WHAT DOES A FIELD SERVICES MANAGER DO?

Published: Mar 20, 2025 - The Field Services Manager oversees the service team’s execution of installation, performance maintenance, troubleshooting, and support for Waters' comprehensive product suite, including LC, LC/MS, HPLC/UPLC, SFC, and Informatics. This position develops and motivates the Service Team to align with tactical plans that adhere to Waters' strategic objectives, coordinate global service communications, and design service strategies to ensure regional success. Manages customer relationships effectively, ensuring compliance with regulations, coordinating staff training, and collaborating with the Sales team to enhance service contract sales and meet quality and safety standards.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Field Services Manager

1. Field Services Manager Duties

  • Site Quality Assurance: Visits job sites to ensure consistency and quality of service, and interacts with customers.
  • SLA Compliance: Ensures adherence to contract SLA response times, corrective repairs, PM completion, validation, overtime management, tools, stocks, field engineer utilization, and timesheets.
  • Integrity Leadership: Leads and cultivates a culture of integrity and transparency.
  • Management Support: Provides inputs to the management and supports the implementation of service initiatives assigned by senior management.
  • Policy Compliance: Ensures compliance with company policies regarding travel, reporting, time management, and all quality procedures & objectives.
  • Technical Acumen: Develops technical understanding and finds information even without being an expert.
  • Technical Issue Resolution: Understands technical questions and issues, and provides guidance to assist FSEs in building and pushing solutions.
  • Resource Allocation: Applies the correct resources in the field to find and deliver the appropriate technical solution to the customer.
  • Training Evaluation: Evaluates training needs of the field service team.
  • Complaint Management: Manages complaints effectively through adequate communication (Service Management, Quality, Technical Support, Sales), escalation, and monitoring of technical issues.
  • Field Service Planning: Efficiently plans and schedules field service activities and projects by leveraging technical knowledge and customer interaction to determine proper resources, tools, and accurate timelines.

2. Field Services Manager Details

  • Opportunity Identification: Identifies opportunities for additional property association maintenance work and builds new relationships with customers.
  • Maintenance Communication: Communicates vital maintenance information related to property association managers and other customers.
  • Technology Utilization: Utilizes technology provided, including software, mobile devices, email, and other resources.
  • Office Support for Technicians: Serves as in-office assistance for maintenance & construction field technicians.
  • Billing Administration: Administers the collection and compilation of work order information for billing.
  • Work Order Management: Schedules, dispatches, processes, and tracks the completion of property association work orders.
  • Fleet Documentation: Administers fleet documents and records.
  • Construction Scheduling: Schedules special construction projects.
  • Customer Relationship Development: Develops and enhances customer relationships while providing personal customer service and solutions for cleaning and sanitation needs.
  • Sales and Expense Accountability: Accountable for the achievement of sales and expenses in assigned territory.
  • Customer Training: Provides training to customers on procedures and products.

3. Field Services Manager Responsibilities

  • Safety and Cleanliness Evaluations: Conducts food safety, brand standards, and other on-site evaluations at customer locations, assessing workplace safety and environmental cleanliness.
  • Educational Training: Provides food safety and brand standards education and training to customers.
  • Customer Satisfaction: Performs activities that create a high level of customer satisfaction, including the provision of accurate reports and effective customer communication and relationships.
  • Sales Opportunity Identification: Proactively looks for sales opportunities at store or franchise level.
  • Customer Support Partnership: Partners with Ecolab Account Management teams to solve customer issues and assist in program development.
  • Professional Development: Maintains professional credentials and remains knowledgeable on current governmental regulations and industry practices.
  • Observation and Evaluation: Completes food safety observations based on the customer’s required visit frequency (monthly or quarterly) and evaluates each department for improved operations.
  • Equipment Maintenance: Maintains dispensing equipment in excellent working condition and installs equipment as necessary.
  • Management Feedback: Meets with store management to provide feedback and findings after the store survey is completed and makes recommendations for improvement.
  • Documentation and Record Keeping: Completes required paperwork including the proper update of customer contact records and the territory management system.
  • Route Planning: Plans and executes an efficient daily route to maximize effectiveness and productivity.

4. Field Services Manager Job Summary

  • Field Service Management: Manages and oversees the region’s field service operations by establishing and supporting service goals and objectives, ensuring safety, reliability, and serviceability.
  • Project Execution: Plans, executes, and manages installation and service response efforts.
  • Training Program Development: Collaborates with stakeholders to develop and implement effective factory training programs for customers and team members.
  • Documentation Maintenance: Maintains accurate and timely documentation.
  • Scheduling Efficiency: Prepares team schedules to support optimum efficiency and completion of projects.
  • Team Development: Develops and coaches the team, identifying and developing team member opportunities and playing to the strengths of the team.
  • Continuous Improvement: Actively participates in continuous improvement, taking initiative to seek opportunities to improve processes and obtain goals.
  • Equipment Installation and Maintenance: Performs installation and maintenance of equipment.
  • Reporting Compliance: Completes all required reporting on a timely basis.
  • Sales Opportunity Identification: Actively looks for sales opportunities in line with the QSR industry.
  • Team Leadership: Directs a team of 5 direct company FSEs, plus a number of contract service technicians.
  • Service Assignment: Assigns machine installations, service, and warranty calls based on priorities.
  • Service Review: Reviews service call paperwork prior to submission to billing department.
  • Technical Support: Supports electrical knowledge/guidance with the fabrication team.

5. Field Services Manager Accountabilities

  • Service Team Management: Manages the service team work plan about installation, performance maintenance, troubleshooting, and support for Waters' product suite (LC, LC/MS, HPLC/UPLC, SFC, Informatics).
  • Team Leadership and Development: Manages, motivates, and develops the Service Team to implement tactical plans based on Waters' key strategies.
  • Global Service Coordination: Coordinates communication between worldwide service teams.
  • Service Strategy Design: Designs short-term and long-term service plans/strategies for the region.
  • Customer Relationship Management: Establishes and maintains effective relationships with external and internal customers ensuring success.
  • Customer Expectations Management: Manages customer expectations by communicating work performed and providing a follow-up plan if needed.
  • Compliance Management: Ensures customer compliance regulations are followed.
  • Staff Training Planning: Plans staff training and development plans.
  • Inventory Management: Manages service inventory according to Waters policies.
  • Business Development Collaboration: Works with the Sales team to identify future business development opportunities and needs for service contract sales.
  • Quality and Safety Compliance: Ensures that quality system procedures and Health & Safety standards are adhered to at all times.

6. Field Services Manager Functions

  • Field Services Management: Manages day-to-day activities of the Field Services team to ensure achievement of customer satisfaction while meeting quality, safety, and budgetary goals.
  • Team Training and Coaching: Trains, coaches, and counsels team members to achieve performance objectives.
  • Staff Coordination: Conducts regular staff meetings.
  • Contractual Compliance Management: Serves as the primary organizational contact responsible for coordinating contractual compliance efforts across internal teams and business units to ensure adequate resources are available for issue resolution.
  • IT Systems Oversight: Serves as the customer’s product subject matter expert and oversees deployment, monitoring, maintenance, development, upgrade, and support of all IT systems, including servers, PCs, Visitation Units, Tablets/Inspire, Wireless Applications, Kiosks/Payment services, operating systems, hardware, software, and peripherals.
  • Customer Liaison: Serves as the company’s liaison with the customer, assuring the customer receives GTL’s superior customer experience.
  • Customer Communication Reporting: Creates and distributes reports identifying any correspondence the customer has communicated and any item/items the customer has identified as outstanding.
  • Non-Compliance Resolution: Independently identifies and defines non-compliant items, collects accurate and relevant data, establishes a factual basis of data, and identifies possible solutions and recommendations for a wide array of projects and opportunities.
  • Service Event Management: Supports the communications, oversight, and management of all out-of-service events directly through Technical Support (TS) using corporate standard processes and procedures.
  • RMA Policy Enforcement: Enforces RMA policies and manages the processes being performed by all technicians supporting the territory.

7. Field Services Manager Job Description

  • Customer and Partner Training: Trains customers and channel partners on equipment and best practices.
  • Contract Service Management: Manages and trains contract service providers for inspection equipment.
  • Spare Parts Optimization: Reviews current spare parts regime and adds or increases stock to ensure customers have minimal downtime.
  • Service Partner Identification: Identifies partners to contract service and manages the service calls.
  • Order and Installation Coordination: Takes an order from PO to installation, coordinating with partners, suppliers, shipping, customer service, and the end users.
  • Work Order Tracking: Tracks workload using work orders and accurately logs hours to be billed.
  • Mechanical and Electrical Assembly: Assembles and installs both mechanical and electrical parts/systems.
  • Equipment Troubleshooting: Wires, powers up, and troubleshoots product inspection machinery.
  • Technician Scheduling: Schedules outside technicians to customer sites for any preventative maintenance or repairs.
  • Equipment Diagnosis and Repair: Troubleshoots, diagnoses, and repairs any equipment issues.
  • CRM Management: Keeps HubSpot CRM up to date for service and sales functions.
  • Preventative Maintenance Programs: Develops and executes Preventative Maintenance and Validation programs.
  • Service Documentation: Creates service forms and resources to scale service efficiency, ensuring clear documented communications with customers.
  • Service Video Content Creation: Scripts and records videos for service training.

