General Manager - Commercial Mechanical Contractor

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Bonus based on performance
• Company car
• Dental insurance

Shaw Boiler and Mechanical
Portsmouth, Virginia
$120,000–$150,000 annually, based on experience
Performance-Based Bonus | Company Vehicle | Full Benefits

Position Overview:

Shaw Boiler and Mechanical is seeking an exceptional General Manager to serve as the company’s senior operational leader, reporting directly to the President.

This is a high-level leadership position with broad authority over our employees, managers, office operations, field coordination, hiring, performance management, safety, and company procedures. The General Manager will work directly with our Account Managers, field leadership, service scheduler, accounting personnel, and other office employees to ensure continuity, accountability, and consistent execution throughout the company.

We are not looking for someone who is learning the commercial mechanical industry or stepping into management for the first time. We need an experienced, highly professional leader with at least 10 years of commercial mechanical-contractor experience and a strong working understanding of commercial HVAC, boilers, piping, welding, service operations, construction projects, and field safety.

The successful candidate does not need to be the company’s most advanced technician. However, this person must understand the work well enough to communicate effectively with skilled tradespeople, recognize operational and technical problems, ask the right questions, and hold employees and managers accountable.

About Shaw Boiler and Mechanical

Shaw Boiler and Mechanical is a commercial and industrial mechanical contractor specializing in boiler systems, steam and hydronic systems, commercial and industrial HVAC, piping, welding, mechanical construction, service, and emergency response.

We support hospitals, industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, institutional customers, and other mission-critical operations throughout Hampton Roads and surrounding regions. Our customers depend on us to perform demanding work safely, professionally, and correctly.

We are building a stronger, more structured, and increasingly self-sufficient organization. The General Manager will play a central role in that effort and will have the opportunity to earn greater executive responsibility as the company continues to grow.

Primary Responsibilities

Company Leadership and Accountability

• Serve as the highest-ranking employee beneath the President.
• Provide consistent leadership across office and field operations.
• Directly manage Account Managers, field supervisors, the service scheduler, accounting personnel, and other designated employees.
• Establish clear expectations and hold managers and employees accountable for performance, conduct, communication, and follow-through.
• Address employee and operational problems promptly, professionally, and consistently.
• Make routine operating and personnel decisions without requiring the President’s approval at every step.
• Maintain a visible understanding of current workload, manpower demands, scheduling pressures, and operational priorities.
• Work closely with the service scheduler without taking over the daily scheduling function.
• Ensure strong communication and continuity between Account Managers, office personnel, field leadership, and field employees.
• Identify breakdowns between departments and implement practical, lasting corrections.

Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding

• Review applications and identify qualified candidates.
• Conduct professional, thorough interviews.
• Check references and employment history.
• Make employment offers within established and approved compensation ranges.
• Coordinate and oversee employee onboarding.
• Help the company recruit and retain qualified boiler technicians, HVAC technicians, welders, pipefitters, field leaders, Account Managers, and office personnel.
• Maintain high hiring standards and avoid filling positions simply to fill an opening.

Employee Performance and Development

• Create and implement a formal employee evaluation program.
• Conduct fair, meaningful, and properly documented performance evaluations.
• Establish measurable expectations for employees and managers.
• Recognize strong performance and address inadequate performance directly.
• Develop written performance-improvement plans when necessary.
• Provide coaching, corrective direction, and disciplinary action.
• Exercise the authority to hire, discipline, and terminate employees within company policy.
• Handle employee concerns and workplace disputes calmly, fairly, and without favoritism.
• Help capable employees grow into positions of greater responsibility.

Procedures and Operational Improvement

• Review, document, establish, and improve procedures throughout office and field operations.
• Ensure approved procedures are understood, practical, and consistently followed.
• Improve communication, handoffs, documentation, and accountability between departments.
• Identify inefficient or outdated practices and implement better processes.
• Help establish a professional management structure that does not depend on the President’s involvement in every daily decision.
• Approve routine purchases within established authority and company guidelines.
• Ensure operational issues are resolved at the appropriate management level.
• Bring significant matters to the President with clear facts, sound judgment, and recommended solutions.

