General Manager in at Neu-Ion Inc

Position Summary

Neu-Ion is seeking a driven, operationally excellent General Manager to lead and unify our operations organization across Service, Installation, Regeneration, Project Management, Engineering, and Purchasing/Warehouse. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the General Manager owns the day-to-day performance of the operations teams and directly manages the department leaders who run them. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for on-time and on-budget delivery, quality, gross margin, customer satisfaction, and the development of a high-performing, accountable operations team. The ideal candidate is a proven operations leader with experience in water treatment, systems integration, or a related technical services field who can execute the strategic direction set by the COO and ownership.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership & Team Management

• Directly manage the operations department leaders — Technical, Service, Project Management, Engineering, Regeneration, and Purchasing/Warehouse — ensuring alignment, accountability, and consistent execution.
• Lead, coach, and develop direct managers; set clear expectations, hold one-on-ones (weekly or bi-weekly), and build individual development and succession plans.
• Conduct performance reviews, establish career pathways for high performers, and partner with HR on recruiting, onboarding, and training programs.
• Build and reinforce a culture of accountability, communication, continuous improvement, and swift responsiveness to operational challenges.

Service, Installation & Regeneration Oversight

• Oversee daily operations of Service, Installation, in-house Regeneration, and field support teams across the organization.
• Ensure projects are installed and serviced on time, on budget, and to specification.
• Oversee preventive maintenance schedules, emergency service response, route development, and customer support programs.
• Coordinate resource allocation and scheduling across Installation, Service, and Regeneration teams.
• Implement quality-control measures and ensure compliance with high-purity water system standards.

Operational Execution & Continuous Improvement

• Develop, implement, and enforce SOPs for installations, field service, site readiness, safety, and logistics.
• Drive operational KPIs and establish performance metrics across all operations departments.
• Lead continuous-improvement initiatives and process-optimization efforts (Lean, Six Sigma, or similar).
• Translate the COO's and ownership's strategic objectives into executable operational plans and measurable results.

Financial & Performance Management

• Monitor and analyze operational performance metrics, gross margin, and financial indicators.
• Identify areas for cost reduction, margin improvement, and efficiency gains.
• Oversee capacity planning, resource management, and equipment/operational readiness.
• Manage vendor and supplier relationships and coordinate purchasing, inventory, and fleet functions.

Customer & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Serve as the operational liaison to leadership, the Sales VP, Project Management, Engineering, and field teams.
• Interface with high-profile customers during kickoff, site visits, or escalations.
• Ensure post-sale commitments (QBR follow-ups, site reviews) are executed effectively.
• Resolve cross-departmental conflicts and bottlenecks quickly and effectively.

Reporting & Communication

• Provide regular operational reports, KPIs, and improvement recommendations to the COO.
• Lead operational meetings and cross-departmental coordination sessions.
• Maintain transparent communication across all levels of the operations organization.

Experience & Background

• 10+ years of operations, installation, or field-service leadership — ideally in water purification, construction, plumbing, HVAC, biotech, or similar industries.
• Proven success managing technical field teams, department managers, and large-scale installations.
• Track record of managing diverse teams and complex operational workflows in an industrial, technical, or field-service environment.

Technical Skills & Knowledge

• Knowledge of RO/DI, pretreatment, point-of-use systems, and other high-purity water systems (preferred).
• Strong understanding of CRM, field-service software, inventory logistics, and job costing.
• Gross-margin-focused decision-making across operations.
• Proficiency in operational-management software, ERP systems, and data-analysis tools.
• Understanding of safety regulations and compliance requirements.
• Background in process-improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, or similar) highly valued.

Leadership & Management

• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing teams and managers.
• Strong conflict-resolution and decision-making skills.
• Experience managing department heads and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to drive change and implement process improvements.
• Experience reporting to executive leadership (COO, ownership) and executing against a defined strategy.

Communication & Customer Interface

• Excellent communication, organizational, and customer-facing skills.
• Strong presentation and reporting capabilities.
• Ability to interface professionally with high-profile customers and manage stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
• Professional certifications in operations management or process improvement.
• OSHA 30, PMP, or relevant certifications (a plus).
• Experience in installation, service, or regeneration operations.
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical, healthcare, data center, academic, and biotech client requirements.

Performance Metrics (KPIs)

• The successful candidate will be measured against the following performance indicators (subject to evolve):
• Service response time and customer satisfaction scores.
• Monthly revenue invoiced and on-time project completion rates.
• Customer retention and frequency of follow-up calls / site reviews.
• Cross-departmental communication effectiveness (e.g., reduced escalations).
• Gross margin, cost management, and operational efficiency improvements.
• Successful implementation of process improvements and department-level KPIs.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the General Manager, Operations role.

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasional walking, standing, bending, and reaching as necessary.
• Ability to travel to various work sites, attend off-site meetings, or visit operational facilities as needed.
• Must be able to lift up to 15–50 pounds occasionally (e.g., documents, laptops, or small equipment).
• Ability to maintain focus and attention to detail in a fast-paced, sometimes high-pressure environment.
• May occasionally work evenings or weekends to meet critical deadlines or respond to urgent operational issues.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation package.
• Benefits: Paid Time Off, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K
• Opportunity to make a significant impact leading a growing operations organization.
• A clear reporting relationship to the COO with high visibility to ownership.
• Professional development and growth opportunities.
• A collaborative and dynamic work environment.

Why Neu-Ion?

Neu-Ion is a family-owned leader in high-purity water systems with decades of experience supporting pharmaceutical, healthcare, data center, academic, and biotech clients. We value excellence, loyalty, and long-term customer partnerships, and we're growing. This position offers the opportunity to join a respected industry leader and play a key role in our continued expansion and operational excellence.

This role requires a hands-on leader who thrives in a dynamic environment and is passionate about operational excellence in the water-treatment industry. The ideal candidate can see the big picture while maintaining attention to detail, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently across all departments while upholding our reputation for exceptional customer service and technical expertise.