Run a real commercial HVAC business — without the corporate layers.
For an operator who’s ready to run a commercial HVAC business with full P&L authority, real autonomy, and equity upside — not manage a territory inside a corporate structure. You’ll take over an established Chicagoland service company after the founder steps back, protect what works, modernize what doesn’t, and build something that compounds.
Homestead Service Partners is hiring an HVAC General Manager in Chicago to lead an established commercial HVAC service company in our portfolio. This role exists because we just acquired the business from its founder and we’re looking for the right operator to carry it forward.
What this job actually is.
You’ll step into the general manager seat of an established Chicagoland commercial HVAC service business — a company with real customer relationships, a capable field team, and decades of earned reputation. The founder is transitioning out. Your job is to honor that foundation while modernizing operations, implementing modern field service technology, and running the business like the durable, compounding asset it is.
This isn’t a seat-warming role inside a larger corporate structure. You own the P&L. You run the shop. You make the calls. You have direct access to the CEO — no regional VPs, no matrix reporting, no 14-person ops committee. Equity is available for the right fit, which means the upside is real, not theoretical.
You’re inheriting a good business, a real team, and the mandate to make it excellent. Homestead provides capital, systems, and leadership support. You provide the judgment, the standards, and the daily presence that turns a good operator-run business into a repeatable one.
What the first year looks like.
Year one is about turning a great operator-driven business into a repeatable system — without breaking what made it successful in the first place. Three parallel workstreams run across the year, each with clear deliverables and quarterly milestones.
Team Assessment
Evaluate roles, skill coverage, and capacity across service techs, dispatch, and admin. Identify A-players, clarify ownership for every core process, and address gaps through training or targeted hiring.
Document Systems
Capture tribal knowledge into repeatable SOPs: call handling, dispatch, estimating, pricing, parts markup, job closeout, customer communication. Every process gets a checklist, a template, and an accountable owner.
Hire the Successor Tech Lead
Recruit and train a technical leader/operator who can carry the “problem solver” role long-term. Build redundancy in diagnosing complex issues, quoting accurately, and managing key customer relationships — so the business doesn’t rely on one person.
What you decide — and what we decide together.
“Autonomy” means different things at different companies. Here’s exactly where the lines are drawn, so you can evaluate whether this is actually the role you want.
Day-to-day operational authority
- Hiring, firing, and compensation within approved budget
- Dispatch, scheduling, and daily operations
- Pricing strategy, estimating, and gross margin decisions
- Vendor and supplier relationships
- Field service software selection (within reason)
- Marketing spend within budget
- Technician training programs and career paths
- Customer relationship management and retention strategy
Strategic and capital decisions
- Annual budget and major capex
- Acquisitions, roll-ups, or new service lines
- Senior leadership hires above $100K base
- Real estate decisions (new facilities, relocations)
- Brand positioning changes or rebrand decisions
- Significant debt, financing, or equity moves
- Major customer concentration risks
- Rate card changes above approved bands
How success gets measured.
No vague mandate to “improve things.” You’ll be measured against specific financial and operational metrics, with quarterly targets and clear accountability. Bonuses and equity vesting tie directly to these numbers.
You won’t be expected to hit every number on day one. You will be expected to understand them, track them, and move them in the right direction — every quarter.
Who thrives in this role — and who doesn’t.
This role isn’t for everyone, and self-selection saves everyone time. Here’s an honest read:
What makes this work
- You’ve run a P&L before and miss the autonomy
- You respect tenure and know how to earn trust with long-term employees
- You’re comfortable making decisions without waiting for committee approval
- You’ve either done a post-acquisition integration or actively want to
- You believe in documenting systems but also in working the front lines
- You want equity upside, not just a bigger title
- You’d rather compound a business over 5–10 years than flip one in 3
What doesn’t work
- You want a corporate GM role with RSUs and quarterly board decks
- You’d rather manage managers than be on-site with the team
- You bulldoze culture in the name of “standardization”
- You want the title without the scoreboard
- You view trades businesses as beneath your experience
- You need six-month runway to make decisions
- You’re looking for a remote role
Who we’re looking for.
- 5+ years of management experience in commercial HVAC, mechanical services, or a related trades business — you understand dispatch rhythm, seasonal demand, and equipment lifecycle.
