Project Field Service Manager

Introduction

Bigge Crane and Rigging has been elevating America since 1916. With more than 1,800 cranes and a coast-to-coast presence, we buy, sell, rent, operate, and maintain one of the largest and most advanced crane fleets in the country. We have played a role in building some of America’s most iconic landmarks and earned a reputation for doing it right—with performance, precision, and accountability.

Job Overview

The Project & Field Service Manager is responsible for coordinating customer projects, onsite crane operations, and field service activities throughout the assigned area.

This position serves as the primary point of contact between the customer, Bigge’s onsite personnel, Sales, Operations, Service, Safety, and other supporting departments. The role combines hands-on field involvement with project coordination, technician supervision, preventive maintenance planning, repair management, customer communication, service documentation, and financial accountability.

The Project & Field Service Manager is responsible for helping ensure projects and service activities are completed safely, efficiently, on schedule, and in accordance with customer expectations and Bigge standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Project and Customer Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the customer and Bigge’s onsite personnel.
• Maintain consistent communication with the customer, Sales, Operations, Service, and other internal departments regarding project status, equipment requirements, service needs, and operational concerns.
• Assist in the field and monitor project progress against established schedules, forecasts, and customer commitments.
• Serve as Bigge’s onsite superintendent or project representative on designated construction projects.
• Attend and lead regularly scheduled customer and project meetings.
• Document meeting discussions, commitments, outstanding issues, and required follow-up actions.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, milestones, action-item lists, and equipment-readiness plans.
• Coordinate crane inspections and the logistics associated with equipment mobilization, demobilization, replacement, or exchange, including cranes, trucks, and related support equipment.
• Maintain accurate records of crane hours, equipment usage, service activity, inspections, incidents, and other project-related documentation.
• Coordinate with customer mechanics and schedule Bigge technicians or outside service providers when additional support is required.
• Provide customers with requested service reports, inspection documentation, maintenance records, and repair updates.
• Respond promptly to customer concerns and coordinate the appropriate internal resources to bring issues to resolution.
• Lead project closeout activities, including completion of outstanding repairs, return of documentation, final customer communication, equipment demobilization, billing support, and lessons-learned review.

Field Service and Maintenance Management

• Receive and evaluate calls regarding equipment service needs at customer job sites.
• Schedule and dispatch field service technicians based on urgency, technician capability, location, customer requirements, and equipment availability.
• Prioritize equipment-down situations based on safety, customer impact, contractual commitments, repair complexity, and available resources.
• Coordinate planned maintenance activities for field service technicians and lube technicians.
• Verify that preventive maintenance, inspections, and corrective repairs are completed within required intervals and that overdue items are identified and escalated.
• Assist technicians with troubleshooting mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, engine, transmission, and load moment indicator–related issues.
• Troubleshoot minor equipment issues over the phone when appropriate and provide technical direction to technicians and customers.
• Research, identify, and order parts required for field service repairs.
• Coordinate with Parts, Service, Operations, and vendors to support timely repairs.
• Issue, maintain, update, and complete work orders for repairs performed in the field or shop.
• Monitor open service requests and work orders through completion.
• Ensure repair status and estimated completion times are communicated to the customer and affected Bigge departments.
• Review repeat failures, excessive downtime, and recurring equipment problems to identify root causes and coordinate permanent corrective action.
• Confirm that completed repairs meet Bigge and manufacturer quality standards before equipment is returned to service.
• Field calls nights and weekends as required (On call as needed nights and weekends).

Documentation, Billing, and Cost Control

• Review and approve field service technician timesheets for accuracy, completeness, and correct job or work-order allocation.
• Confirm that required documentation—including service reports, parts requisitions, inspection reports, invoices, photographs, and customer information—is complete and accurate.
• Ensure service documentation is submitted to Service Administration for timely uploading and record retention.
• Provide Service Billing with the labor, parts, vendor invoices, service reports, photographs, and other supporting documentation required for customer billing.
• Verify that customer-billable work is properly identified, documented, and communicated.
• Maintain accurate project and equipment records in applicable company systems.
• Monitor service costs, including labor, overtime, parts, outside services, travel, and equipment expenses, and communicate unfavorable cost variances to management.
• Assist with the preparation of cost-to-complete estimates, and explanations of significant budget or schedule variances.
• Confirm that additional work outside the original customer agreement is documented and approved before billing or performing the work whenever circumstances allow.
• Track operational performance indicators such as equipment downtime, service response time, preventive maintenance compliance, open work-order aging, overtime, repeat repairs, and customer-billable recovery.

