Operations Manager

Job description:

About Freedom Pool & Spa

Freedom Pool & Spa is a family-owned pool service, renovation and construction company, founded in 1995 and licensed in Connecticut and Rhode Island. We take care of 300+ accounts across six territories, from Fairfield County and the CT Shoreline to South County, RI. That includes 150+ weekly maintenance clients and more than 70 full-scale gunite renovations since 2020.

Our team of 20+ includes PHTA-certified technicians, a construction crew, and dedicated service and construction managers. We've doubled in size over the last few years, and we're hiring someone to help lead our next stage of growth.

The Role

The Operations Manager is the hub of the company. You'll be the first voice our clients hear and the central point of contact for our field team. You'll own the CRM, the schedule, invoicing and HR. If the office phone rings, you answer it.

This is a career role, not a desk job. Freedom has grown fast for five years, and we want someone who will help take us to the next level. The right person can grow into our General Manager, with pay and responsibility rising as the company grows. A big part of the job is using AI to automate how we work.

You'll report to the President and work day to day with our Founder, Service Manager, Construction Manager, bookkeeper and outsourced CFO.

Hybrid: 50% remote, 50% on site at our shop in North Haven, CT. We provide a company laptop and phone.

What You'll Own

Customer communication

• Answer every call that comes into the office, plus emails and web inquiries
• Handle hard conversations with clients calmly and professionally, and solve the problem
• Keep Jobber, our CRM, tight and clean: every client, request, quote and job up to date
• Follow up on open quotes, service agreements and client questions

Scheduling & dispatch

• Be the central point of contact for our crews on scheduling
• Build and keep a tight, clean schedule across six CT and RI territories
• Coordinate openings, closings, repairs and renovations with the Service and Construction Managers
• Handle weather delays and reschedules, and keep clients and crews informed

Billing & collections

• Invoice service, repair and construction work on time and accurately
• Track receivables, send reminders and work with the bookkeeper on collections
• Manage progress billing and lien waivers on construction jobs

Purchasing & inventory

• Order chemicals, parts and equipment; manage vendor accounts and pricing
• Keep truck and shop inventory stocked with input from field leads

Payroll & HR

• Process payroll, track hours and manage PTO
• Run hiring logistics: postings, interviews, offer letters and onboarding paperwork
• Keep employee files, certifications and compliance documents current

Systems & improvement

• Lead our push to automate: use AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to build faster, cleaner workflows for scheduling, client communication, invoicing and reporting
• Find what's manual and repetitive, and replace it with better systems
• Run daily office operations and keep the whole team clearly informed
• Report weekly to leadership on schedule, billing and open items

What We're Looking For

Required

• 3+ years of customer service experience in any industry; trades background not required
• Proven ability to handle difficult customers and stay composed under pressure
• Business acumen: you understand how scheduling, billing and service quality drive revenue and profit
• Hands-on experience using AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT, and a drive to use them to automate workflows
• Highly organized: you keep systems, schedules and records clean without being asked
• Comfortable with invoicing and CRM software (Jobber or similar a plus)
• Clear, direct communicator with clients, crews and leadership
• Able to be in North Haven, CT 50% of the time

Nice to have

• Payroll experience
• Pool, landscape, HVAC or construction industry background
• QuickBooks experience
• HR or onboarding experience at a small company
• A habit of building better processes, templates and checklists

Compensation & Details

Salary

$55,000–$70,000, based on experience

Bonus

Annual performance bonus tied to success in the role and company profitability

Benefits

Monthly healthcare stipend, 10 days PTO, 5 sick days, 401(k) eligibility after one year, company laptop and phone

Schedule

Full-time, Monday–Friday, with some seasonal flexibility in spring opening season

Location

Hybrid: 50% remote, 50% at our shop in North Haven, CT

Start

By January 1, 2027

Freedom Pool & Spa is an equal opportunity employer.