manager

Compass Maritime Group•Saint Charles, MO

4d•Onsite

About The Position

An established full-service marina in Missouri is seeking a Marine Service Manager to take ownership of its service department, improve workflow and accountability, and build a consistently profitable operation. The manager will assess the department’s people, processes, workload, and financial performance, identify barriers to success, and implement a plan for improvement. The role includes responsibility for the department’s P&L and monthly revenue, gross-profit, productivity, and efficiency targets. The manager will monitor labor sales, billed hours, technician productivity, work in process, job margins, and expenses; improve estimating, scheduling, pricing, parts coordination, and workflow; and report results, challenges, staffing needs, and priorities to ownership. The manager will lead, coach, and hold marine service technicians accountable; assign and review work; address performance issues; and develop a plan to recruit, onboard, and retain technicians. They will inspect vessels, diagnose repairs, prepare and review estimates and work orders, guide difficult repairs, and support hands-on work when needed. They will manage jobs from diagnosis through authorization, scheduling, repair, quality control, invoicing, and delivery; improve use of Lightspeed; and safely operate the travel lift and oversee vessel handling. The position also requires clear customer communication about diagnoses, estimates, recommended repairs, and timelines, along with professional resolution of concerns. The manager is expected to be technically knowledgeable, financially disciplined, and accountable for measurable results, while prioritizing department leadership over becoming the most heavily scheduled technician.

Requirements

Proven record managing the P&L of a marine or similarly technical service department.
Demonstrated success meeting monthly service revenue targets and improving profitability.
Several years of experience managing service technicians.
Professional marine repair experience and strong diagnostic capabilities.
Experience working on a range of vessels, including cruisers or yachts over 40 feet.
Ability to prepare accurate, profitable repair estimates.
Technical judgment to evaluate labor expectations and technician performance.
Confidence establishing standards, addressing performance issues, and making difficult personnel decisions.
Strong customer-service and communication skills.
Experience operating a marine travel lift or closely related vessel-handling equipment.
Comfort learning and using service-management technology.
Valid driver’s license and commitment to workplace safety.

Nice To Haves

Experience rebuilding or improving an underperforming service department.
Experience with gasoline and diesel marine power systems.
Manufacturer or ABYC certifications.
Experience with Lightspeed or comparable service-management software.
Knowledge of fiberglass, gelcoat, bottom work, refinishing, or marine electrical systems.

Responsibilities

Take ownership of the service department’s P&L and achieve monthly revenue, gross-profit, productivity, and efficiency targets.
Monitor labor sales, billed hours, technician productivity, work in process, job margins, and department expenses.
Improve estimating, scheduling, pricing, parts coordination, and workflow.
Report results, challenges, staffing needs, and priorities to ownership.
Manage, coach, and hold technicians accountable for quality, productivity, attendance, safety, and professional conduct.
Assign work based on technician capabilities, job requirements, and revenue priorities; establish labor expectations and verify timely, correct completion.
Address conflict and performance issues, coach employees, and make personnel decisions when expectations are repeatedly not met.
Develop a plan to recruit, onboard, and retain technicians.
Inspect vessels, diagnose repair needs, and prepare accurate labor and parts estimates.
Review estimates, work orders, and completed repairs for accuracy, quality, and profitability.
Manage jobs from diagnosis through authorization, scheduling, repair, quality control, invoicing, and delivery.
Provide technical guidance on difficult repairs and perform hands-on work when needed to complete jobs properly and on schedule.
Improve the department’s use of Lightspeed for estimates, work orders, parts, billing, and reporting.
Safely operate the marina’s travel lift and oversee proper vessel handling procedures.
Explain diagnoses, estimates, recommended repairs, and timelines to customers; communicate proactively about changes.
Resolve customer concerns professionally while protecting the business’s interests and reputation.