Service Operations Manager (Solar - Bay Area)

Simply Solar • Petaluma, CA

43d • $80,000 - $100,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

As our Service Sales & Operations Manager, you'll take full ownership of Simply Solar's entire service division. This includes both supporting Simply Solar's existing customers with warranty claims and system issues, and our growing external service operations serving the broader Bay Area market. In the early stages, you'll be boots on the ground-responding to customer inquiries, quoting jobs, coordinating with technicians across both teams, managing schedules, reviewing follow-up actions from system inspections, and handling all the details that keep a service division running smoothly. You'll be directly responsible for sales, scheduling, revenue, customer satisfaction, and building the processes that will allow us to scale. Your immediate priorities are to streamline operations within our existing client services division, ensure our Simply Solar customers continue receiving exceptional support, and build out systems and processes that enable our external service business to grow rapidly. Over time, as we add capacity and refine operations, this position is designed to evolve into a regional leadership role where you'll manage a larger team and shape long-term strategy. But first, you need to prove you can do the work yourself and build the foundation for that growth.

Requirements

• 3 to 5+ years in residential solar service or a closely related trade like electrical, roofing, or HVAC. You need to understand how solar systems work, how they fail, and how to fix them.
• Proven team leadership experience. You've managed field technicians and internal staff, ideally in a service or operations environment.
• Technical aptitude with inverters (Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, SMA), batteries, monitoring portals, and NEC code basics. You don't need to be a licensed electrician, but you should be able to have intelligent conversations with techs and customers about technical issues.
• Proven ability to scope and close service work. You've done this before. You know how to walk a customer through an estimate, handle objections, and get to yes.
• Strong operational skills. You're organized, detail-oriented, and able to juggle multiple priorities without dropping balls.
• Proficiency with CRM and ticketing systems. Experience with platforms like ServiceTitan, HubSpot, or similar is valuable. We use Salesforce, solarOS, and our own internal tools.
• Excellent communication skills. You can explain technical concepts to non-technical homeowners with empathy and patience.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with Enphase Enlighten, Tesla app, SolarEdge monitoring
• Experience integrating or streamlining operations across multiple service teams or divisions.
• Comfort with upselling maintenance plans, battery additions, or system expansions in a consultative way.
• NABCEP certification or relevant electrical licenses (helpful but not required).

Responsibilities

• Oversee both internal staff and field technicians across client services and external service operations.
• Unify workflows, communication standards, and quality processes across both internal and external service teams.
• Mentor and develop team members, conduct performance reviews, and identify training needs.
• Build a cohesive service culture focused on quality, responsiveness, and customer care.
• Respond to inbound service inquiries and convert them into booked jobs. You'll be the first point of contact for many customers, so your ability to listen, diagnose, and reassure matters.
• Build detailed, accurate estimates for inverter replacements, critter guard installations, system cleaning, battery additions, and array expansions.
• Present financing options and upgrade opportunities in a way that feels helpful, not pushy.
• Follow up on open quotes, close deals, and keep the pipeline moving.
• Triage incoming tickets across both divisions, determine urgency, and coordinate with technicians to scope and schedule jobs efficiently.
• Prep job kits, order parts, and make sure techs have what they need before they roll out.
• Manage day-of changes, last-minute schedule adjustments, and the inevitable curveballs that come with service work.
• Enforce photo documentation, quality checklists, and compliance with safety and permitting standards.
• Handle inverter RMAs, warranty claims, and manufacturer coordination.
• Review completed work, catch issues early, and ensure quality control before jobs are closed out.
• Provide proactive updates throughout the service process and set clear expectations about timelines and costs.
• Follow up post-service to confirm issues are resolved and explore opportunities for ongoing maintenance or system upgrades.
• Handle escalations with empathy and professionalism. Many of our external service customers have "orphaned" systems from installers who are no longer around, so they need someone they can trust.
• Turn one-time repair customers into long-term maintenance subscribers.
• Ensure Simply Solar installation customers receive the same exceptional service experience that earned their business in the first place.
• Track and report on performance metrics, including lead conversion, response times, ticket cycle times, technician utilization, and customer satisfaction.
• Maintain dashboards that give leadership visibility into operations across both service divisions.
• Identify bottlenecks in workflows, propose improvements, and implement solutions without waiting to be asked.
• Collaborate with field techs, internal staff, management, and OEM partners to solve problems and improve efficiency.
• Document processes, build playbooks, and create training materials that will support future hires as we scale.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• PTO
• mileage reimbursement for field travel
• Support for certifications, training, and industry conferences as you grow in the role

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Specialty Trade Contractors
• Education Level: No Education Listed