CHIEF OF STAFF

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PLUMBING BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Dependable Plumbing Services, LLC Location:

Hampstead /

Surf City, NC Position:

Full-time, in person Reports to: Edward and Cierra Pankowski, Owners Help Lead the Business Behind the Field Team Dependable Plumbing Services is seeking a proactive, organized Chief of Staff to support ownership and strengthen the systems, communication, and accountability behind our residential service, commercial plumbing, new construction, and remodeling work. We need someone who understands that a successful plumbing company depends on more than completed installations. Calls must be returned, estimates followed up on, crews supported, invoices processed, employees developed, and commitments fulfilled. This position offers the opportunity to work directly with the owners and make a measurable impact on how the business operates and grows. Always Reliable. Always Dependable. Position Overview The Chief of Staff turns ownership's priorities into clear plans and ensures those plans move forward across the company. This person coordinates office operations, supports field leadership, tracks business performance, and helps resolve issues before they become recurring problems. The role works closely with our Field Operations Manager & Estimator, office administrator, technicians, and bookkeeping support. The Field Operations Manager leads technical work, estimating, crew direction, and project execution. The Chief of Staff ensures the business processes supporting that work are organized, accountable, and aligned with ownership's goals. Key Responsibilities 1. Support Ownership & Execute Company Priorities Meet regularly with ownership to review priorities, business performance, staffing needs, customer concerns, and decisions requiring attention. Convert company goals into action plans with responsible employees, deadlines, and measurable results. Maintain a central tracker for management commitments, operational improvements, and growth initiatives. Prepare owners for meetings with contractors, business advisors, vendors, and community partners. Coordinate business calendars and protect time for leadership, sales relationships, planning, and employee development. Research issues and present practical recommendations, including anticipated costs, benefits, and implementation needs. Resolve routine business matters within assigned authority and escalate significant concerns with clear supporting information. 2. Strengthen Office & Dispatch Operations Review office workflows to ensure calls, voicemails, texts, and online inquiries receive timely responses. Support consistent use of Housecall Pro for customer records, scheduling, estimates, job notes, follow-up tasks, and invoicing. Ensure service requests contain accurate contact information, jobsite addresses, reported problems, access instructions, and customer expectations. Work with the office administrator and Field Operations Manager to identify scheduling gaps, staffing constraints, and missed handoffs. Confirm that customers receive timely updates about arrival windows, delays, rescheduling, and next steps. Establish clear ownership for outstanding office tasks so requests do not remain unresolved. Coordinate office coverage and cross-training so essential functions continue during absences. 3. Connect Estimating, Scheduling & Project Administration Track estimates from initial inquiry through preparation, delivery, follow-up, approval, and scheduling. Ensure every open estimate has a documented status, responsible person, and next action. Coordinate with the estimator to identify proposals awaiting clarification, pricing, fixture selections, or customer decisions. Verify that approved work is handed off with the necessary scope, approvals, scheduling information, and payment requirements. Maintain visibility into the backlog of approved work and help leadership compare upcoming demand with staffing capacity. Track administrative milestones for new construction and remodels, including permits, inspections, fixture approvals, deliveries, and progress billing. Ensure changes affecting scope, price, or scheduling are documented and routed for the appropriate approval. Follow up on administrative obstacles that prevent field teams from starting or completing work. 4. Monitor Business Performance & Financial Follow-Through Prepare a weekly performance dashboard using consistent, verified information from company systems. Track agreed measures such as completed revenue, estimate conversion, unscheduled approved work, technician productivity, callbacks, and outstanding invoices. Separate estimated opportunities, approved backlog, completed work, and collected payments in reporting. Work with field leadership to identify missing job-cost information, labor overruns, material discrepancies, and other issues affecting profitability. Coordinate with office and bookkeeping support to ensure completed jobs are invoiced promptly and accurately. Track deposits and progress payments according to approved customer agreements. Review overdue balances and ensure the responsible team member completes appropriate follow-up. Organize financial information requested by ownership, the bookkeeper, accountant, or business advisor. Flag unusual spending, missing receipts, unprocessed returns, and unresolved supplier credits for review. 5. Coordinate Hiring, Onboarding & Employee Development Manage recruiting administration, including job postings, applicant tracking, interview coordination, and candidate communication. Work with ownership and field leadership to identify staffing needs and maintain current job descriptions. Coordinate new-hire paperwork, handbook acknowledgments, uniforms, system access, training schedules, and equipment issuance. Ensure new employees understand reporting relationships, company procedures, performance expectations, and where to get help. Track onboarding milestones and coordinate feedback during the employee's introductory period. Help managers maintain regular one-on-one meetings, training plans, performance reviews, and recognition. Support professional handling and documentation of employee concerns, coaching, and corrective action under ownership's direction. Help employees understand how skill development and consistent performance support advancement within the company. 