Service Manager

JBT Marel • Visalia, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The role of the Service Manager is to provide guidance and support to our technical service teams and customers. This position will make necessary recommendations to the various systems to improve performance at our customer facilities. It will also be responsible for improving best practices among the JBT Marel technical service departments in the FPT division (California and East Coast – U.S.). The Service Manager will provide proper support by visiting customer sites to identify potential opportunities for improvement and ensure customer satisfaction with JBT Marel in responsiveness of technical support. They will respond to unplanned events and solve customer technical problems, and be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of JBT products versus the competition by evaluating competitors’ product performance. The role involves participating in equipment surveys to learn about identifying and correcting areas in customer facilities. With the assistance of senior TSAs, the Service Manager will anticipate seasonal trends and warn customers, account managers and technical colleagues of possible impacts and mitigation measures. They will maintain open communications with regional TSAs and Account Managers to stay abreast and keep others informed of customer needs, account status, and Technical recommendations. The position requires preparing and presenting technical seminars to customers and potential customers, gathering relevant industry information and distributing it, and providing support and assistance to R&D personnel during product and service evaluation, offering accurate and objective feedback. The Service Manager will have direct customer contact across all product lines for sales/technical assistance, quotations, service calls, project management, and problem resolution, working with customers at all levels of an organization. They will also interact with counterparts from other JBT manufacturing/sales locations for technical information, proposal/project coordination, and resource scheduling, and with subcontractors for establishing contracts and scheduling resources/equipment. Frequent interface amongst all departments in the business/division for coordination is also required. The role is responsible for managing an approximate $5.5M annual department budget and an annual sales volume of around $10M, maximizing profitability. It requires outstanding people management skills, a very high degree of supervision to ensure safety, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, employee development, training, and morale, with daily contact with service technicians. The manager must be willing to spend time in the field with service techs, customers, and equipment, and deal with a variety of personalities, resolving personal problems and coordinating with Human Resources as needed. The ideal candidate will exhibit enthusiasm, forethought, creativity, a sense of urgency, and be results-oriented, with an affinity for positive/value-added and continual change, customer-focused and results-driven, developing and promoting positive customer relationships.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Biology, Horticulture or related discipline.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in technical service, handling chemicals & working w/ postharvest chemical application systems.
• Basic understanding of agricultural practices (pre and post-harvest), preferably in citrus processing.
• Strong technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Understand and contribute to Food Safety processes.
• Comfortable multi-tasking and pays attention to detail.
• Conscientious and self-motivated; able to work without direct supervision.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to use a computer and Microsoft products (Office, Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint).
• Must have a valid Driver’s License.
• Willing to work out of town, out of state and internationally if needed.
• Availability for extended hours, overnights, weekends and/or variable schedules, especially during the processing season (ex. work 8+ hours per day, up to 7 days per week) if needed.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual in Spanish highly preferred

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance and support to our technical service teams and customers.
• Make necessary recommendations to the various systems to improve performance at our customer facilities.
• Improve best practices among the JBT Marel technical service departments in the FPT division (California and East Coast – U.S.).
• Provide proper support by visiting customer sites to identify potential opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure customer satisfaction with JBT Marel in responsiveness of technical support.
• Respond to unplanned events and solve customer technical problems.
• Be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of JBT products versus the competition by evaluating our competitors’ product performance.
• Participate in equipment surveys to learn about identifying and correcting areas in customer facilities.
• Anticipate seasonal trends and warn customers, account managers and technical colleagues of the possible impacts and mitigation measures needed to avoid problems (with the assistance of senior TSAs).
• Maintain open communications with regional TSAs and Account Managers to stay abreast and keep others informed of customer needs, account status, and Technical recommendations.
• Prepare and present technical seminars to customers and potential customers to support our products and services as required by the business or if requested by the Account Managers.
• Gather relevant industry information and distribute to customers by special bulletins, contact discussions, and emails.
• Provide support and assistance to R&D personnel during the evaluation of products and services.
• Provide accurate and objective feedback to R&D personnel on the performance of new and existing products.
• Direct customer contact across all product lines in providing sales/technical assistance, quotations, service calls, project management, problem resolution, etc.
• Work with customers at all levels of an organization.
• Coordinate with counterparts from other JBT manufacturing/sales locations for the purpose of providing or receiving technical information, coordinating on proposals and/or projects, and scheduling resources between us.
• Coordinate with subcontractors for the purpose of establishing contracts and scheduling resources and equipment for projects.
• Interface amongst all departments in the business/division for the purpose of coordination as needed.
• Manage an approximate $5.5M annual department budget.
• Actively manage staff and activity levels to balance absorption and customer satisfaction.
• Manage an annual sales volume of around $10M, and maximizing profitability.
• Provide a very high degree of supervision in order to ensure safety, responsiveness, customer satisfaction; and employee development, training and moral.
• Maintain daily contact with the service technicians.
• Spend some of the time out in the field with the service techs, customers and equipment.
• Deal with a variety of personalities, resolve personal problems, and coordinate with Human Resource as needed to resolve issues that could negatively impact the business.
• Exhibit a high degree of enthusiasm, forethought, creativity, sense of urgency, and be results oriented.
• Exhibit an affinity for positive/value added and continual change.
• Be customer focused and results driven, thus developing and promoting positive customer relationships.

Benefits

• Development and opportunities to allow you to be the best version of yourself at work, at home, and in your community.
• Genuine inclusive team culture enjoying collaborative working across our global teams to deliver world-class projects.
• Encouragement for development - ensuring new experiences and challenges at JBT to feed your growth!
• Growth potential of a company with developing technology that is unique in its field.
• Competitive benefits package includes medical, dental and vision coverage and 401(k) plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager