Field Service Leader - Defense

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Field Service Leader - Defense based in the United States. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced service leader to oversee mission-critical field service operations across defense, offshore, and maritime environments. You will drive operational excellence across installation, commissioning, warranty management, and technical interventions while supporting strategic business growth. Working closely with cross-functional leadership teams, you will align service delivery with customer expectations, contractual commitments, and commercial objectives. You will lead and develop a large workforce of field service engineers, ensuring operational readiness, safety, and high performance. Through capacity planning, resource optimization, and digital service management tools, you will improve efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction. This fully remote position combines strategic decision-making with hands-on operational leadership in complex, highly regulated environments.

Strategic Leadership: Contribute to business strategy by analyzing field service performance, identifying operational risks, and uncovering opportunities for service expansion and improved profitability. Field Service Operations: Oversee the end-to-end execution of installation and commissioning projects, warranty claims, and on-site technical interventions, ensuring delivery against quality, safety, schedule, and cost objectives. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate with service operations, program management, sales, finance, legal, regional leadership, and digital teams to align service execution with project milestones, contractual requirements, and available resources. Safety and Regulatory Compliance: Enforce environmental, health, and safety standards across offshore, maritime, and defense environments while ensuring compliance with site-specific regulations and access requirements. Workforce Leadership: Lead, develop, and support field service engineering teams, ensuring employees have the necessary certifications, equipment, training, and technical capabilities to operate in sensitive and restricted environments. Capacity and Resource Planning: Lead Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) activities, balancing urgent dispatch requirements with long-term project schedules, forecasting workforce needs, and maximizing productive, billable utilization. Commercial and Tender Management: Partner with sales and Inquiry-to-Order (ITO) teams to develop competitive service proposals, accurately defining technical scope, resource requirements, logistical constraints, and project risks while protecting margins. Digital Service Management: Champion ServiceMax or equivalent field service management platforms, maintaining accurate installed-base asset data, overseeing case lifecycles, and optimizing dispatch processes and workforce utilization. Continuous Improvement: Apply data-driven insights, Lean principles, and operational management practices to streamline workflows, improve service reliability, and strengthen business performance. Stakeholder and Customer Management: Build trusted relationships with customers and internal stakeholders, communicate performance insights, resolve competing priorities, and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction. Requirements Professional Experience: At least 12 years of service management experience in the defense, offshore, or maritime sectors. People Management: At least 2 years of demonstrated leadership experience managing teams of 50 or more employees in remote, complex, or high-pressure environments. Organizational Leadership: At least 2 years of experience operating in a matrixed organization, coordinating priorities across service, sales, finance, legal, and other business functions. Operational Planning: At least 5 years of experience in Sales and Operations Planning, resource forecasting, or capacity management within a service-intensive environment. Digital Tools: At least 5 years of experience using ServiceMax or comparable Field Service Management (FSM) platforms, including responsibility for installed-base data integrity. Industry Knowledge: Strong understanding of defense, offshore, or maritime field operations, including site logistics, travel requirements, safety certifications, and restricted-site access procedures. Commercial Expertise: Proven ability to collaborate with sales and tendering teams on service proposals, technical scoping, risk assessment, resource allocation, and pricing considerations. Security Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain the U.S. government security clearance required for sensitive defense projects. This position is restricted to U.S. persons and requires successful completion of the applicable background investigation and clearance process. Leadership and Communication: Strong people-management skills, including performance management, hiring, coaching, conflict resolution, and team development, combined with excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder-influencing abilities. Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to interpret complex project schedules, operational metrics, and resource data to develop effective capacity plans and support business growth. Continuous Improvement: Familiarity with Lean methodologies, daily management systems, and structured approaches to operational excellence. Work Authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Relocation assistance is not provided. Benefits Competitive Salary: Annual base salary ranging from $119,600 to $199,400 , depending on experience, qualifications, skills, and geographic location. Geographic salary differentials may apply in eligible areas. Annual Bonus: Eligibility for a discretionary annual bonus. Healthcare Coverage: Medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits. Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer matching and additional company retirement contributions. Paid Time Off: Permissive paid time off and 12 paid holidays. Family Support: Paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Insurance and Protection: Life insurance and disability benefits. Wellness Resources: Access to a 24/7 nurse-based health support service and confidential Employee Assistance Program. Professional Development: Tuition assistance, financial planning resources, and opportunities to develop leadership and technical expertise. Remote Work: Fully remote position based in the United States, with no relocation assistance. Career Growth: Opportunity to influence strategic operations, lead large technical teams, and contribute to continuous improvement across complex defense and offshore service environments.