- Proven P&L ownership at the branch or business unit level, ideally $1M–$10M in annual revenue.
- Field service software experience — ServiceTitan, BuildOps, ServiceTrade, FieldEdge, Housecall Pro, or similar. You’ve been through a technology transition and know what works on the ground.
- Strong leadership instincts — you develop people, not just manage them. You know how to build trust with tenured teams while still raising the bar.
- Commercially minded — you think about customer retention, service agreement margins, and growth, not just wrench-turning.
- On-site in Chicagoland — this is a hands-on, in-the-building leadership role. Not a remote job.
- Deep respect for the trades and the people who do the work. Non-negotiable.
Nice to have, not required
- Experience in a post-acquisition or ownership-transition environment
- Familiarity with commercial HVAC systems: RTUs, chillers, boilers, BMS, VRF, and PM programs
- EPA Universal Certification or working knowledge of refrigerant handling
- Knowledge of OSHA standards, local building codes, and Illinois mechanical licensing
- QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, and CRM/dispatch platform fluency
- Valid driver’s license and ability to visit job sites across Chicagoland
What the package actually looks like.
Base + bonus structure. Competitive base salary plus performance-based bonuses tied to quarterly KPI targets and annual business unit profitability. Total cash comp is calibrated based on experience, the size of the portfolio company, and operational complexity.
Equity. For the right operator, we structure meaningful equity participation in the portfolio company — vesting over time and tied to performance milestones. This isn’t a rounding error. Equity is how we align long-term interests with operators who commit to building real durable businesses.
The bigger point: Homestead’s model depends on operators winning alongside us. When the business you run grows, so does your comp. When it compounds for a decade, so does your equity. That’s the deal.
Questions operators actually ask.
How much autonomy do I actually have?
Full day-to-day operational authority. You hire, fire, price, dispatch, and run the shop. Strategic and capital decisions happen together with the CEO — see the Autonomy section above for the exact lines.
Does the legacy owner stick around?
Depending on the deal, there’s typically a 30–90 day transition period where the founder helps with introductions and knowledge transfer. After that, the seat is yours. The founder isn’t second-guessing you from a back office.
What’s Michael actually like to work for?
Operator, not a fund manager. He worked from laborer to owner in the trades before he started Homestead. He answers his own phone, makes decisions fast, and respects people who do the same. Direct, fair, high-standards.
How is equity structured?
For the right fit, meaningful equity in the portfolio company you run, with vesting tied to tenure and performance milestones. Specifics depend on the company size and your experience — we structure it in the offer conversation.
What’s the team I’d inherit?
Established team — service techs, dispatcher, office admin, often a lead technician. Typically 8–25 people depending on the portfolio company. Most have been there for years. Your first 30 days are mostly about listening and building trust, not restructuring.
What’s the exit plan?
Homestead buys companies to keep them, not flip them. The plan is to own and compound. That said, if a great strategic opportunity came along in 5–10 years, the operators who built the business benefit alongside Homestead through their equity.
How to apply.
Every application goes directly to Michael Mayes, the CEO. No recruiters, no applicant tracking system, no junior screener.
Click “Email Your Resume” below
Opens your email with the subject line pre-filled.
Attach resume and a short cover note
Tell us about your HVAC or mechanical services management experience and what draws you to this kind of role. Doesn’t need to be a formal cover letter — a few honest paragraphs beat a polished template every time.
Michael reviews personally
If there’s a potential fit, you’ll hear back directly — usually within a few days.
Who you’d be working for.
Homestead Service Partners is a Chicago-based company that acquires and operates commercial HVAC service businesses across Chicagoland. Not private equity. Not a roll-up. We buy companies to keep them — protect the teams, preserve the brand, invest in the tools and leadership that let these businesses thrive long-term.
Founded by Michael Mayes — 20-year veteran of building, operating, and exiting service companies — Homestead exists because traditional PE treats trades businesses like extraction opportunities. That’s not what we do. We buy durable, profitable businesses from owners who care about legacy, and we partner with operators who want to build something that compounds.
If that sounds like the kind of place where you want to run a business — not just hold a title — we want to hear from you.
Ready to run something real?
Email your resume directly to the CEO, or schedule a confidential conversation first. No pressure, no obligation — just an honest conversation about whether this is the right fit for both of us.