Hiring Your First (or Next) Operations Manager

The operations manager hire is the highest-impact leadership addition for most roofing companies between $3M and $8M. This person takes daily production decisions off your plate, freeing 15-25 hours weekly for strategic work.

Most owners delay this hire too long, wait until they’re drowning, and then rush the decision. The result: bad hires that set the company back. Here’s how to do it right.

When You’re Ready for an Operations Manager

Several signals indicate operations manager readiness.

Time signals:

• You spend 20+ hours weekly on production coordination
• Strategic work gets pushed indefinitely
• You’re the bottleneck for scheduling decisions
• Crews wait for your direction

Complexity signals:

• Multiple crews requiring coordination
• Jobs overlapping creates conflicts
• Material logistics becoming complex
• Quality issues increasing

Growth signals:

• Revenue approaching $3-5M
• Adding crews faster than you can manage
• Growth opportunities limited by capacity

Burnout signals:

• First call in morning is production crisis
• Evenings consumed by next-day preparation
• Weekends frequently interrupted
• Mental exhaustion from context switching

If three or more of these resonate, you’re ready.

Defining the Role

Before recruiting, define clearly what you need.

Core Responsibilities

Production management:

• Crew scheduling and assignment
• Job progress monitoring
• Timeline management
• Capacity planning

Resource coordination:

• Material ordering and logistics
• Equipment allocation
• Subcontractor management
• Vehicle and tool management

Quality oversight:

• Installation standards enforcement
• Quality inspection coordination
• Callback management
• Process improvement

People management:

• Crew supervision
• Performance feedback
• Training coordination
• Issue resolution

Decision Authority

Be specific about what they can decide.

Full authority:

• Daily scheduling adjustments
• Material orders under $X
• Crew assignments
• Minor timeline changes

Approval required:

• Hiring/firing decisions
• Pricing exceptions
• Major schedule changes
• Expenditures over $X

Success Metrics

How you’ll evaluate performance.

Production metrics:

• Jobs completed per week/month
• On-time completion percentage
• Schedule adherence
• Capacity utilization

Quality metrics:

• Callback rate
• Customer satisfaction scores
• Inspection pass rate
• Rework percentage

Financial metrics:

• Production cost vs. budget
• Overtime percentage
• Waste rates
• Equipment/vehicle costs

Reporting and Communication

Reports to: Owner/CEO

Direct reports: Crew leaders, possibly office coordinator

Communication rhythm: Daily check-in, weekly detailed review, monthly performance review

The Ideal Candidate Profile

Know what you’re looking for before you start looking.

Experience Requirements

Industry experience:

• Roofing or construction background preferred
• Understanding of installation processes
• Safety and compliance knowledge
• Supplier and vendor relationships

Management experience:

• Led teams of 5+ people
• Managed multiple concurrent projects
• Handled scheduling and logistics
• Experience with conflict resolution

Essential Skills

Organizational skills:

• Can manage multiple priorities
• Creates and follows systems
• Maintains order amid chaos
• Documents and communicates clearly

Leadership skills:

• Earns respect from crews
• Holds people accountable
• Develops and coaches others
• Handles difficult conversations

Problem-solving skills:

• Thinks through issues systematically
• Finds solutions, not just problems
• Adapts to changing circumstances
• Makes decisions with incomplete information

Technical skills:

• Understands roofing installation
• Can evaluate quality
• Knows materials and processes
• Technology competent

Character Traits

Reliability: Does what they say. Shows up consistently.

Ownership: Takes responsibility for outcomes. Doesn’t make excuses.

Calm under pressure: Manages stress productively. Doesn’t panic or create drama.

Integrity: Honest in all dealings. Trustworthy with money and relationships.

Work ethic: Puts in the effort required. Doesn’t watch the clock.

Where to Find Candidates

Good operations managers don’t appear on generic job boards.

Internal Promotion

Often the best option.

Advantages:

• Knows your culture and systems
• Proven track record
• Relationships with crews already established
• Lower risk

Evaluation:

• Has this person demonstrated management potential?
• Do crews respect them?
• Can they think strategically, not just tactically?
• Are they interested in management?

Development path:

• Increased responsibility over 6-12 months
• Management training
• Gradual authority expansion
• Mentorship from you

Industry Recruitment

Hiring from competitors or related businesses.