8. Field Services Manager Overview

  • Service Team Leadership: Leads the Service Managers, Field Service Engineers, and Technical Support teams (25+) to deliver the highest levels of service to all customers consistently across the region.
  • Spare Parts and Inventory Management: Manages spare parts inventories and FSE van stocks, ensuring that all field personnel are ‘service ready’ regarding new products.
  • Field Service Scheduling: Manages the EMEA Field Service Schedule.
  • Service KPI Analysis: Analyzes, manages, and reports on Service Delivery KPIs and metrics across the region.
  • Recruitment and Staffing: Recruits where appropriate to ensure agreed service levels can be adhered to.
  • SAP B1 Utilization: Leads the team with SAP B1 and utilizes the information to improve overall efficiency in dealing with customer support.
  • Technical Project Management: Leads and manages the EMEA Technical Product & Project Manager and supports the development and delivery of complex installations.
  • Issue Escalation: Escalates any serious commercial or operational issues to the General Manager and Global Service Delivery Manager.
  • Skill Evaluation: Evaluates skill levels to ensure that stakeholders are properly qualified for the missions entrusted to them.
  • Compliance and Team Organization: Ensures that the service team is properly organized, staffed, supervised, and in compliance with global certifications and local regulations.
  • Team Development and Motivation: Guides, motivates, supports, and develops the skills, knowledge, and abilities of the Service team.

9. Field Services Manager Details and Accountabilities

  • Associate Training Support: Assists in the training of AGA associates on how to interact and train service department personnel with AGA products, from product knowledge to reimbursement levels and claim submission.
  • Product and Policy Training: Facilitates training to ensure understanding of AGA products, policies, and procedures.
  • Coverage Education: Educates dealership service department personnel on what is covered and what is not covered in each product line.
  • Service Training Coordination: Assists in the training of AGA associates on how to interact and train the service department monthly and prepares/conducts meetings for dealership service department personnel on electronic claim submission and other company initiatives.
  • Risk Management Support: Works closely with Risk Management to identify and monitor high-loss accounts within the assigned area and conducts onsite field reviews to identify the source of the high loss with validation.
  • Solution Implementation: Presents solutions to the dealer principal and ensures timely implementation.
  • Key Account Review Participation: Takes part in the QBRs for Key Accounts.
  • Audit and Loss Report Analysis: Accesses and masters field audits, documentation, and loss reports to review with the dealer principal.
  • New Business Presentation: Takes part in new business presentations to prospective high-profile clients to review AGA products, proformas, risk management, and claim reimbursement/administration.
  • Product Implementation Support: Becomes part of the kickoff team when implementing AGA products at new high-profile dealerships.
  • Service Department Training: Assists in the training of all service department personnel on AGA products.
  • Customer Satisfaction Management: Interacts with dealership service management to ensure understanding and satisfaction with AGA programs and service levels.
  • Product Opportunity Identification: Identifies applicable AGA products not currently offered by existing clients and reports to management for sales team presentation.

10. Field Services Manager Tasks

  • On-Site Technical Support: Provides on-site support related to concrete floors, including technical and practical Do’s and Don’ts.
  • CRM Documentation: Reports and documents site visits in CRM, including lessons learned, project photos, and possible future opportunities.
  • Service Program Development: Develops technical service programs, and best practice checklists, and monetizes field services as part of the full Dramix solution.
  • Certification and Training: Develop certification and training programs for concrete flooring contractors and Ready-Mix companies using Dramix.
  • Technical Review: Responsible for reviewing mix designs, reviewing drawings, details, and specifications.
  • Rental Program Management: Manages the Dramix conveyor rental program as part of the service offering to royal and premium customers.
  • Resource Allocation and Monitoring: Allocates resources and monitors the progress of cases according to scope, delivery times, skills, and workload, using resources efficiently through optimal planning.
  • Maintenance Offer Preparation: Prepares and validates maintenance offers (financial data, necessary resources) with the help of the service coordinator.
  • Customer and Subcontractor Relations: Builds lasting relationships with customers and subcontractors and uses feedback to drive the coherent development of processes and practices.
  • HSE Implementation: Implements directives in terms of hygiene, safety, and the environment.
  • Service Collaboration: Actively collaborates with the other Service Units of the Marine & Ports division to optimize the use of resources within the Hub.
  • Service Provider Qualification: Ensures the qualification of service providers with the support of the quality department.
Relevant Information
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