Full Job Description
Benefits:
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 401k Employer Match
• Bonus Incentives
• Extensive Training & Career Development Programs
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Medical, Dental and Vision plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• And more!
Pay Rate Details:
Responsibilities & Expectations:
The General Manager, Burlington (Southland) leads one of the largest and most strategically important service centers in the Integrated Power Services (IPS) Power Management Division (PMD). The Burlington site brings together Southland Electrical Supply (SES), Industrial Panel Co (IPC), Southland Automation, Charter Contact and Supply, Southland Electrical Rentals, and the Burlington Field Service team: more than 100 employees across circuit breaker remanufacturing, low voltage switchgear and switchboard (UL 891), motor control centers, panel shops, skids, surplus distribution, and NETA style field service.
The General Manager carries full profit and loss (P&L) accountability for the site and owns safety, people, customers, operations, and commercial execution. Burlington is designated as the Southeast Center of Excellence (CoE) for circuit breakers & motor control centers and the East CoE for skids and eHouses, so this leader also shapes how two division product lines grow.
This is a hands on, floor present leadership role. The successful candidate speaks the language of breakers and gear with credibility, leads from the shop floor rather than the office and builds a culture where people are recognized, developed, and heard. The position sits within a division pursuing active organic and acquisition growth, creating meaningful advancement opportunity for the leader in this role and the team.
P&L and Business Ownership
• Own full P&L responsibility for the Burlington site, including revenue, job margin, operating expense, working capital, and capital requests.
• Build and manage the annual operating plan, monthly forecasts, and the site A3 and X matrix; report performance and recovery actions to division leadership.
• Set and enforce pricing discipline: value-based pricing on retrofit, remanufacture, and new equipment work; technician sign off on scope; monthly win and loss review with root cause on lost quotes and returned jobs.
• Drive inventory and purchasing excellence through accurate physical counts and costing, disciplined surplus purchasing decisions, and clear purchasing authority processes.
• Develop and present capital investment cases.
Safety, Quality, and Operational Excellence
• Lead safety as a shared value, not a compliance exercise. Own the site HSE program, including 2MD, JSA, and JHA tools that are designed with technicians, fit the work, and satisfy customer requirements.
• Lead the Continuous Improvement Process System (CIPS) as an improvement system run with the team: time studies co-designed with team leads, results reported back to the floor, and progression through CIPS phase gates (work plan versus actual, job margin deviation, recordable free performance).
• Drive consistent execution of quality, on time delivery, utilization, and first pass test yield across every building (SES, SER, IPC) and the field team, with one standard for equipment, climate, and support across all locations.
• Standardize the circuit breaker offering around IPS ReCert, ReCon, and ReMan scopes with documented test reports, and establish work plan versus actual job profit reviews.
• Ensure employees have the tools, equipment, technology, and infrastructure necessary to perform their work safely and effectively.
Commercial and Customer Engagement
• Own the customer experience for Burlington: ensure responsive customer support through appropriate after-hours coverage and escalation processes.
• Stand up Burlington as the quoting CoE for motor control centers and circuit breakers with a 24 hour quote turnaround target.
• Partner with the Commercial Team and the Circuit Breaker and Apparatus Sales Manager on account strategy, major proposals, Southeast switchgear coverage, and cross-sell with Dallas (medium voltage switchgear CoE) and Tampa (low voltage switchgear engineering CoE).
• Grow the surplus distribution business, including full visibility of distribution inventory through IPS e-commerce and aging control.
Field Service Leadership
• Own the Burlington Field Service business, customer continuity, and knowledge capture of circuit breaker and switchgear service expertise into SOPs.
• Retain and develop a multi-generational technician team, including succession for technicians approaching retirement.
Strategy and Center of Excellence Development
• Execute the Burlington elements of the PMD circuit breaker and apparatus strategies: Southeast circuit breaker and MCC CoE, East CoE for skids and eHouses, UL 891 recon, recert, and new work with Tampa, and engineering capability for DC and SF6 high voltage breakers.
• Operate inside the One IPS model: shared SOPs, centralized supply chain, regional CoEs, and one standard of customer experience.
• Identify and build the business case for adjacent growth.
Leadership, Culture, and Talent
• Lead through active engagement with employees across the site, promoting recognition, accountability, communication, and a culture of trust and respect.
• Unify SES, SER, IPC, and Field Service into one Burlington team with one leadership standard.
• Run a communication cadence that covers direction and decisions, not only results: monthly town halls with open questions, weekly department huddles, and an anonymous question channel answered in full.
• Design and administer a site incentive plan tied to shop and field results within the operating budget; recognize credentials (MSHA, LOTO, NETA, field service certifications) with differentials.
• Build career paths beyond supervisor: formal team lead, planner, and subject matter expert tracks; partner with HR on workforce planning, succession, and retention of mission critical talent.
• Coach and develop the Operations Manager, Team Leads, and department leaders; model and reinforce consistent standards of accountability, professionalism, attendance, and conduct across all levels of the organization.
Qualifications and Competencies:
Required
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical preferred), Business, or a related field, or equivalent technical and leadership experience in electrical equipment service.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in electrical distribution equipment service, repair, or manufacturing, with direct, hands on knowledge of low and medium voltage circuit breakers, switchgear, switchboards, and motor control centers (strong candidates with 5 to 6 years of directly relevant, high caliber experience may also be considered).
• 5+ years in a role with full P&L ownership and budget management for a service center, plant, or business unit of comparable scale (75+ employees, $25 million+ revenue).
• Demonstrated track record of driving revenue growth and margin improvement through pricing discipline, quote velocity, and operational execution.
• Direct people management experience leading technicians, supervisors, and managers, with a demonstrated floor present, servant leadership style and strong coaching, motivational, and communication skills.
• Experience leading safety programs and continuous improvement systems in a way that earns technician buy-in.
• Operational rigor, a sense of urgency, and comfort presenting business plans and investment cases to senior leadership.
• Able to be on site in Burlington daily and reachable after hours.
Preferred
• Background in industrial service center operations (breaker remanufacturing, retrofit, panel shops, field service) in addition to new equipment sales or distribution.
• Familiarity with UL 891, UL 508A, NEMA, IEEE, and NETA standards and certifications.
• Experience leading a business through a leadership transition or cultural turnaround, with measurable improvement in retention and engagement.
• Experience with surplus and distribution inventory management, including e-commerce channels.
• Experience operating within a multi site center of excellence or shared services model, or integrating acquired businesses.
• OEM or OEM aftermarket experience with major electrical equipment manufacturers (Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens, Eaton, GE, or similar).
Travel
This role is on site in Burlington, NC. Travel is estimated at 10 to 15 percent for customer visits, PMD leadership meetings, and collaboration with the Dallas, Tampa, Cincinnati, Tucson, and Kingston service centers.
