Position Summary
The Operations Manager is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and performance of Impact Diesel Performance, overseeing the people, workflow, customer experience, and operating systems that support commercial service and fleet maintenance requirements.
Working closely with senior leadership, this role provides leadership across service, parts, and the shop floor while ensuring commercial customer work and fleet maintenance requirements for a related company are scheduled and completed effectively. The Operations Manager maintains a strong understanding of shop capacity, technician productivity, work in progress, and operational performance while creating the structure and accountability required for consistent execution.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who understands the heavy-duty service industry and can move comfortably between operational decisions, employee leadership, customer conversations, and performance planning. The Operations Manager is expected to know what is happening across the operation, recognize where attention is required, and have the experience and judgment to act.
Why the Role Exists
The Operations Manager provides the dedicated day-to-day leadership needed to move the operation forward. Immediate priorities include improving shop workflow and labour utilization, completing the adoption of new shop management technology, creating better visibility into work in progress and performance, strengthening accountability, and balancing commercial customer service requirements with the fleet maintenance needs of a related company.
As the operation develops, this role will contribute to planning, budgets, performance targets, process improvement, and decisions that support the continued growth of the service business.
Reporting Relationship and Team Context
Reporting to senior leadership, the Operations Manager leads the day-to-day operation of Impact Diesel Performance and works closely with employees across service, parts, and the shop floor.
The role is responsible for balancing commercial customer commitments with the fleet maintenance requirements of a related company and available shop capacity. This requires regular communication across the business to ensure priorities are understood, resources are being used effectively, and work continues to move.
The Operations Manager is expected to maintain regular communication with senior leadership while independently managing day-to-day operational matters. Larger decisions, emerging concerns, business performance, and priorities requiring additional direction should be brought forward for discussion.
Key Responsibilities
- Operational Leadership & Shop Performance
- Lead the day-to-day operation of the business, establishing the structure, priorities, and accountability required for consistent performance.
- Oversee shop workflow, scheduling, labour utilization, capacity, and work in progress to ensure work moves efficiently from intake through completion.
- Coordinate commercial customer work and fleet maintenance requirements, balancing shop capacity, technician workload, and service priorities.
- Monitor productivity and turnaround times, identifying opportunities to maximize billable hours and improve shop utilization.
- Ensure repairs and maintenance are completed safely, efficiently, and to established quality standards.
- Maintain high expectations for shop organization, cleanliness, equipment, and overall facility presentation.
- People Leadership & Culture
- Provide visible, consistent leadership across service, parts, and the shop floor.
- Establish clear expectations, create accountability, and coach employees through performance challenges while recognizing and developing strong performance.
- Strengthen communication and collaboration across teams, helping employees operate as one integrated business.
- Lead employees through change with credibility, patience, and sound judgment.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, development, and performance management as the organization continues to evolve.
- Build a workplace culture centred on accountability, teamwork, customer service, and continuous improvement.
- Customer Experience & Business Development
- Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and other business stakeholders.
- Ensure customers receive timely, clear communication regarding estimates, timelines, additional repairs, delays, and completed work.
- Resolve escalated customer concerns professionally while protecting long-term relationships.
- Maintain high standards for the customer experience and how customers and their equipment are treated.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen existing relationships, increase service activity, and support continued business growth.
- Systems, Performance & Continuous Improvement
- Champion the implementation and adoption of shop management technology and standardized service processes.
- Improve the accuracy and timeliness of work orders, technician time capture, job costing, service documentation, and work-in-progress reporting.
- Establish and monitor performance measures, including productivity, labour utilization, revenue trends, and other operational KPIs.
- Use performance information to identify issues, improve decision-making, and drive measurable improvements in efficiency and profitability.
- Continuously evaluate processes and implement practical improvements that strengthen the operation and customer experience.
- Business & Financial Management
- Develop a strong understanding of the operational drivers that influence revenue, productivity, cost, and profitability.
- Review business performance with senior leadership and contribute to operational planning, budgets, priorities, and future growth initiatives.
- Make sound business decisions that balance immediate operational requirements with broader financial impact.
- Provide ownership with clear visibility into the health and performance of the operation through effective reporting and communication.
- Take increasing ownership for operational decision-making as knowledge of the business, team, and financial drivers develops.
