Cooling Tower Area Manager

Position Overview

Kelso Building Services is seeking an experienced and growth-oriented General Manager to lead and scale our Cooling Tower Services division. This leader will own full operational, technical, commercial, and financial responsibility for all cooling tower lifecycle services, including inspection, preventive maintenance, repair, rebuild, retrofit, system optimization, and compliance-related work.

The General Manager will be accountable for delivering operational excellence, expanding recurring service revenue, developing high-performing field teams, and driving profitable growth across commercial, industrial, and municipal markets. This role requires deep mechanical acumen, disciplined operational leadership, and a strategic mindset capable of building a best-in-class skilled trades service platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct all daily operations for cooling tower inspection, preventive maintenance, repair, rebuild, retrofit, and modernization services.
• Establish standardized service protocols, quality control measures, and performance benchmarks across all field operations.
• Oversee scheduling, dispatch, workforce planning, and resource allocation to maximize technician productivity and customer responsiveness.
• Implement KPIs to monitor service quality, response times, utilization, safety performance, gross margin, and customer satisfaction.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase operational efficiency and service consistency.
• Ensure accurate diagnosis, repair execution, structural assessments, mechanical component replacement, and performance optimization of cooling tower systems.
• Oversee structural rebuilds, basin rehabilitation, mechanical system upgrades, fill and drift eliminator replacement, and system retrofits.
• Maintain working knowledge of cooling tower mechanical systems, structural components, water distribution systems, airflow dynamics, vibration concerns, and water treatment fundamentals.
• Partner with water treatment providers and engineering resources to ensure compliance, efficiency, and system longevity.
• Ensure all services are delivered in accordance with manufacturer guidelines, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Own division-level revenue growth, service contract expansion, and backlog development.
• Develop and execute strategic plans to expand recurring maintenance agreements and project-based services.
• Partner with business development and sales teams to pursue new commercial, industrial, and municipal opportunities.
• Review and approve proposals, scopes of work, cost estimates, and pricing strategies to ensure margin discipline.
• Identify market expansion opportunities, service line extensions, and potential acquisition targets.
• Develop and retain high-performing technicians, supervisors, project leads, and operational staff.
• Build a culture grounded in safety, craftsmanship, accountability, and professionalism.
• Establish structured onboarding, skills development pathways, and technical training programs.
• Conduct performance evaluations and develop succession planning to strengthen bench depth.
• Mentor emerging field leaders to ensure service consistency and operational discipline.
• Serve as executive-level point of contact for key client accounts.
• Ensure delivery of a premium service experience characterized by responsiveness, transparency, and technical credibility.
• Oversee lifecycle recommendations, capital repair planning, and long-term service strategy discussions with customers.
• Manage customer expectations regarding scope, cost, scheduling, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive contract renewals and long-term strategic partnerships.
• Enforce OSHA, EPA, and industry-specific safety and environmental standards.
• Ensure compliance documentation, inspection records, and service histories are complete and audit-ready.
• Lead safety reviews, incident investigations, and corrective action planning.
• Promote a zero-incident culture across all field and project operations.
• Maintain full P&L ownership for the Cooling Tower Services division.
• Develop and manage annual operating budgets, capital planning, and financial forecasts.
• Monitor revenue performance, cost control, labor efficiency, and margin attainment.
• Implement pricing discipline and operational controls to improve profitability.
• Evaluate and execute strategic growth initiatives, including geographic expansion and complementary service offerings.
  
  

Qualifications

Required

• 10 years of experience in industrial mechanical systems, HVACR service, cooling tower services, or related field operations.
• 5 years of leadership experience with operational and financial accountability.
• Strong mechanical knowledge of cooling tower systems and commercial/industrial HVAC infrastructure.
• Demonstrated experience managing P&L, budgeting, workforce planning, and operational performance metrics.
• Proven ability to lead field teams and scale service-based operations.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and client relationship skills.
  
  

Preferred

• Certifications such as OSHA 30, CMRP, or relevant water treatment credentials.
• Familiarity with ERP or service management platforms such as Netsuite, Salesforce, Procore, etc.
• Experience building or scaling a skilled trades service division.