Director of Technical Training

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Elite Marine A/C is a leading South Florida marine HVAC service business serving 100ft+ yachts, in active growth mode toward $20M. Part of a privately owned portfolio (alongside Spot Zero Reverse Osmosis and Southern Marine Supply).

THE OPPORTUNITY

There is no marine-specific HVAC training program in the industry today. You’ll build it. This is a strategic investment into the business and its current and future team members. Once established, you’ll open the training up to apprenticeship candidates as a channel to funnel new technical talent into the marine industry.

WHAT YOU’LL DELIVER IN YEAR 1

1. Ship ~12 modules, basics-first. Build a proprietary marine HVAC curriculum at a cadence of one module shipped every 1–2 weeks, with in-house tech training delivered the following week. Each course is 1–3 hours of direct instruction. Cycle through ship ? train ? feedback ? improve. Course examples: plumbing, electrical, equipment sizing, electronic controls, pumps, etc. Year 1 covers the fundamentals across the trade. Year 2 goes deeper.
2. Internal upskilling track active across the EMAC tech bench. Every existing technician enrolled in their development track by end of Q3; certification rubric in place; post-training assessments tracking measurable improvement. Trained techs report higher confidence, fewer callbacks, faster diagnostics on documented module topics.
3. Spot Zero water-purification training administered to EMAC techs. Existing SZ training is the baseline; you administer it to the EMAC techs who service SZ products + make light updates as needed. SZ scope: RO system fundamentals, dock-side troubleshooting, water-chemistry basics.
4. Trade school grad apprenticeship pipeline launched. Apprenticeship work begins when ~60% of HVAC curriculum has shipped (around month 4–6). By end of Q4: formal partnership with at least one HVAC trade school (UTI as primary target), 2–4 apprentices onboarded in cohort 1, structured 12-month apprenticeship program documented (classroom instruction ? mentored shop hours ? independent technician status). Year-2 apprentice-to-billable-tech conversion metric defined.
5. Tech-benchmark foundations measured, leading indicators improving. Establish a baseline metric for EMAC’s marine-HVAC-tech bench depth (qualified techs vs. billable demand) in Q1. Track leading indicators monthly: post-training assessment scores rising, time-to-fill on tech reqs improving, voluntary turnover dropping.

YEAR 2 TRAJECTORY

Once the basics are shipped, you’ll go deeper: advanced systems, OEM-specific certifications, journeyman-to-master pathways. The Y2 moat outcome — a measurably narrower gap between qualified techs and billable demand, driven by apprentice-to-tech conversions and reduced turnover — becomes the headline metric.

WHAT YOU OWN END-TO-END

• Curriculum content, methodology, and certification criteria — what gets taught, how it’s assessed, what passing means.
• Apprenticeship program structure — length, milestone gates, evaluation rubric, day-to-day program operations.
• Module sequencing and delivery method — in-person, shadow-based, structured workshop, hybrid.
• SZ training delivery + light updates — administer existing SZ curriculum to EMAC techs; flag if material redesign becomes warranted.

MUST-HAVES

• Engineering background — Mechanical Engineer (ME) or MEP engineer — with documented field experience. Field-commissioning, on-site troubleshooting, or hands-on systems work. Pure design-firm-only background does not qualify. Anchor: bring artifacts demonstrating field engineering experience — commissioning reports, troubleshooting case studies, or documented systems projects you executed on-site.
• Demonstrated curriculum-building experience — designed, written, or systematically delivered training programs (formal training role, instructor at an HVAC or trade school, or technical-training background within an engineering service or industrial co), OR equivalent practitioner-trainer experience with documented results. Anchor: applicants must submit a representative artifact with their application — a syllabus, module structure, assessment rubric, or curriculum doc you built.
• Practical teaching skill — ability to deliver instruction to working technicians who have varying experience levels and learning preferences.
• Operational discipline — can ship on cadence (one course every 1–2 weeks is a real shipping rhythm; not a “we’ll get to it” pace).
• Comfort with greenfield scope — this role doesn’t have a template; you’ll build the playbook as you go.
• Ability to digest unfamiliar industry standards (marine HVAC, marine water systems) and translate them into practical, technician-level instruction.

NICE-TO-HAVES

• Apprenticeship program design or trade-school faculty experience.
• Spanish fluency (helpful for South FL marine workforce).
• Familiarity with reverse osmosis / water purification systems (useful for the SZ portion of the role).

LOCATION AND WORK MODEL

On-site at Fort Lauderdale, FL. The role requires direct interaction with EMAC’s technicians, hands-on work in the shop and dockside, and collaboration with leadership team.

Pre-Employment Conditions

• Background check and drug screening

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience.
• Leadership Bonus Program tied to operating KPIs.
• 100% employer-paid health, dental, vision, and life insurance (employee-only coverage).
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid holidays and PTO.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

EEO Statement:

Elite Marine A/C is an equal opportunity employer and administers all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law.