Commercial HVAC production manager job description
A commercial HVAC production manager leads the install crews on several building projects at once. They staff each job to the general contractor's schedule. They make sure every rooftop unit, boiler, chiller and duct run goes in safely and to the drawings, then see each system through startup, testing and handover.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Lead the planning, execution, and oversight of commercial HVAC installation projects to ensure quality, safety, and code compliance. Drive productivity improvements and manage project resources effectively to meet project timelines and budgets. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to maintain operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee and coordinate all aspects of commercial HVAC installations from inception to completion.
Ensure adherence to safety protocols and compliance with local and national building codes.
Monitor resource allocation, scheduling, and productivity across multiple project sites.
Maintain communication with project stakeholders, including customers, vendors, and team members.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and update installation project schedules and workforce assignments each day.
Conduct regular site inspections to ensure work quality and compliance with safety standards.
Facilitate daily team briefings and address operational challenges in real-time.
Coordinate with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely delivery of materials and equipment.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project Completion Rate: 95% or higher on-time completion.
Safety Compliance Rate: 100% adherence to all safety protocols.
Rework/Callback Rate: Less than 3% of installations requiring corrective follow-ups.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Achieve a rating of 4.8 stars or above on post-installation surveys.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field.
Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing HVAC or related commercial installations.
Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage, motivate, and develop a diverse team.
Proficient in project management software and familiarity with HVAC systems and codes.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the commercial HVAC industry or related specialty trades.
Previous exposure to complex installation projects in large commercial buildings.
Background in continuous improvement practices and lean management methodologies.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects successfully.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry materials weighing up to 50 lbs where required.
Comfortable working in varied environments including outdoor sites, confined spaces, and elevated areas.
Standing, walking, and climbing stairs or ladders as part of daily responsibilities.
Capability to conduct detailed inspections in different weather conditions.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard workweek of 40 hours with additional hours as necessary for project deadlines.
Regular onsite presence at project locations and occasional office-based coordination.
Occasional travel between job sites is expected.
On-call duties may be required during critical project phases.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range: $85,000 - $110,000 USD, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure tied to project efficiency and customer satisfaction targets.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) retirement plan with company matching and additional fringe benefits such as paid time off.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of innovation, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
We are dedicated to empowering our employees through supportive leadership and opportunities for growth.
Our mission is to create a dynamic and collaborative work environment that rewards excellence and values diversity.
Join us and be part of a team that is passionate about delivering top-tier service and success in the commercial HVAC industry.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Commercial installs are construction projects. The production manager works inside a general contractor's schedule, builds to an engineer's drawings, and keeps crews, lifts and inspections moving on several sites at once.
The GC's schedule sets the pace
On new buildings and remodels, the mechanical crew works in turn with framers, electricians, plumbers and ceiling crews. Duct that isn't hung before the ceiling grid goes up holds up everyone. The production manager staffs each site to the GC's look-ahead schedule and moves crews when another trade slips. Field changes go to the project manager so a change order gets written.
Lift day puts your crew in the fall zone
Rooftop units usually go up by crane, often on a weekend when the building is empty. OSHA's crane rules for construction say that if your crew hooks, unhooks or guides a load inside the fall zone, a qualified rigger must rig it. The rigging has to keep the load from slipping, with hooks that have self-closing latches. Before lift day, the production manager settles who the qualified rigger is: one of yours or the crane company's. They also book the crane, the crew and any street closure the city requires. Source: OSHA: Keeping clear of the load (29 CFR 1926.1425).
Test pipe and duct before it's covered
Refrigerant piping gets pressure tested for leaks before insulation and ceilings hide it. EPA's Section 608 exam covers how: use nitrogen, never oxygen or compressed air, with a pressure regulator and relief valve. Ducts get a leak test when the specs call for one. The local inspector may also want to see the work before the ceiling closes. The production manager books these so nobody tears out a finished ceiling. Source: U.S. EPA: Section 608 technician certification test topics.
Several sites, one set of eyes
With several jobs open, the production manager can't stand on every site. Each job runs through a foreman who sends a daily report: crew size, work done, problems and photos. The production manager visits each site in turn to compare the work with the plans and specs. Then they move people to wherever the schedule is tightest that week.
