Operations Manager
Service Manager | Branch Manager | Dispatch Lead | Sparky-with-ops-chops welcome
- Auckland (based Mt Wellington / East Auckland)
- Full-time, permanent
- Strong package — generous base + fully expensed vehicle + bonus + phone, laptop, fuel card. EWRB costs covered for qualified electricians. Real numbers at first interview.
- New ownership, growth mode, real path to GM
We're hiring an Operations Manager / Service Manager / Field Service Manager to own the day-to-day running of our field operation. Open to experienced operators ready for their next chapter — and to the sparky, electrician, plumber, gasfitter, HVAC tech, refrigeration tech or senior pool service technician who's been quietly running the whole crew already, and is ready for the title and pay to match.
Sparkling Pools has been Auckland's go-to pool valet, service and renovation company since 1997. Now under new ownership, growing fast, and building something serious. We need an operator. Someone who'll get in the van, ride along, fix the broken process, then build the system so it never breaks again.
A note for qualified electricians
A registered electrician with an active EWRB practising licence is our dream hire. Pool equipment work is heavy on electrical — pump and heat pump installs, lighting, automation, switchboards — and having that capability in-house is a real edge.You'd be primarily managing operations, but on the tools occasionally for complex installs and electrical work. We cover registration and compliance.
You'll stay close to the work
Roughly 80% leadership and operations, 20% hands-on. Ride-alongs, diagnostics, complex installs. The best operators stay sharp by keeping a hand in the work — and licensed sparkies will do real electrical work, not just supervise it.
The roleScheduling, dispatch and fleet — full team of valets and techs, hundreds of clients, multiple vans. Every job allocated, every van out the door on time.
Quality control — ride-alongs, spot-checks, lifting the standard
Training — onboarding, mentoring, building the programme
Customer escalations — turn problems into fans
Systems and process — modernising how the business runs
Supplier and inventory management — margin lives or dies here
Recruitment — building the team with the owner
Health & safety on the road
You'll work directly with the owner. Short chain of command, fast decisions, real ownership.
Who we're looking forA qualified sparky / electrician with EWRB licence ready to step up (top pick)
A plumber, gasfitter, drainlayer, HVAC or refrigeration tech running jobs for 5+ years
An experienced Operations Manager, Service Manager, Branch Manager or Depot Manager from a trade or home services business — irrigation, landscaping, property maintenance, building services, security, cleaning, pest control, fencing, painting, pool industry
A senior pool service technician ready for the next level
A dispatch manager, scheduling coordinator, fleet manager or field service coordinator
An ex-military NCO or warrant officer — Army, Navy, Air Force
A 2IC, foreman or leading hand at a small trades business who's hit the ceiling
Must-haves: track record of running people, vans or jobs. Genuinely good at systems and scheduling. Comfortable on the tools when needed. Tech-confident. Strong communicator. Full clean NZ driver's licence. Right to work in NZ.
Bonus points: EWRB practising licence, pool industry experience, experience scaling teams.We don't care about: whether you've worked in pools before (we'll teach you), degrees, or how you dress in the interview.
The offerStrong base salary, real numbers at first interview
Fully expensed company vehicle (yours to use)
Quarterly performance bonus tied to revenue, margin and retention
Phone, laptop, fuel card
EWRB registration and compliance costs covered
Genuine path to GM
Direct mentorship from the owner. Flat structure. No politics.
About Sparkling Pools
Auckland's most established pool servicing, maintenance and renovation company — one of the largest in the city, serving residential, body corporate, property manager and commercial clients across metro Auckland. Profitable through every economic cycle since 1997.New ownership, biggest growth phase to date.
How to apply
Send your CV and a short note answering one question: "What's a system or process you've personally built or fixed in a previous role that made the business meaningfully better?"Right to work in NZ required.