Success Measures
Success in this role will be measured through:
- Shop workflow is organized and actively managed, with clear visibility into scheduled work, work in progress, technician capacity, and upcoming priorities.
- Labour utilization and billable productivity improve and are consistently monitored against established performance expectations.
- Commercial customer work and fleet maintenance requirements are prioritized effectively, with appropriate communication around timelines, repairs, and changing requirements.
- Fleet maintenance needs are planned and coordinated effectively without compromising external customer commitments or shop capacity.
- Shop management technology is fully adopted and provides reliable information on technician time, work orders, job progress, and operational performance.
- Employees understand what is expected of them, receive consistent leadership, and are held accountable for performance and service standards.
- Service, parts, and shop employees work together effectively as one operation.
- Customer concerns are addressed promptly and professionally, and strong customer relationships are maintained.
- Senior leadership receives timely, accurate information on operational performance, emerging issues, and areas requiring attention.
- Processes continue to improve as opportunities are identified to strengthen productivity, profitability, customer service, and overall shop performance.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Progressive experience within the heavy-duty truck, diesel, automotive, fleet maintenance, equipment service, or a closely related service environment.
- Previous leadership experience within a shop, service, maintenance, dealership, fleet, or similarly operational environment.
- Strong working knowledge of shop operations, including workflow, scheduling, repair processes, technician productivity, labour utilization, and customer service.
- Sufficient technical knowledge and industry credibility to communicate effectively with experienced technicians and make informed operational decisions.
- Demonstrated experience coaching employees, establishing expectations, addressing performance concerns, and creating accountability.
- Experience using operational KPIs and performance information to improve productivity, service, and business results.
- Strong customer-facing experience with the ability to manage escalated conversations and build long-term relationships.
- Comfort working with shop management software, business systems, and technology.
Preferred Qualifications / Assets
- Journeyperson certification in heavy-duty, automotive, or a related trade is considered an asset but is not required.
- Experience implementing or improving a shop or service management system.
- Experience coordinating maintenance requirements for a commercial or heavy-duty fleet.
- Experience working with budgets, operational reporting, job costing, or other financial measures within a service-based business.
- Experience leading teams through operational, process, or technology change.
- Familiarity with ShopMonkey or a comparable service management platform would be considered an asset.
Core Competencies
Technical / Hard Skill Competencies
- Heavy-duty service and shop operations
- Workflow, scheduling, and capacity management
- Fleet maintenance coordination
- Labour utilization and technician productivity
- Customer service and relationship management
- Operational KPI monitoring and reporting
- Shop management systems and process improvement
- Budget awareness and operational decision-making
- Employee coaching and performance management
Behavioural / Soft Skill Competencies
- Calm, steady leadership
- Initiative and self-direction
- Accountability and follow-through
- Sound judgment and practical problem solving
- Adaptable communication
- Credibility and relationship building
- Change leadership
- Business-minded thinking
- Customer and quality orientation
Working Conditions
This is a full-time, on-site leadership position based at Impact Diesel Performance in Saskatoon. The shop operates during regular weekday business hours, with the Operations Manager expected to be present for the start of daily operations and maintain the flexibility required to support the needs of the business.
The role requires regular interaction with employees throughout the shop and service environment and involves time spent in both office and active shop settings. The Operations Manager must be comfortable working around heavy-duty vehicles, fleet equipment, tools, noise, and the normal conditions associated with a diesel repair facility.
The Operations Manager is expected to understand the demands of the operation, organize their schedule accordingly, and be available when business, customer, fleet, or employee needs require attention.
Ideal Fit
The ideal candidate knows the heavy-duty service industry well enough to understand when a job is progressing as it should, when a schedule needs to change, and when a conversation needs to happen. They are comfortable working with experienced technicians and do not require a formal trade credential to establish credibility. Their knowledge comes from having spent enough time in the industry to understand how a productive, well-run shop operates.
They are steady when problems arise, direct without being abrasive, and comfortable holding people accountable. They do not need to be closely managed and naturally notice what requires attention. Their communication style adapts easily depending on whether they are speaking with a technician, a customer, or senior leadership.
They enjoy making an operation work better. They pay attention to the way work moves through the shop, how effectively technician capacity is being used, how commercial service and fleet maintenance requirements are balanced, what customers experience, and what the numbers are saying about the operation. They bring the experience to recognize where improvements can be made and the confidence to follow through on them.