Safety and Compliance

• Oversee the company’s safety program and promote a strong safety culture.
• Ensure required safety meetings, training, and documentation are completed.
• Monitor compliance with company safety policies and applicable workplace requirements.
• Oversee incident reporting and investigations.
• Identify contributing causes and implement corrective action.
• Hold managers and employees accountable for unsafe behavior and failure to follow established procedures.
• Work with accounting personnel and outside providers as needed while administrative compliance functions remain with their assigned parties.

Scope of Authority

The General Manager will have meaningful authority to:

• Hire employees within approved staffing and compensation parameters.
• Discipline and terminate employees in accordance with company policy.
• Establish and enforce operating procedures.
• Conduct evaluations and implement performance-improvement plans.
• Resolve employee disputes.
• Hold Account Managers, supervisors, office personnel, and field employees accountable.
• Approve routine purchases within established limits.
• Make normal day-to-day personnel and operational decisions.

The President will retain responsibility for ownership strategy, major financial decisions, key customer relationships, major proposals, capital expenditures, and final compensation decisions.

This position is not responsible for sales or business development and will not own customer accounts. It is also not a financial-management position responsible for budgets, receivables, job costing, gross-profit analysis, or company financial reporting.

Required Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience working for a commercial mechanical contractor.
• Substantial experience managing employees in commercial mechanical service, construction, or both.
• Working knowledge of commercial HVAC systems, boilers, steam and hydronic systems, piping, welding, mechanical construction, service operations, and field safety.
• Demonstrated ability to lead experienced office personnel, managers, supervisors, and skilled tradespeople.
• Experience recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, evaluating, disciplining, and developing employees.
• Ability to recognize operational and technical concerns without personally performing every technical task.
• Experience developing, documenting, implementing, and enforcing company procedures.
• Strong organizational and decision-making abilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional appearance and conduct.
• Sound judgment, discretion, integrity, and the ability to handle confidential information.
• Ability to use or learn field-service management platforms, Microsoft 365, and related business systems.
• Valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.

A college degree is not required. Exceptional industry experience, leadership ability, and demonstrated results are more important than formal education.

Previous ASME, NBIC, or National Board R-Stamp experience is not required.

Leadership Qualities We Require

The right person will be:

• Direct, decisive, and consistent.
• Calm and professional under pressure.
• Fair, but unwilling to ignore poor performance or unacceptable conduct.
• Comfortable having difficult conversations.
• Capable of earning the respect of experienced tradespeople.
• Highly organized and attentive to details.
• Able to distinguish between an isolated mistake and a repeated accountability problem.
• Willing to listen before making decisions.
• Focused on solutions instead of excuses.
• Consistent in applying company policies without favoritism.
• Confident enough to make decisions and accountable enough to own the results.
• Able to work independently while keeping the President appropriately informed.

We are looking for a leader who follows through. Problems cannot be allowed to linger, expectations cannot change depending on the employee, and established procedures must mean something.

Position Details

• Full-time, salaried, exempt leadership position.
• Reports exclusively to the President.
• Fully on-site at our Portsmouth, Virginia office.
• Normal schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with additional hours as necessary.
• Must remain reachable for serious employee or operational emergencies after hours.
• No routine travel is required.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary of $120,000–$150,000 annually , based on qualifications and experience.
• Annual performance bonus based on written performance objectives.
• Company vehicle and fuel.
• Company-provided phone and iPad.
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• 401(k) with a 5% company match.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• Paid holidays.
• Professional development and continuing-education opportunities.
• Relocation assistance may be available for an exceptionally qualified candidate.
• Opportunity for increased executive responsibility based on performance and company growth.

Who Should Apply

This position is intended for an accomplished commercial mechanical-contracting leader who has already managed employees, understands the demands of field service and construction, and is ready to assume genuine company-wide authority.

Candidates whose management experience is primarily in residential service, retail, restaurants, hospitality, manufacturing production, or unrelated industries will not meet the experience requirements for this position.

If you are a disciplined, knowledgeable, and highly professional leader who knows how to strengthen people, improve operations, establish accountability, and build an organization that performs consistently, we invite you to apply.

Please submit a current résumé detailing your commercial mechanical-contracting experience, management responsibilities, team size, hiring experience, operational accomplishments, and reasons for pursuing this position.

Shaw Boiler and Mechanical is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, performance, and legitimate business requirements.