Pool service chief operating officer job description
A pool service chief operating officer builds the system behind every weekly route, repair job and seasonal opening or closing, and holds the field supervisors to it. The COO writes the visit steps, runs the chemical safety program, staffs up before the spring rush and keeps the trucks and gear in service.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $93,610, middle half $102,340 to $208,630, 90th percentile $275,020. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Chief Executive Officer
Department
Operations
Schedule
Weekdays, field visits, some weekends · Monday to Friday with ride-alongs, on call for field emergencies, and weekend oversight during openings and closings
Also called
VP of operations · Director of field operations · Director of service
Pool service chief operating officer job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Lead and oversee daily field operations for pool and spa maintenance services while driving efficiency and ensuring a safe work environment. Collaborate with top management to design and implement operational strategies that enhance service quality and customer satisfaction. Serve as a strategic partner to promote business growth and operational excellence within the home services industry.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee day-to-day field operations ensuring adherence to company standards and safety protocols.
Develop and execute operational strategies to maximize efficiency and resource allocation.
Lead, mentor, and manage field supervisors and maintenance teams to meet service targets.
Monitor and maintain quality control for all pool and spa maintenance services.
Implement process improvements and oversee the development of SOPs to enhance operational performance.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily operational reports and adjust schedules to optimize field efficiency.
Conduct regular on-site inspections to ensure safety and quality standards are met.
Communicate directly with field teams to address immediate operational challenges.
Engage with customers to gather feedback and resolve escalated issues in a timely manner.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars.
Safety Compliance Rate: 100% adherence to safety protocols.
Equipment Downtime: Less than 3% monthly downtime.
Operational Efficiency: Achieve a minimum of 90% capacity efficiency.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
Minimum of 7 years’ experience in operations management within the home services or related industry.
Strong leadership, decision-making, and team management skills.
Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the pool and spa maintenance or home services industry is highly desirable.
Proven track record of managing field operations and driving process efficiency.
Expertise in overseeing multi-disciplinary teams in a fast-paced environment.
Familiarity with operational compliance and regulatory standards.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift materials up to 25 lbs.
Regular exposure to outdoor working conditions and varied weather.
Capability to navigate worksites that may include uneven terrain and confined spaces.
Use of personal protective equipment in accordance with safety regulations.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM with occasional weekend oversight.
Expectation to be on-call for urgent operational issues or emergencies.
Travel between multiple worksites and customer locations as needed.
Dynamic work environment with frequent interaction with field teams and customers.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range: $120,000 - $150,000 USD.
Performance-based bonus structure available.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative and growth-oriented culture where innovation meets excellence.
Our team is committed to continuous learning and operational improvement.
We value transparency, diversity, and inclusivity as core strengths of our organization.
This role offers the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the service experience and business success.
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
Pool service puts hazardous chemicals on every truck, sends techs back to each pool weekly, and in northern markets brings spring all at once. Each of those lands on the COO.
Every truck carries hazardous materials
Chlorine and acid ride on pool trucks every day. DOT's lighter rules for small amounts carried for a company's own work are called materials of trade. For corrosives and oxidizers in packing group II or III, each package can hold up to 66 pounds or 8 gallons, and the truck up to 440 pounds in all. Containers must be leak tight, or sift proof for solids, and marked with the product name. Each driver has to be told about the load and the rules. Bigger loads need full hazmat compliance. Source: 49 CFR 173.6: Materials of trade exceptions.
Chemical safety needs a written program
OSHA's hazard communication standard asks three things of employers. They need a written program and labels and safety data sheets for the chemicals on hand. They also need to train workers at hire and again when a new kind of chemical hazard arrives. At a pool company that covers every product on the trucks and at the shop. The COO owns the program, from where the data sheets live to who signs off on a new hire's training before a solo route. Source: 29 CFR 1910.1200: OSHA hazard communication standard.
Some pool chemicals count as pesticides
Algaecides are regulated as pesticides under federal law, and state pesticide laws can cover the people who apply them. Pennsylvania, for one, lists pool care among the uses that call for a certified pesticide applicator, with a few exceptions. Rules differ by state. Before entering a market, the COO checks with that state's pesticide office, keeps certifications current and sends certified techs where they're needed. Source: Pennsylvania Code, 7 Pa. Code § 128.41: Requirements for certification.