Employee Leadership and Development

• Supervise field service technicians, lube technicians, and assigned service administrative personnel.
• Provide employees with clear work assignments, priorities, deadlines, and customer expectations.
• Train employees on Bigge processes, procedures, documentation requirements, customer-service expectations, and safe work practices.
• Conduct regular employee check-ins and provide coaching regarding safety, technical performance, productivity, documentation quality, attendance, and customer service.
• Identify employee training and development needs and coordinate appropriate OEM, technical, safety, and leadership training.
• Recognize strong performance and address performance or conduct concerns promptly in partnership with the Service Manager and Human Resources.
• Maintain a professional, respectful, and productive working environment.
• Coordinate staffing and service coverage with the Service Manager and Operations leadership.

Safety and Compliance

• Promote and maintain a safe working environment in partnership with the Service Manager and Safety Department.
• Report unsafe conditions, incidents, injuries, property damage, and equipment-related safety concerns immediately.
• Ensure technicians follow Bigge policies, customer site requirements, manufacturer procedures, and applicable safety regulations.
• Maintain a strong safety presence while working onsite and during service activities.
• Participate in jobsite safety meetings, pre-job planning, incident reviews, and corrective-action follow-up as required.
• Verify that employees assigned to work have the required training, qualifications, tools, personal protective equipment, and job-specific information.
• Exercise stop-work authority when an unsafe condition presents an immediate risk to employees, customers, the public, or equipment, consistent with Bigge policy.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• A minimum of three years of crane mechanic or comparable heavy-equipment service experience is desired.
• One to two years of previous supervisory or team-lead experience is desired.
• Crane operation, crane rental, rigging, ironworking, construction, or project-management experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting active construction projects and customer jobsites is preferred.
• Demonstrated competency in diagnosing, repairing, and maintaining engines, transmissions, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, and load moment indicator systems (LMI) across multiple equipment lines.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, smartphones, tablets, work-order systems, and project-management software.
• Ability to read and understand technical manuals, service information, inspection reports, work orders, and customer requirements.
• Ability to troubleshoot minor equipment problems remotely and provide practical technical direction.
• An associate or bachelor’s degree in construction management, business, heavy-equipment technology, or a related field is preferred but may be substituted with relevant crane-industry and leadership experience.
• OSHA 10-Hour Construction, First Aid/CPR, crane inspection, manufacturer technical training, or recognized project-management credentials are preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Attributes

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional customer-service and relationship-management skills.
• Strong organizational, scheduling, and time-management abilities.
• High level of patience and professionalism.
• Ability to remain calm and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, technicians, and equipment issues simultaneously.
• Friendly, courteous, and approachable leadership style.
• Commitment to workplace health and safety.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining strong communication with leadership and supporting departments.
• Ability to resolve conflict and coordinate effectively with customers, technicians, operators, vendors, and internal teams.
• Demonstrated financial awareness and the ability to balance customer satisfaction, equipment uptime, safety, and company profitability.
• Ability to recognize emerging risks, escalate issues appropriately, and drive corrective actions through completion.

Work Environment and Availability

• This position requires regular work at customer jobsites, Bigge facilities, and other field locations.
• The employee must be available for after-hours and weekend calls as business and customer needs require.
• Travel within the assigned territory and occasional overnight travel may be required.
• The employee must be able to work in active construction and heavy-equipment environments and comply with all applicable personal protective equipment requirements.

Benefits

• Competitive pay and matching 401(k) plan.
• Vacation, company holidays, and sick days.
• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account options.
• Reimbursement under the company’s Bring Your Own Device policy, when applicable.

Bigge provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, military status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.