A lighting company general manager runs the daily business for the CEO, with sales, marketing and key accounts at the core. They track revenue, customer scores and on-time jobs across retrofits, yard lighting and holiday installs, and keep department heads working to one plan.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
The General Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the lighting installation business, ensuring operational efficiency, strategic growth, and high customer satisfaction. This role directly impacts the company's profitability and market reputation by leading teams, optimizing processes, and driving strategic initiatives to achieve business objectives.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and implement strategic plans to increase market share and profitability.
Oversee daily operations to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.
Manage and mentor department heads to achieve operational excellence.
Utilize industry-standard tools such as CRM software and project management systems to streamline operations.
Ensure compliance with industry regulations and safety standards.
Monitor financial performance and implement corrective actions as needed.
Foster relationships with key clients and partners to drive business growth.
Conduct regular performance reviews and implement professional development plans.
Lead company-wide meetings to communicate goals and track progress.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily operational reports and address any issues promptly.
Conduct weekly strategy meetings with department heads.
Perform site visits to ensure quality standards are met.
Analyze customer feedback to improve service delivery.
Develop weekly and monthly performance reports for the executive team.
Facilitate training sessions for staff to enhance skills and knowledge.
Coordinate with marketing to align business growth strategies.
Oversee inventory management to ensure availability of necessary materials.
Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency.
Operational efficiency: Reduce overhead costs by approximately 5% annually.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations: Achieve full operational integration and KPI targets by 90 days.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, or related field.
Strong leadership and team management skills.
Proficiency in CRM and project management software.
Excellent financial acumen and analytical skills.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Valid driver’s license.
6. Preferred Experience
Minimum of 5 years in a management role within the home services or construction industry.
Experience with lighting installation or similar technical services.
Proven track record of driving business growth and profitability.
Experience with Lean or Six Sigma methodologies.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
Comfortable working in various environments, including office settings and construction sites.
Willingness to travel locally for site visits and client meetings.
Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Occasional evening or weekend work may be required during peak periods.
Limited on-call responsibilities for urgent issues.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive base salary with performance-based bonuses tied to revenue and quality metrics.
Bonus payouts contingent on maintaining high CSAT and low callback rates.
Benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.
Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on our commitment to quality craftsmanship, customer satisfaction, and continuous growth. We foster a collaborative and innovative environment where every team member is valued and empowered to contribute to our success. Join us to be part of a dynamic team that is dedicated to excellence and making a difference in the lighting installation 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
What changes for a general manager at a lighting company
A lighting GM sells to businesses, homeowners and holiday clients, each on its own calendar. Each calendar changes the GM's week.
Sales made at the home carry a cancel right
Yard and holiday lighting are often sold at the customer's house. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule applies to most deals of 25 dollars or more signed in a buyer's home. Buyers then have three business days to cancel, up to midnight of the third. Your paperwork must include the written cancel notice. Repairs the customer called you out for are exempt, but add-on goods sold on that trip are not. State rules vary, so have your contract reviewed. Source: eCFR: FTC Cooling-Off Rule, door-to-door sales (16 CFR Part 429).
Automated renewal calls need consent on file
The FCC's rule covers sales calls to cell phones made by an autodialer or with a recorded or artificial voice. Those calls need the person's signed, prior express written consent, and the form must say signing isn't a condition of buying. If you collect it on a holiday or maintenance contract, make it a line the customer can skip and still buy. The rules on opt-outs are moving: the FCC took up changes in September 2026, so check the current rule. Source: eCFR: FCC telephone solicitation and autodialer rules (47 CFR 64.1200).
Holiday sales need a cutoff date
Every holiday install the team sells has to be up by the date in the contract, and crews only have so many fall days. Agree with the COO on a weekly install capacity, sell against it, and switch to a waitlist when it's full. A roofline that goes up late costs more goodwill than the sale was worth.
Read customer scores by service line
A business owner judges a retrofit by the light on the floor and the power bill. A homeowner judges a yard job the first night it's lit, and a holiday client by whether the display works on the promised date. Survey each one at the right moment and report the scores apart, or a single CSAT number blends three stories.