Openings and closings run like a production line
In northern markets, openings pile up in a few spring weeks and closings in a few fall weeks. The weekly routes don't stop for them. Each job has the same steps: the cover, the water level, lines and plugs, equipment start-up or shutdown, and the chemistry. The COO writes one checklist and sets up separate opening and closing crews, so route customers keep their day. Hiring and training for the rush happen before it starts.
One checklist for every weekly visit
Route techs work alone, stop after stop. The COO writes the steps for every weekly stop: test and balance the water, clean the skimmer and pump baskets, brush and skim, check filter pressure and equipment, and log readings with a photo. Field supervisors then spot-check pools against that list each week, so the result doesn't depend on who has the route.
How much pool service chief operating officers make
The closest BLS group for pool service chief operating officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 430 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for building services companies.
Salary plus a bonus, often based on passed safety checks, fewer missed stops and callbacks, and trucks kept on the road.
Building services companies
$130,000$130,000 median Middle half $102,340–$208,630 10th–90th $93,610–$275,020
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$93,610
$102,340
$130,000
$208,630
$275,020
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for pool service companies on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, 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 run route-based field service with supervisors under them
Turns a pool visit into a checklist new techs can follow alone
Builds a safety program people take seriously, starting with chemical handling
Plans staffing and trucks months before the busy season
Coaches supervisors and holds them to clear numbers
Teach these on the job
Water chemistry and your visit checklist
How much chlorine and acid a truck may carry under DOT rules
Which states need pesticide or contractor licenses for your work
Opening and closing checklists for in-ground pools, above-ground pools and spas
How chemicals are stored and logged at your shop
Pool service software such as Pool Office Manager or Skimmer holds the routes, visit checklists, chemical readings and photos. Around it sit fleet GPS, a truck maintenance log and a binder or app for safety data sheets. Ask candidates which of those they have built from nothing and which they've only used.
Pool service chief operating officer 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.
Use last season as the baseline. Share these numbers with the field supervisors weekly and show the CEO the trend once a month.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Review scores and customer surveys, grouped by route and by supervisor once a month. Low marks usually trace to a missed visit, cloudy water or a gate left open; coach the supervisor whose routes keep showing them.
Safety Compliance Rate
Run unannounced truck and job checks each week: chemicals stored apart and labeled, protective gear worn, loads within limits, data sheets on hand. Divide the checks that pass every item by all checks done.
Equipment Downtime
Hours each truck, pump or vacuum sits out of service against the hours it was scheduled to work, from your maintenance log. If you also count customer equipment waiting on parts, track that on its own line.
Operational Efficiency
Of all the technician hours each branch pays for, the share spent on scheduled visits and repairs, drive between stops included, each month. A branch well below the others points to route design or staffing.
The COO owns the how, in every branch: what a weekly visit covers, how routes are laid out, how repairs are scheduled and checked, and how openings and closings are staffed. The COO also owns the safety program, the trucks and field training, and leads the field supervisors and operations managers. If the CEO picks the markets, the COO makes the work in each one run the same way.
How much does a pool service chief operating officer make?
Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $102,340 and $208,630 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What chemical safety rules should a pool service COO set?
Read every label and data sheet before a product goes on the truck. CDC advises never mixing chlorine products with acid, since the mix can release toxic gas. Pre-dissolve a product only when its label says to, and then add the chemical to water, never water to the chemical. CDC also lists goggles, gloves and a mask. Its report found most pool chemical injuries happen at homes, some when chemicals weren't locked away from children. Techs should never leave product out at a customer's house. Keep acid and chlorine apart on every truck and at the shop.
How is a pool service COO different from a general manager?
Each general manager runs one branch: its routes, office, customers and profit. The COO decides what every branch has in common: the visit checklist, the chemical safety program, the truck plan and the opening and closing crews. When two branches handle the same callback two different ways, that's a problem for the COO to fix. A one-branch company usually needs a strong GM before a COO.
Does a pool service COO need to have run a route?
Not if they've run field teams at more than one location. Lawn care and pest control routes run on the same ideas: dense routes, one standard visit, chemicals on the truck. What a newcomer lacks is pool sense, such as how fast a pool can turn in summer heat, so plan a few weeks on routes and openings before they rewrite anything.
What should a pool service COO job ad include?
Describe the operation in numbers you can share: markets, branches, routes, techs and trucks, plus the service lines. Then say what the first year should fix, such as missed stops, callbacks or trucks out of service, and what the COO will build, such as a closing crew. The template mentions uneven ground and tight spaces at worksites; keep it if equipment pads and pump rooms are part of the field visits.