Where to look:

• Other roofing companies
• General contractors
• Restoration companies
• Building material suppliers

How to find:

• Industry networking
• Supplier relationships
• Trade association events
• LinkedIn targeted outreach

Evaluation considerations:

• Why are they leaving?
• Will they bring bad habits?
• Non-compete implications?
• Culture fit?

General Management Recruitment

Hiring management talent from outside construction.

Potential sources:

• Military veterans with logistics experience
• Manufacturing supervisors
• Warehouse/distribution managers
• Service industry operations managers

Advantages:

• Fresh perspective
• No industry baggage
• Transferable skills

Challenges:

• Industry learning curve
• Crew credibility challenge
• Technical knowledge gap

Make it work:

• Strong roofing assistant or mentor
• Extended training period
• Realistic timeline expectations

The Interview Process

Thorough evaluation reduces bad hire risk.

Phone Screen (30 minutes)

Goals:

• Verify basic qualifications
• Assess communication skills
• Gauge interest and fit
• Determine if worth in-person time

Key questions:

• Walk me through your management experience
• Why are you interested in this role?
• What’s your salary expectation?

First Interview (60-90 minutes)

Goals:

• Deep dive on experience
• Assess problem-solving
• Evaluate leadership approach
• Determine culture fit

Behavioral questions:

• “Tell me about a time you had to deal with an underperforming team member.”
• “Describe a situation where a project went off track. What did you do?”
• “Give me an example of a process you improved.”

Situational questions:

• “A crew calls at 7am saying they’re short two people. What do you do?”
• “You discover a quality issue on a completed job. How do you handle it?”
• “Two crew leaders are in conflict. How do you resolve it?”

Working Interview or Ride-Along

Goals:

• Observe in real conditions
• Test practical skills
• See interaction with crews
• Evaluate problem-solving live

Activities:

• Shadow for a day
• Visit job sites together
• Participate in scheduling
• Handle a real issue together

Reference Checks

Required references:

• Previous supervisors
• Previous direct reports (if possible)
• Industry peers

Reference questions:

• “How did this person handle pressure?”
• “Would you hire them again?”
• “What’s their biggest weakness?”
• “How did crews respond to their leadership?”

Background and Verification

Standard checks:

• Employment verification
• Criminal background
• Drug screening
• Driving record

The Offer and Onboarding

Closing the deal and setting up success.

Compensation Structure

Base salary ranges (market dependent):

• Entry level: $55,000-$70,000
• Experienced: $70,000-$90,000
• Senior/proven: $85,000-$110,000

Additional compensation:

• Performance bonus (10-20% of base)
• Profit sharing potential
• Vehicle or vehicle allowance
• Benefits package

First 90 Days

Week 1: Orientation, relationship building, observation

Weeks 2-4: Shadow operations, meet all stakeholders, learn systems

Weeks 5-8: Begin taking responsibility with oversight

Weeks 9-12: Increasing independence, regular feedback

Success milestones:

• Day 30: Understands systems and people
• Day 60: Managing daily operations with support
• Day 90: Operating independently in most situations

Support Structure

What they need from you:

• Clear expectations
• Regular feedback
• Authority to act
• Support when needed
• Patience during learning curve

Common Hiring Mistakes

Mistake 1: Hiring too fast under pressure Desperation leads to compromised standards. Start looking before crisis.

Mistake 2: Over-weighting technical skills Management skills matter more. Technical can be learned.

Mistake 3: Not checking references thoroughly References reveal reality that interviews hide.

Mistake 4: Unclear expectations Undefined roles lead to disappointment on both sides.

Mistake 5: Insufficient onboarding Throwing someone into chaos without support sets them up to fail.

Start Here

The operations manager hiring process starts with clarity.

Start Here:

1. Write the job description based on your specific needs. What responsibilities? What authority? What success looks like?
2. Assess internal candidates honestly. Who has potential? What would they need?
3. Set a timeline. When do you need someone in place? Work backward to start recruiting.

The operations manager hire transforms your role as CEO. Daily tactical management shifts to someone else. Your time opens for strategy, growth, and leadership.

Hire thoughtfully. Support fully. Give time to develop. The investment returns exponentially in your capacity and your company’s growth potential.