6. Build & Maintain Practical Operating Procedures Document and improve procedures for call intake, dispatch, estimate follow-up, job authorization, purchasing, project handoffs, completion, and billing. Ensure office procedures align with field requirements and are practical for employees to follow. Coordinate training when procedures or software workflows change. Check that required job notes, photos, customer approvals, inspection records, and closeout information are consistently maintained. Identify recurring errors and work with the responsible manager to correct the underlying process. Maintain organized company records, templates, checklists, and approved policies. Track renewal dates and administrative deadlines for company licenses, insurance, vendor documentation, and other business requirements. Coordinate certificates of insurance, W-9s, and contractor onboarding documents as needed. 7. Support Customer Experience & Business Growth Track unresolved customer concerns and ensure each has an assigned owner and follow-up deadline. Coordinate with the Field Operations Manager on callbacks and technical concerns, while keeping ownership informed of significant issues. Review recurring complaints for communication, scheduling, billing, or process improvements. Support approved customer follow-up, review requests, maintenance-plan administration, and marketing campaigns. Coordinate administrative requirements for contractor relationships and commercial bid opportunities. Manage assigned growth projects, such as implementing software, improving reporting, expanding office capacity, or launching a new business process. Ensure new initiatives have a clear plan, budget approval, responsible team members, and a way to measure results. Required Qualifications At least 3 years of experience in business operations, service management, project coordination, or executive support with substantial responsibility for execution. Working knowledge of a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, construction, or comparable field-service business. Understanding of how customer inquiries, estimates, scheduling, field execution, job documentation, and invoicing connect. Experience coordinating multiple employees or departments and following commitments through to completion. Ability to create organized workflows, written procedures, and useful management reports. Comfort working with revenue, expenses, job costs, margins, and accounts receivable information. Strong spreadsheet skills and the ability to identify missing or inconsistent data. Professional written and verbal communication with employees, homeowners, contractors, vendors, and advisors. Sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle confidential information. Ability to address concerns respectfully, maintain accountability, and adapt when priorities change. Availability to work in person in the Hampstead / Surf City area. Preferred Qualifications 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in a growing home-service or construction company. Experience as a Chief of Staff, Operations Manager, Business Manager, or senior Office Manager with responsibility across multiple functions. Familiarity with Housecall Pro, RingCentral, Google Workspace, and QuickBooks. Experience supporting residential service, commercial projects, new construction, or remodeling operations. Experience coordinating recruiting, onboarding, employee development, and performance tracking. Familiarity with contractor documentation, purchase orders, change orders, progress billing, and project closeout. Business-related education or an MBA is welcome but not required. Demonstrated operational results and industry experience are highly valued. What Success Looks Like Owners have reliable information and more time for leadership and growth. Office and field teams understand responsibilities and communicate consistently. Estimates and approved jobs move forward with documented next steps. Administrative delays and missed handoffs decrease. Completed work is documented and invoiced promptly. Performance reports are accurate and available on time. Employees receive structured onboarding, training, feedback, and recognition. Recurring problems lead to practical process improvements. Company priorities are completed without ownership having to repeatedly chase updates. Leadership & Decision-Making Expectations The Chief of Staff is expected to take initiative, coordinate work across the business, and follow through within the authority assigned by ownership. Major spending, compensation changes, formal disciplinary actions, hiring decisions, terminations, and commitments outside approved guidelines require owner approval. Technical plumbing decisions and field execution remain under the appropriate licensed and field leadership. Compensation Compensation will be based on relevant experience, qualifications, and the agreed responsibilities of the position. Pay and benefits will be discussed during the interview process. How to Apply Email your résumé to dependablesurfcity@gmail.com with the subject line "Chief of Staff — Dependable Plumbing." Include a brief response to these questions: What experience do you have helping run a plumbing, home-service, or construction business? Describe a process you improved and the measurable result. How do you keep employees and managers accountable while maintaining respectful working relationships? Why are you interested in helping grow Dependable Plumbing Services? Dependable Plumbing Services, LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

Pay:

$70,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person