A lighting operations manager builds the crew schedule, matches crew leads and lifts to retrofits, yard jobs and holiday installs, and checks the work on site. They keep materials lined up with the calendar and bring callbacks down by catching install mistakes before the customer does.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Operations Manager in the lighting installation industry is pivotal in ensuring seamless project execution, effective crew management, and precise scheduling. This role directly impacts operational efficiency and customer satisfaction by overseeing all aspects of project delivery, from planning to completion, ensuring high-quality service and timely execution.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee daily operations and manage lighting installation projects to ensure timely and quality completion.
Coordinate with project managers and crew leaders to allocate resources efficiently.
Develop and maintain project schedules using industry-standard tools such as Microsoft Project or equivalent.
Implement quality control measures to minimize errors and rework.
Collaborate with the sales team to align project timelines with customer expectations.
Utilize CRM systems like Salesforce to track project progress and customer interactions.
Ensure compliance with safety regulations and company policies.
Conduct regular team meetings to review project status and address operational challenges.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and adjust crew schedules daily to optimize resource allocation.
Conduct site visits to monitor project progress and ensure adherence to quality standards.
Provide coaching and support to crew leaders to enhance performance and resolve issues.
Prepare and analyze operational reports to identify areas for improvement.
Facilitate communication between crews, project managers, and clients to ensure alignment on project goals.
Coordinate with procurement to ensure materials are available for upcoming projects.
Conduct quality assurance checks and document findings for continuous improvement.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project completion rate ≥ 95% on time.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) ≥ 4.7/5.0.
Crew productivity: Average job completion time ≤ 5 hours per standard installation.
Callback rate ≤ 3%.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations: Achieve 80% of KPIs by 60 days, 100% by 90 days.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field.
Proficiency in project management software and CRM systems.
Strong leadership and team management skills.
Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.
Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to job sites as needed.
6. Preferred Experience
3+ years of experience in operations management within the lighting installation or related industry.
Experience with scheduling software such as Microsoft Project or similar.
Familiarity with industry safety standards and regulations.
Previous experience in a customer-facing role is advantageous.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally.
Comfortable working in various environments, including outdoor job sites.
Willingness to travel locally to oversee projects and conduct site visits.
Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required on job sites.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, with occasional weekends as needed.
Seasonal fluctuations may require extended hours during peak periods.
On-call availability for emergency project management or crew issues.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary with performance-based bonuses tied to KPI achievement.
Payouts contingent on maintaining quality standards such as 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 are committed to excellence in lighting installation, prioritizing safety, craftsmanship, and customer delight. We foster a collaborative and growth-oriented environment where accountability and continuous improvement are key. Join us in illuminating spaces and creating exceptional experiences for our clients.
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 an operations manager at a lighting company
A crew may swap tubes in an office on Monday and clip lights to a roofline by Friday. That changes how the schedule gets built.
Tube type decides the labor
A Type A LED tube runs on the fixture's existing ballast, so no rewiring is needed. A Type B tube needs the ballast bypassed so it runs straight from line voltage. California's health facility agency notes that a listed retrofit kit, installed by its instructions in the fixtures it names, keeps the fixture in line with the NEC's listing rules. Price, schedule and inspect each kind as its own job. Source: California HCAI: Converting existing lighting systems to LEDs (Type A and Type B tubes, retrofit kits).
Dimmers bring crews back
An LED fixture that flickers or won't dim smoothly turns into a return trip. NEMA's SSL 7A standard sets compatibility rules for a forward phase-cut dimmer paired with dimmable LED light engines. When a job reuses the customer's dimmers, check the fixture maker's compatible dimmer list before the crew rolls, or plan to swap the dimmer. Source: NEMA SSL 7A-2015 (R2021): Phase-cut dimming for solid state lighting, contents and scope.
Takedown is a second schedule
Holiday takedown runs on its own clock after the new year, often in cold or wet weather. Plan it during installs: note each property's strand count, clip type and power points, and route takedowns in the same order. Crews can then pack, tag and return everything without a second visit to work out what's there.
Materials arrive on three rhythms
Commercial fixtures are ordered per job and can take weeks. Holiday product is bought ahead for the whole season. Yard lighting parts mostly come off the shelf. Check the coming jobs against what has been received, not what has been ordered, and move a job before a crew shows up without fixtures.
How much lighting operations managers make
The closest BLS group for lighting operations 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.
Expect a base salary, with a bonus paid when KPIs are met. The template makes payouts depend on quality, so agree up front on how callbacks and CSAT are counted.
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
Builds and reworks a daily crew schedule without losing track of lifts and materials
Coaches crew leads and holds them to quality checks
Knows LED retrofit types, low-voltage yard systems and holiday install methods
Writes clear job notes and reports in the project system
Tells customers about a delay before they have to call
Teach these on the job
Microsoft Project or your scheduling tool
Salesforce or your CRM
Your QC checklists and photo standards
Local permit and inspection steps
The template names Microsoft Project and Salesforce. If your company runs on field service software instead, say so in the ad. Either way, the operations manager should see every crew, lift and material order on one screen.
Lighting operations 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 · Allocating crews across service lines
In October, holiday installs begin, [two] commercial retrofits are behind and landscape service calls keep coming in. How do you allocate crews?
A strong answer: Puts licensed electricians on retrofits, seasonal crews on holiday work, schedules landscape calls realistically and tells each customer the plan.
Behavioral · Developing crew leads
Tell me about a crew leader you helped improve on a specific skill, such as checking every strand, timer and GFCI before leaving a holiday install.
A strong answer: Picked a specific skill, coached it on site and saw better results.
Swap in your own numbers before you post this job. Set each one from your own job history, and measure holiday work apart from retrofits and yard jobs.
Project completion rate ≥ 95% on time
From your project system, check each closed job's end date against the customer's promised date. Sort late jobs by cause: weather, material, crew or customer.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) ≥ 4.7/5.0
Pull every score under the target from the survey tool each week. Ask the crew lead what happened before you call the customer back.
Crew productivity
Define a standard installation for each service line first, then compare clocked crew hours on those jobs. Leave out jobs with access or weather delays, and note why.
Callback rate ≤ 3%
Count return trips for crew errors or failed product against all jobs closed in the month. Tag each by cause, such as a dimmer mismatch, a loose connection or the wrong fixture.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations
Write down which KPIs the new manager owns at each checkpoint, then review them together. Include a check on how well they know each crew lead.
The template says lifting up to 50 pounds. What does that involve here?
Tasks like moving a case of LED tubes or a tote of holiday strands off a truck, footing a ladder for a crew, or carrying a test fixture across a yard. Site visits mean walking outdoor job sites in hard hat, glasses and other PPE. Put that list in the ad, along with a line offering reasonable accommodation.
How much does a lighting operations 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.
Who builds the daily plan, the operations manager or a dispatcher?
With a dispatcher on staff, the operations manager sets the week: which crews and lifts go to which jobs. The dispatcher runs the day: calls, reroutes and customer updates. Without one, the operations manager does both, which gets hard once holiday installs start, so plan the help before fall.
What should a lighting operations manager work on between seasons?
Late winter and spring are for fixing the system. Review last season's callbacks with the crew leads, update the QC checklist, train crews on new fixture types, and work through retrofit backlog that was pushed aside for holiday installs. It's also the time to decide which crew leads are ready for bigger jobs.
Does a lighting operations manager need electrical experience?
The template doesn't require it, but crew leads trust a manager who can tell a Type B tube from a retrofit kit and spot a bad splice. If you hire from outside the trade, pair them with a senior crew lead at first and have them ride along on a retrofit, a yard job and a holiday install.
