Senior Commercial HVAC Service Technician

Now Hiring Full-Time Chicagoland, IL Field / Lead Role The tech everyone calls when it’s complicated. Homestead Service Partners · Chicagoland $75K–$100K+ Overtime Rate Health Truck + Tools + Phone What this job actually is. Homestead Service Partners is hiring a Senior HVAC Technician in Chicago to lead diagnostics, mentor junior techs, and manage key commercial accounts at an established Chicagoland service company. $75K–$100K+ base, overtime, full benefits, and a take-home truck. You’re the person the team calls when something’s complex, the customer calls when something’s critical, and the GM leans on when technical decisions need to be made. This is the “problem solver” seat at an established Chicagoland commercial HVAC service company — owned and operated by Homestead. You’ll handle the toughest diagnostics, mentor junior techs, help build SOPs from tribal knowledge, and play a direct role in quoting and scoping work accurately. This isn’t just a higher-paid tech position — it’s a leadership role on the service team with real influence over how the operation runs. Homestead buys commercial HVAC companies and keeps them. We protect teams, invest in better tools, and build systems so the company doesn’t depend on one person to solve every problem. You’ll help us build that redundancy — by sharing what you know and developing the next generation of skilled technicians. This isn’t just a senior title. It’s a different scope of responsibility. Executes work orders, follows PM checklists, reports findings, and communicates with dispatch. Does good work on the calls they’re assigned. Diagnoses what others can’t. Mentors the team. Scopes and quotes work. Manages key accounts. Helps build the systems the company runs on. Gets paid accordingly. What you’ll actually do. Diagnostics & Technical Leadership Lead the hard calls: Handle the service calls that stump other techs — intermittent failures, controls issues, refrigerant circuit problems, multi-system interactions on commercial equipment. Mentor junior techs: Ride along, coach through troubleshooting sequences, and help build diagnostic confidence. You’re the person who turns good technicians into great ones. Quote and scope work: Accurately assess repair vs. replace decisions. Provide detailed, honest estimates. Your technical credibility is the foundation for the company’s pricing integrity. Document tribal knowledge: Work with the GM to turn “how we do things here” into repeatable playbooks — diagnostic workflows, PM checklists, parts markup guidelines, call handling. Turn what’s in your head into a system anyone can follow. Customer Management & Operations Own key accounts: Be the primary technical contact for the company’s top 20–30 accounts. Build trust with facility managers through competence, communication, and follow-through. They request you by name. Handle emergencies: Take the critical calls for the company’s most important accounts. Meet SLA commitments, communicate status clearly, resolve issues under pressure. Support tech implementation: Help the GM evaluate and integrate new field service software. Provide field-level feedback on what works and what doesn’t. Help train the team on new digital workflows. Set the safety standard: Lead by example on PPE compliance, lead safety discussions, report near-misses. 98% PPE compliance and zero lost‑time incidents are non‑negotiable. "I’ve been the guy everyone calls for 15 years. This is the first shop that actually pays me for it and gives me room to teach what I know." What you won’t deal with here. Senior techs have seen it all — including bad shops that exploit their expertise. Here’s what’s off the table: We don’t do this Treat your expertise as free consulting for the sales team Stack you with 6 calls a day because “you’re faster” Pay you the same as a 3-year tech because “that’s the scale” Burn you out on on‑call because “you’re the best one” Promote someone else to lead tech because they’ve been there longer Pay that reflects what you actually do, not just your title A dispatch schedule that respects call complexity, not just volume Overtime at 1.5× — every hour, every time A take‑home truck stocked with real diagnostic tools Health, dental, and vision coverage Room to teach, mentor, and shape how the team operates Who we’re looking for. 5+ years of hands‑on commercial HVAC experience — with a track record of solving problems that other techs elevate to you. EPA Universal Certification — required. Deep diagnostic ability across electrical, mechanical, controls, and refrigerant systems. You read schematics like a second language. BMS/DDC experience — Tridium Niagara, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Siemens, or similar. Comfortable quoting and scoping work. You understand the difference between a $2,000 repair and a $20,000 replacement — and can explain why to a customer. A natural teacher who enjoys helping less experienced techs level up. Patience and clarity, not ego. Professional, reliable, trusted by customers. Facility managers request you by name. Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record. Nice to have, not required. NATE certification or manufacturer‑specific training (Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Daikin, York) Experience on chillers, VRF/VRV systems, cooling towers, and process cooling — not just RTUs Familiarity with commercial refrigeration and ASHRAE standards Field service software experience (ServiceTitan, BuildOps, ServiceTrade) OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certification Journeyman or Master HVAC license (Illinois) Experience in a post‑acquisition environment or familiarity with how service companies professionalize operations after ownership transitions How the pay actually works. Base pay reflects seniority, expertise, and diagnostic range. No games. Here’s the real breakdown: Senior Tech $75K–$85K 5–7 yrs commercial Strong diagnostician across most equipment. Handles escalations, starting to mentor. Comfortable quoting standard repairs. Lead Tech $85K–$95K 7–10 yrs commercial Deep expertise across chillers, boilers, controls, BAS. Owns the hardest jobs. Actively mentors. Manages top customer relationships. $95K–$110K+ 10+ yrs commercial Top‑tier diagnostics plus operational influence. Helps set technical standards. Path to service manager or technical director. Plus overtime at 1.5×, take‑home truck, health/dental/vision, PTO, paid holidays, boot and tool allowance, and paid continuing education. The point: this is a company that pays senior techs what they’re actually worth — and gives them room to grow into leadership. Questions senior techs actually ask. How many calls per day? Fewer than you’re running now. Senior calls take longer because they’re harder. Dispatch respects that — typically 2–3 calls with real diagnostic time built in. Do I have to sell? No. You quote and scope your own calls honestly — that’s part of being trusted with the work. Larger technical sales, like full system proposals across multiple accounts, go through our HVAC Sales Engineer role, which we’re also hiring for. Different job, same standard of technical credibility. What’s the on-call rotation? Shared rotation with the team — typically one week out of every four or five. Paid stipend plus hourly for calls taken. You’re not the default because you’re the best. What truck and tools? Late‑model service van, fully stocked. Major diagnostic and specialty tools are provided. Boot and tool allowance paid annually for your own hand tools. Is mentoring required or optional? It’s part of the role, not an afterthought. You’ll ride along with junior techs, walk them through diagnostics, and help build their confidence. It’s how we make the team better without depending on one person forever. What’s the path from here? Service manager, technical director, or a role across multiple portfolio companies as Homestead grows. We’re building an organization, not just filling a seat. You’ve built the expertise. Now get paid for it. #J-18808-Ljbffr