Field Ops | Biz Admin | Exec Leadership (DoD SkillBridge)

Company: Home Fixers (A Handy Miller Man, LLC Company)

Location: Winfield, Illinois / Field-based

Duration: Up to 180 Days

Compensation: Unpaid (DoD SkillBridge authorized trainee); Max 40 hours/week.

Program Overview: Home Fixers (a DBA of Handy Miller Man, LLC) is an authorized Industry Partner for the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge program. This initiative transitions active-duty military personnel into the civilian workforce during their final year of service. Participants continue to receive their military compensation and benefits; they are entirely unpaid by our organization and are strictly capped at a 40-hour work week.

We have structured our program into three distinct career tracks to accommodate different military backgrounds and post-service goals.

1. Field Operations & Trades Technician: Focuses on residential repair, estimating, and independent subcontracting.
2. Business Operations & Administration: Focuses on logistics, dispatching, CRM management, and customer relations.
3. Executive Leadership & Entrepreneurship: Focuses on corporate capitalization, asset acquisition, and total business ownership.

To maintain strict quality control and safety standards, all candidates, regardless of prior military rank or occupational specialty, enter at Tier I of their chosen track. Advancement to Tiers II and III is strictly performance-based. Highly proficient candidates may master Tier I competencies in a matter of weeks and accelerate through the program, while others may require the full 180 days to reach Tier III.

Applied Technology & AI Integration (Universal Core Competency)

We do not teach trade skills without the business technology to power them. We don’t just teach you how to fix a hole in a wall; we teach you how to operate the mobile-friendly software that keeps the business running while you are in the field. Built for technology-forward operators, all trainees receive intensive, hands-on experience utilizing our modern tech stack. Technology is deployed to empower our team and improve operational efficiency — never to replace the human element of providing trusted service to our local community.

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Track 1: Field Operations & Trades Technician

Designed for transitioning service members seeking a career in residential repair, field estimation, and independent subcontracting. All candidates, regardless of prior military trade experience, will begin at Tier I to ensure alignment with our specific safety and operational standards. Advancement is strictly performance-based, allowing rapid acceleration upon demonstrating mastery.

Tier I: Apprentice Technician (Foundation & Safety Focus)

• Target Profile: All incoming candidates.
• Training Focus: Job-site safety protocols, tool and material familiarization, and worksite staging.
• Responsibilities:
• Shadow lead technicians on daily residential repair routes.
• Assist in vehicle inventory management, material loading/unloading.
• Perform basic preventative maintenance and introductory repairs under direct, constant supervision.
• Learn standard operating procedures (SOPs) for client-facing communication.

Tier II: Journeyman Technician (Application & Estimation Focus)

• Target Profile: Candidates demonstrating mastery of Tier I protocols.
• Training Focus: Intermediate diagnostics, hands-on repair execution, and field quoting.
• Responsibilities:
• Execute intermediate residential repairs under indirect supervision.
• Conduct initial site assessments and draft accurate time/material estimates via mobile quoting software.
• Manage personal daily routing efficiency through the CRM app.
• Troubleshoot on-site variables and independently source materials.

Tier III: Master Technician & Field Leader (Mastery & Subcontractor Focus)

• Target Profile: Candidates demonstrating mastery of Tier II competencies.
• Training Focus: Independent execution, quality control, field leadership, and civilian subcontractor transition.
• Responsibilities:
• Operate as an independent, fully unsupervised field technician executing complex work orders.
• Provide mentorship and shadowing opportunities for Tier I apprentices.
• Handle final QA/QC on completed job sites.
• Receive training on civilian subcontractor requirements, including licensing, insurance, and establishing an LLC.

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Track 2: Business Operations & Administration

Designed to train personnel to manage the operational heartbeat of a home services company. All candidates will begin at Tier I to learn our proprietary civilian business software and intake procedures. Advancement is performance-based, allowing trainees to progress into complex logistics and oversight roles once foundational systems are mastered.

Tier I: Operations Coordinator (Systems & Intake Focus)

• Target Profile: All incoming candidates.
• Training Focus: CRM mastery (Jobber), customer intake, and basic dispatching.
• Responsibilities:
• Manage inbound customer communications and log data accurately into the CRM.
• Shadow the Operations Manager to understand the daily dispatch board and software ecosystem.
• Process initial work requests and schedule preliminary site visits.
• Maintain organized digital records for active and archived jobs.

Tier II: Operations Manager (Routing & Logistics Focus)

• Target Profile: Candidates demonstrating mastery of Tier I protocols.
• Training Focus: Schedule optimization, technician support, and vendor management.
• Responsibilities:
• Actively manage and adjust real-time field operations and daily technician routing via the dispatch dashboard.
• Coordinate directly with field techs to order and stage specific materials.
• Draft invoices, follow up on outstanding estimates, and manage accounts receivable basics.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the customer and the field technician during active projects.

Tier III: Director of Operations (Optimization & Oversight Focus)

• Target Profile: Candidates demonstrating mastery of Tier II competencies.
• Training Focus: Process improvement, complex conflict resolution, and operational scalability.
• Responsibilities:
• Analyze dispatch routes and CRM data to identify operational bottlenecks and improve efficiency.
• Handle complex customer service escalations and warranty claims.
• Develop and implement new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the administrative team.
• Assist in the onboarding and systems-training of new administrative hires or junior interns.

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Track 3: Executive Leadership & Entrepreneurship

A highly specialized track designed for personnel with an explicit goal of starting or acquiring a small business. All candidates will begin at Tier I to establish a baseline understanding of our specific entity structures and financial reporting before advancing to strategic functions. Advancement velocity is determined by the trainee's comprehension of applied business analytics.

Tier I: Business Analyst (Financial Literacy & Structure Focus)

• Target Profile: All incoming candidates.
• Training Focus: Entity structuring, P&L management, and capitalization.
• Responsibilities:
• Review and analyze corporate entity structures (e.g., LLC vs. S-Corp).
• Shadow the Owner in reviewing QuickBooks Online (QBO) to understand P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow.
• Learn the mechanics of commercial capitalization, including SBA loan management and debt servicing.
• Track basic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) utilizing our operational tech stack.

Tier II: Strategy & Growth Associate (Market Expansion Focus)

• Target Profile: Candidates demonstrating mastery of Tier I protocols.
• Training Focus: Market analysis, vendor negotiations, and asset acquisition diligence.
• Responsibilities:
• Conduct due diligence on potential asset purchases utilizing data analytics (e.g., analyzing target companies' client lists).
• Assist in negotiating terms with enterprise-level vendors and commercial insurance providers.
• Draft internal growth initiatives and AI-assisted marketing strategies for existing operational units.
• Evaluate local market trends to identify new service offerings or market expansions.

Tier III: Executive Co-Pilot (Leadership & Execution Focus)

• Target Profile: Candidates demonstrating mastery of Tier II competencies.
• Training Focus: Total business management, executive decision-making, and entrepreneurial resilience.
• Responsibilities:
• Operate directly alongside the CEO as a sounding board for high-level strategic pivots.
• Take the lead on a specific, 30-day corporate initiative (e.g., launching a new marketing channel).
• Experience the day-to-day realities of total business ownership, balancing field-level emergencies with high-level financial planning.
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• Finalize a comprehensive business plan for the trainee’s own future venture, peer-reviewed by the CEO.

Candidates must be eligible for DoD SkillBridge and can apply for any program track via the DoD SkillBridge website.