Service Manager

About DECCO Postharvest:  DECCO, an ADVANTA company, is the global leader in providing postharvest solutions to reduce food waste and enhance the freshness of fresh fruits and vegetables all along the food supply chain.  DECCO delivers value every day to packers, shippers, supermarkets and consumers with customized coating, decay control, sanitization and disinfection products, application technology, on-site service and almost 90 years of postharvest expertise.  Our 200+ dedicated DECCO employees operate in over 40 countries. 

Our purpose is to enable more and better Fresh Food for the world. More. Beautiful. Fresh

Role purpose: The Service Manager is responsible for leading service operations to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and financial performance. This role oversees service delivery, field or internal service teams, and continuous improvement initiatives while acting as a key liaison between customers, commercial teams, and internal stakeholders. This is a hands-on working manager role that is expected to actively support service execution, perform field service activities when required, and provide operational coverage during staffing shortages, peak workloads, or employee absences.

Key Responsibilities:

Service Operations & Delivery

• Lead and manage day‑to‑day service operations to ensure timely, high‑quality service delivery.
• Ensure consistent execution of service standards, procedures, and safety requirements.
• Resolve escalated service issues and customer complaints with professionalism and urgency.
• Drive continuous improvement in service processes, tools, and workflows.
• Actively participate in field service, troubleshooting, repairs, installations, commissioning, and customer support activities as business needs require.
• Provide direct operational coverage for service technicians and support personnel during PTO, vacations, leaves of absence, open positions, or other staffing shortages when alternate resources are unavailable.
• Maintain the technical skills and certifications necessary to safely perform service work and support customers in a hands-on capacity.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, coach, and develop service technicians, industrial technicians, and other support staff.
• Set clear performance expectations and conduct regular reviews.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer focus.
• Lead by example through active participation in service activities and willingness to support the team in the field when needed.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with key customers and act as a trusted service partner.
• Collaborate with Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to align service delivery with business objectives.
• Support customer retention, renewals, and upselling opportunities through service excellence.
• Provide clear communication to customers regarding service schedules, issues, and resolutions.

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage service budgets, labor utilization, and cost controls.
• Oversee and manage spending on capital projects and repair and maintenance
• Forecast service demand and ensure adequate staffing and resource planning.
• Track service profitability and recommend actions to improve margins.

Compliance & Quality

• Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and safety standards.
• Drive quality assurance initiatives and root‑cause analysis for recurring service issues.
• Maintain accurate service documentation, reports, and system records.

Key Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations or related field or minimum 7 years of experience in repair, maintenance, constructing, and operation of machinery
• Minimum 3 years of proven experience managing teams and customer relationships

Competency & Skills:

• Valid driver’s license, able to drive company vehicle, and safely tow trailers
• Proficient computer skills: use of word processor (Word), Excel, PowerPoint and internet functions
• Customer-centric mindset
• People leadership and coaching
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Financial and commercial acumen
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Control panel building and repair skills, PLC use experience a plus

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Number of direct reports –  9
• Budget responsibilities – Citrus Service cost center, specifics provided on KPIs

Travel: Primarily day travel within Visalia/Ventura areas.  Occasional overnight travel to other regions to support operations and to attend company meetings.

Location: Ventura, Visalia and other surrounding areas as needed

KEY COMPETENCIES:

RESULTS ORIENTATION: Strong capability in focusing on tasks and results to achieving goals, solving problems, maintaining productivity, and making fast decisions by using a critical thinking approach.

BEING RESILIENT – Ability to manage crises and volatile situation effectively. Should be able remain objective and calm and show positive attitude & strong judgement when faced with adversity

CUSTOMER FOCUS – Ability to building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions

DECISION MAKING & ACCOUNTABILITY – Ability to Identify, understand & solve complex problems, issues and opportunities, take effective decisions basis available facts, constraints and possible consequences