Job Description
Job Description
Position Summary
The Assistant Service Manager supports the Service Manager in the daily operations of SFEV’s service department, ensuring efficient workflow, superior customer communication, and high-quality repairs on fire apparatus and emergency vehicles. This role helps coordinate technicians, manage repair orders, oversee parts and warranty processes, and maintain exceptional relationships with municipal fire departments, fleet supervisors, and first-responder clients.
Primary Responsibilities
1. Service Operations & Workflow
- Assist in managing the overall workflow of the service shop, field service units, and mobile technicians.
- Open, update, and close repair orders accurately in the service system.
- Monitor job progress, technician productivity, and time-tracking.
- Prioritize emergency-vehicle down situations and coordinate rapid responses.
- Schedule in-shop and mobile service appointments with municipalities and fleet departments.
2. Customer Communication
- Serve as a primary customer contact when the Service Manager is unavailable.
- Provide updates to fire chiefs, fleet managers, and agency admins regarding repair status, ETAs, and required approvals.
- Prepare and review service estimates, change orders, and final invoices.
- Maintain a professional, responsive, and customer-first approach—critical in public-safety service environments.
3. Technical Coordination
- Work closely with technicians to ensure accurate diagnoses and proper documentation.
- Review technician notes, parts requirements, and labor needs for completeness.
- Assist in coordinating complex repairs involving electrical systems, pumps, aerial devices, chassis components, and emergency-lighting systems.
4. Parts & Warranty Support
- Collaborate with the Parts Department to ensure timely availability of required components.
- Help track special-order parts, cores, and returns specific to fire-apparatus manufacturers.
- Support warranty claim preparation for OEMs (Sutphen, Fouts, Spartan, Cummins, Hale, Darley, etc.).
- Verify that eligible repairs are coded properly to maximize warranty reimbursement.
5. Documentation & Compliance
- Ensure all repair documents, inspections, and records meet NFPA and OEM standards.
- Maintain accurate service history files for agency vehicles.
- Assist with documentation for pump tests, aerial inspections, EVT compliance records, and annual certifications.
6. Financial Responsibilities
- Help review and manage labor hours, repair estimates, and shop profitability.
- Verify correct labor rates, parts markups, and shop-supply charges.
- Support the Service Manager in tracking KPIs like:
- Technician efficiency & productivity
- RO cycle time
- Warranty recovery
- Customer satisfaction metrics
7. Team Support & Leadership
- Provide day-to-day support to technicians, ensuring clarity of assignments.
- Assist in onboarding and training new technicians or service writers.
- Step into Service Manager duties when needed (vacation, travel, meetings).