Service Operations Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Service Team Lead

Company: Upstate Energy
Location: Gardiner, New York and surrounding Hudson Valley service area
Employment Type: Full time
Compensation: $38 to $42 per hour, based on experience
Schedule: Primarily daytime hours with participation in a compensated on call rotation

Position Overview

Upstate Energy is seeking an experienced Service Team Lead to help oversee and strengthen our growing HVAC and fuel service department.

This is a hands on leadership position for someone who can support technicians in the field, help organize daily service operations, maintain high workmanship standards, and ensure every job is completed and documented correctly.

The ideal candidate has strong experience with heating systems, particularly oil and propane equipment, and is comfortable balancing technical fieldwork with team leadership, scheduling, customer service, and operational accountability.

This is not a desk only management position. The Service Team Lead will remain actively involved in diagnostics, service calls, technical support, quality control, and emergency response.

Primary Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Technical Support

• Lead, support, and develop the service technicians
• Provide technical guidance on difficult service calls and installations
• Assist technicians with diagnostics, troubleshooting, and repair decisions
• Help train less experienced technicians and improve overall team capability
• Establish clear expectations for workmanship, professionalism, documentation, and customer communication
• Address performance or workflow issues promptly and professionally
• Promote a team focused culture built around accountability, communication, and reliable customer service

Daily Service Operations

• Help coordinate the daily service schedule based on technician availability, geography, urgency, and job complexity
• Maintain sufficient capacity for emergency and no heat calls
• Review open, incomplete, rescheduled, and follow up jobs
• Confirm that technicians have the correct parts, materials, equipment, and job information before dispatch
• Coordinate with the office team regarding customer concerns, job status, estimates, parts, and scheduling
• Reduce unnecessary travel, repeat visits, callbacks, and scheduling gaps
• Help ensure service jobs are completed and invoiced promptly

Field Service and Emergency Support

• Perform service, maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs as needed
• Troubleshoot oil, propane, heating, hot water, and related HVAC equipment
• Assist with complex system problems and recurring service issues
• Participate in the company’s compensated on call rotation
• Respond professionally to emergency and no heat situations
• Support installations, replacements, startups, and system commissioning when required
• Verify that completed work meets company standards and applicable safety requirements

Service Software and Job Documentation

• Ensure technicians review service history and equipment records before or during each service call
• Require technicians to enter missing equipment information and update incomplete or inaccurate records
• Confirm serial numbers, ownership status, equipment notes, photographs, and supporting files are entered when available
• Ensure technicians clock into each individual service job using the company’s service software
• Verify that all labor, parts, discounts, recommendations, and customer notes are entered accurately
• Confirm jobs are properly completed in the service software before they are submitted for invoicing
• Follow up on incomplete jobs and missing documentation
• Treat incomplete documentation as an operational and financial control issue, not simply an administrative mistake

Quality Control and Customer Service

• Review callbacks, repeat repairs, unresolved complaints, and workmanship concerns
• Identify whether problems resulted from diagnosis, installation, parts, scheduling, documentation, or communication
• Help prevent avoidable callbacks and lost labor
• Communicate clearly and professionally with customers
• Explain repair findings, available options, safety concerns, and recommended next steps
• Help resolve escalated customer issues while protecting the company’s reputation and financial interests
• Ensure discounts, warranty decisions, and no charge work are properly authorized and documented

Inventory, Parts, and Equipment

• Help maintain appropriate service parts and materials
• Identify commonly needed parts and recurring shortages
• Coordinate special order parts and follow up repairs
• Help ensure service vehicles remain organized and properly stocked
• Report damaged tools, vehicle problems, and equipment needs promptly
• Assist management in evaluating tools, equipment, training, and service department investments

Performance and Accountability

The Service Team Lead will help management monitor and improve:

• Completed service calls
• Technician utilization
• Billable labor
• Labor recovery
• Revenue and gross profit per service call
• Parts usage and markup
• Callback frequency
• Overtime
• Invoice completion time
• Open and incomplete jobs
• Maintenance agreement activity
• Customer complaints and unresolved issues
• Service software documentation compliance

Required Qualifications

• Significant hands on experience servicing heating and HVAC equipment
• Strong experience with oil fired and propane fired systems
• Demonstrated diagnostic and troubleshooting ability
• Ability to lead technicians while remaining actively involved in fieldwork
• Strong communication and customer service skills
• Ability to prioritize emergency calls, scheduled work, and technician capacity
• Ability to use mobile applications and service management software
• Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record
• Ability to work independently and make sound field decisions
• Willingness to participate in an on call rotation
• Commitment to safety, workmanship, documentation, and accountability

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience as a lead technician, field supervisor, service coordinator, or service department leader
• Experience with boilers, furnaces, water heaters, hydronic systems, propane equipment, and oil heating systems
• EPA certification and other applicable HVAC or fuel related certifications
• Experience training or mentoring technicians
• Experience reviewing estimates, service invoices, parts, labor, and warranty work
• Familiarity with service dispatching, field management, or customer account software

Physical and Working Requirements

This position includes office, shop, vehicle, and field responsibilities. The employee must be able to safely perform HVAC and heating service work in varying weather conditions and working environments, including basements, mechanical rooms, crawlspaces, attics, and outdoor equipment locations.

The position may require lifting tools, parts, and equipment; climbing stairs and ladders; kneeling; bending; and working around heating equipment, fuel systems, electrical components, and moving machinery.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who takes ownership of the service department’s daily performance.

The right candidate will not wait for problems to become emergencies. This person will help technicians succeed, maintain accurate job records, communicate with the office, protect the customer experience, and make sure completed work is properly documented and billed.

The successful candidate will be technically capable, organized, dependable, calm under pressure, and willing to hold themselves and the team accountable.

About Upstate Energy

Upstate Energy is a growing Hudson Valley fuel distribution and HVAC service company providing propane, heating oil, diesel, gasoline, HVAC service and installation, emergency service, generators, pool heaters, tanks, cylinder filling, and customer fuel programs.

We are focused on building a professional, reliable, and accountable service operation that delivers quality work while supporting long term growth.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume along with a brief summary of your heating, HVAC, oil, propane, leadership, and service department experience.

Qualified candidates will be contacted to discuss the position, schedule, experience, and compensation.