Startup and balancing finish the job
A commercial system isn't done when it first runs. Chillers often get a startup from the maker's own technician, the engineer's specs may call for an outside test and balance report, and the controls need a point-by-point checkout. Then the owner's staff need training. The production manager builds those last steps into the schedule from day one, because closeout usually depends on them.
How much commercial HVAC production managers make
The closest BLS group for commercial HVAC production managers is construction managers. Construction managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $109,150 a year ($52.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $114,990 median for construction managers in all industries. About 21,680 of the 380,360 construction managers in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
Typically salaried. The template ties the bonus to project efficiency and customer satisfaction, which you can measure by schedule, margin and closeout surveys.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$109,150$109,150 median Middle half $93,220–$137,820 10th–90th $75,490–$171,880
All industries
$114,990$114,990 median Middle half $88,550–$151,640 10th–90th $69,690–$189,440
$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$75,490
$93,220
$109,150
$137,820
$171,880
All industries
$69,690
$88,550
$114,990
$151,640
$189,440
BLS reports HVAC and plumbing contractors together, residential and commercial. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run commercial HVAC or mechanical installs, not only residential change-outs
Reads mechanical drawings, specs and a construction schedule
Runs foremen and crews on several sites at once
Holds job sites to a written safety plan, lifts and cranes included
Tracks field hours against the estimate and acts early
Teach these on the job
Your project software and daily report format
Your project managers' handoff and change order process
Your crane, rigging and equipment rental partners
Your startup, test and balance and closeout checklists
Local inspectors and the general contractors you work for most
Expect construction project software such as Procore for drawings, daily logs and punch lists, a field service or ERP system for time and job cost, and tablets on site. In the ad, list the project types and sizes you take on, how many foremen report to this person, and whether public work is part of it.
Commercial HVAC production manager interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Hold the template's numbers loosely, and rebuild them from your last year of closed projects. Score each project and each foreman, since one troubled job can hide strong work elsewhere.
Project Completion Rate
Projects and milestones done on or before their contract dates, compared with all milestones due in the month. Count a milestone as late if the general contractor had to wait on your crew.
Safety Compliance Rate
Site safety audits that found nothing to fix, out of all audits. Log each injury and close call alongside, and put crane lifts and roof work on the audit list.
Rework/Callback Rate
Installs where your crew had to go back and fix its own work, from punch-list items to warranty calls in the first season, divided by total installs. Note the cause of each one.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Closeout survey scores from the GC, the owner and the facility staff. Read them next to the punch list and closeout dates, since late paperwork drags scores down too.
Career path
Mechanical foremanLeads one crew through a commercial install, from layout to startup.
Field supervisorWalks several jobs a week and backs up the foremen.
Production managerStaffs and steers every open install project.
Operations managerWeighs install crews against agreement and repair work.
What does a commercial HVAC production manager do?
They plan and run every install crew in the field. Each week they assign foremen and crews to projects, line up equipment deliveries and crane lifts, and walk sites for quality and safety. They also track hours against each estimate. As each job wraps up, they make sure startup, testing and closeout get done.
How much does a commercial HVAC production manager make?
Construction managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $109,150 a year ($52.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $93,220 and $137,820 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Production manager or project manager: who does what on a commercial HVAC job?
The project manager owns the contract side of each job: submittals, change orders, billing and the GC relationship. The production manager owns the field side across all jobs: crews, order of work, quality and safety. The two work as a pair on every project. A clean handoff between them heads off a lot of change order fights.
Should a commercial HVAC production manager help with estimates?
On labor, yes. The production manager knows how long swapping a chiller or ducting a floor really takes, so have them review the labor hours on large bids before submission. Leave pricing and the bid itself to your estimators. Then hold a handoff meeting at award so the person who runs the job agrees with what was sold.
Does a commercial HVAC production manager need an OSHA 30 card?
Not under federal rules. OSHA calls its outreach courses voluntary and says none of them is a certification, though some states, cities or others may require them. The 30-hour course is the better fit for supervisors and workers with some safety duties, per OSHA. Check what your general contractors and public owners ask for before you bid.
Can a production manager come from general construction?
Yes, if they have run trade crews. The template wants five years of running HVAC or related commercial installs, and a GC superintendent can meet that. They already know schedules, inspections and site safety. What they lack is HVAC: refrigerant piping, controls, startup, and test and balance. Before they run a closeout alone, have them attend a chiller startup and a balancing visit.