How much lighting company general managers make
The closest BLS group for lighting company general managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $119,990 a year ($57.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 29,880 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Salary plus a bonus is the usual mix. The template ties the bonus to revenue, customer scores and callbacks. Write down how each is measured before the year starts.
Electrical contractors
$119,990$119,990 median Middle half $84,900–$165,460 10th–90th $58,340–$230,120
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$58,340
$84,900
$119,990
$165,460
$230,120
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
BLS doesn’t publish pay for lighting installers on their own. These figures cover electrical contractors, which include them. 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 grown sales in a contracting or field service business
Reads a P&L and acts on margin by service line
Holds department heads to written goals and coaches them
Handles an upset commercial client calmly and in person
Uses CRM and project management software every day
Teach these on the job
LED retrofit, controls and landscape lighting terms
How utility incentives change retrofit pricing
Holiday contract terms and renewal timing
Lean or Six Sigma tools for cutting overhead
Expect a CRM for leads and renewals, project management software for job status, and the accounting system's monthly reports. The template requires CRM and project tools. Ask candidates which ones they've used and what reports they built.
Lighting company general manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Matching sales to capacity
Sales signed more holiday clients than crews can install by the promised dates. What do you do?
A strong answer: Measures the gap, adds crews or trusted help, tells affected clients honestly with options and sets a booking cap with sales.
Behavioral · Coaching department heads
Tell me about a department head you coached through a holiday rush or other peak season.
A strong answer: Met often, helped them set priorities, removed obstacles and debriefed after the season.
Template targets here are placeholders, not norms. Reset them from your own revenue history and survey results before the GM starts.
Revenue growth
Split the yearly change into repeat clients and new ones. Renewals and repeat property managers show loyalty, while new accounts show whether sales and marketing are reaching fresh buyers.
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
Send a short survey after each closed job and average the scores by service line. Read the comments too, since they explain the score.
Project completion rate
Take finished-on-time jobs over all finished jobs from the project system. Judge holiday installs against the contract date, not the day a crew happened to be free.
Employee retention rate
Count year-round staff who stayed through the year against those on staff at the start. Track seasonal holiday hires on their own line, since they are hired to leave.
Operational efficiency
Track overhead, the costs not charged to any job, against revenue each quarter. Go line by line through rent, storage, office pay and software.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations
Agree on what done looks like at each checkpoint, such as meeting every department head and key client, then review it face to face at each mark.
Career path
Sales representativeSells retrofits and holiday contracts and learns how jobs are priced.
Sales managerLeads the sales team and owns the forecast.
General managerRuns sales, marketing and the biggest client relationships, and keeps department heads on one plan.
The template lists lifting up to 25 pounds and site work. What tasks does that cover?
Tasks like carrying a sample fixture case, a display board or a box of holiday product into a client meeting, and walking an active job site wearing a hard hat and eye protection. Put those tasks in the ad, say you'll consider reasonable accommodation, and don't ask about health or fitness.
How much does a lighting company general manager make?
General and operations managers who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $119,990 a year ($57.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $84,900 and $165,460 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Should a lighting GM come from lighting or from another trade?
The template prefers lighting or similar technical work but doesn't require it. A GM from HVAC, electrical or landscaping already knows field crews and seasons. The gap to close is the product side: LED retrofit types, controls, utility incentives and how holiday contracts renew. Have them sit in on real proposals with the sales team before they set targets.
Should the general manager sell, or only manage the sales team?
Keep a short list of key accounts with the GM: the property management firms, chains and builders who bring in the most work. Day-to-day selling stays with the sales team. Write down which accounts the GM owns, so commissions and handoffs aren't argued over later.
Which reports should a lighting GM send the executive team each week?
Send sales booked and proposals out by service line. Add holiday sign-ups against the same week last year, late jobs and why, open complaints, and stock problems that could stall a job. Keep it to one page, with the numbers first and a short note on what the GM is doing about each problem.
