Special Operations Service Manager

Wheeler Machinery Co; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Wheeler Machinery Co in Salt Lake City seeks a Senior Special Operations Service Manager to own safety, revenue, profit, and expense performance while delivering world-class service. You will drive on-time starts, fast field weld responses, and proactive customer communication, while coaching a team built on urgency and ownership.

Responsibilities include managing field operations, cross-functional collaboration with Parts, Sales, and Finance, and developing leadership talent to meet Caterpillar

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; undergraduate degree preferred.
• Experience in heavy equipment service operations with P&L accountability.
• Ability to lead shop or field service operations and manage schedules.

Responsibilities

• Own safety, revenue, profit, and expense performance for SLC Spec Ops.
• Ensure 95% on-time start and 95% completion date accuracy.
• Oversee field weld service dispatch and technician deployment.
• Build strong customer relationships and lead cross-functional teams.
• Develop leadership talent and coach direct reports toward goals.
• Identify growth opportunities and improve throughput with leadership.

Skills

Leadership

P&L accountability

Operations management

Team coaching

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor's degree preferred

Bachelor’s degree in business/engineering/operations

Tools

CAT Interact

DBS

WMS

PTMS

SIS Web

Antares

Asana

Microsoft Office

Job description

Description

Wheeler Machinery in Salt Lake City is hiring a full-time Special Operations Service Manager. You'll own safety, revenue, profit, and expense performance while delivering world-class service on-time job starts and completions, rapid field weld response, and proactive customer communication and coach a team built on urgency and ownership.

• Deliver a ZERO recordable accident workplace; champion safety as the priority in every decision.

Operations & Financial Performance

• Own the overall performance of SLC Spec Ops Service Operations including achievement of safety, revenue, profit, Return on Assets, and expense budgets on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Achieve and sustain a 95% on-time start rate jobs must begin on the date communicated to the customer.
• Achieve and sustain a 95% target completion date accuracy jobs must be finished by the date promised to the customer.
• Ensure all repair approvals and customer communication are fully documented in CAT Interact prior to & completion of work; no undocumented repairs.
• Oversee personnel scheduling to ensure all customer commitments are met while actively managing labor expenses.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Parts, Sales, and Finance to resolve operational bottlenecks and improve throughput.

Field Weld Service

• Manage Field Weld service dispatch and technician deployment to achieve response times under 48 hours for all customer service requests, with an operational goal of 24-hour response.
• Monitor open field weld service work orders daily; elevate aging requests and implement corrective action to maintain response targets.
• Ensure field weld technicians document all customer communication, scope changes, and approvals in CAT Interact in real time.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong customer relationships across Mining and Construction industries; proactively address concerns before they escalated.
• Drive market share, customer satisfaction scores, and growth targets through hands-on business development with key accounts.
• Maintain clear, proactive communication with customers on job status, delays, and any scope changes no surprises.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and mentor all direct reports toward achievement of Caterpillar and Wheeler Machinery goals and objectives.
• Build a pipeline of leadership talent and maintain succession plans for direct reports and other key roles.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, set clear expectations, and provide ongoing coaching to elevate technician and service supervisor performance.
• Foster a team environment that values accountability, urgency, and commitment to world-class customer experience.

Business Development & Strategy

• Identify and pursue growth opportunities within the territory; develop and execute strategies to expand product support market share.
• Stay current on Caterpillar technology, service programs, and competitive landscape; bring forward new ideas that improve productivity and profitability.
• Work closely with leadership team to develop timely solutions to customer concerns and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required; undergraduate degree strongly preferred.
• Industry experience in heavy equipment product support, service operations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience managing shop or field service operations, including P&L accountability.

Technical Knowledge

• General knowledge of the full Caterpillar equipment line and the product support activities required to maintain and repair that equipment.
• Proficiency with or ability to quickly learn: DBS, WMS, PTMS, SIS Web, Antares, CAT Interact, Asana, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Familiarity with 5S, and CI methodologies.
• Leadership & Interpersonal Skills
• Proven ability to motivate, develop, and empower teams; lead by example and inspires a culture of ownership and accountability.
• Strong communication skills written and verbal with the ability to convey technical information clearly to customers, technicians, and senior leadership.
• Analytical thinker capable of understanding complex operational issues and driving data-informed solutions.
• Positive, open-minded approach; willing to present new ideas and challenge the status quo to achieve better outcomes.

Behavioral Competencies

• Ownership: Takes personal accountability for problems and drives them to resolution professionally and efficiently.
• Urgency: Understands the time-sensitive nature of customer equipment availability and acts accordingly.
• Integrity: Makes decisions with honesty and upstanding character even under pressure.
• Adaptability: Thrives in a dynamic environment; able to balance short-term demands with long-term strategic priorities.
• Continuous Learner: Actively seeks out new knowledge, tools, and best practices; willingness to learn from both successes and failures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Prior experience in a Caterpillar dealer network or heavy equipment OEM environment.
• Direct experience with CAT Interact for repair documentation and customer communication workflows.
• Proven track record managing service operations KPIs including response time.

Travel Requirements

This position occasionally travels to other Wheeler Machinery locations for training, meetings, and business development activities.

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c).