Parts Associate

"Weve got a good parts guy. His careers coming to an end due to age and health so his role encompasses a lot."

The Boat Shop runs lean. Ten people move a high volume of work through a single building and the parts seat sits at the center of all of it. Every one of the 80 to 120 work orders open at any given time needs parts and those parts come from as many as six different vendors for a single boat. The person retiring out of this seat has carried that complexity quietly for years. When Raymond says the role "encompasses a lot" he is being modest. This is the seat that keeps the floor fed the customers happy and the bills paid on time. Leave it empty and the whole operation feels it within a week.

This is not a desk that opens often. The Boat Shop hires people who stay. They are looking for the next person who will own this seat for the long run.

In the first twelve months take full ownership of the parts operation and become the calm center of a busy shop. That means three things at once: keeping the parts and accessory inventory accurate keeping every technician supplied so no job stalls and being the friendly first voice every customer hears. Raymond calls the person in this seat "the manager of first impressions" and he means it. By around the six month mark you and Service Manager Daniel should be moving together so smoothly that in Raymonds words "it should look like a waltz."

The job looks simple from the outside. Be good on the phone order the right parts get them out the door. Underneath that is real complexity. As Raymond put it it is "an iceberg role." The customer sees the smiling face. You carry everything below the waterline.

Bring the parts and accessory inventory to verified accuracy through bin checks and cycle counts within the first 90 days so every item is in Raymonds words "accounted for and accurate."

Keep all 80 to 120 open work orders supplied without stalling the floor pre-pulling parts for the next days jobs so no technician is left waiting.

Reach a full working rhythm with Service Manager Daniel within six months coordinating parts to the service schedule until the handoff "looks like a waltz."

Protect the "manager of first impressions" standard on every interaction turning routine parts calls and do-it-yourself counter visits into retained relationships and referral sales.

Master the Lightspeed dealer management system and the parts schematics for the shops core brands identifying and sourcing the correct part the first time and building cheat sheets for common parts within the first 90 days.

Keep vendor invoicing accurate and timely so accounts payable can pay every bill on schedule and keep obsolete inventory to a minimum.

Composed Warmth (Manager of First Impressions). Signal from the Conversation: "Youre somewhat the manager of first impressions. We cant have you having a bad day. If youre having a bad day suck it up. Sound nice on the phone." This person keeps a steady friendly tone with customers and vendors no matter what is happening underneath.

Organized Under Chaos. Signal: "Being very organized is key because theres a lot of moving parts." And: "Underneath is the chaos and all the craziness but the top of the iceberg should just be a smiling face." This person builds systems that hold up under volume and never lets the chaos show.

Relationship-Driven. Signal: "Everything we do on that parts roll is relationship-based." A $12 filter call can become a boat sale. This person treats every interaction internal and external as a relationship not a transaction.

Takes the Ribbing Brings No Nonsense. Signal: "Generally people that cause nonsense dont get to come back." And the morning Raymond texted a late employee "I like my donuts glazed." This person fits a tight good-natured crew gives and takes a joke and brings no drama into a small building.

Pride in the Small Things. Signal: "Its the little things right" and "We are seeking nothing but easy perfection for our customers." This person sweats the details because the details are the product.

Raymond Kidd co-owns The Boat Shop with his brother Kevin. He was born and raised in Zimbabwe came to the United States and worked the big dealerships for eight or nine years before deciding in his own words that he "was probably not a very good employee" and did not like the big-dealership feel. He started The Boat Shop in 2014 with a toolbox a laptop and two chairs. He is a technician by trade and still works on boats today. He is in the shop six days a week shoulder to shoulder with the team and by his own account is more often on the floor than at his desk.

He describes himself as direct calling himself "the bulldozer" and pairs with his steadier brother to handle situations the right way. He runs a family-first shop where the crew fishes and hunts together and where the kids show up in the summer. He measures people by a simple test he heard and liked: "If you cant spend 8 hours in the car with somebody on a road trip you probably cant work together."

"We are a group of winners. Everybody whos here nobody was unemployed before they worked here."

If you ran a parts room a PLL a supply room or a maintenance control section you have already run a version of this seat. The scale is smaller. The discipline is identical. Tracking 80 to 120 open work orders against parts coming from six vendors is the civilian version of keeping a fleet mission-capable while the repair-parts pipeline fights you. Logistics and supply backgrounds (92Y 92A) watercraft and small-craft maintainers (88K 88L) and wheeled-vehicle mechanics (91B) map directly onto this work.

The Boat Shop runs the way a good small unit runs. Early starts direct communication a crew that wins and loses together and a leader who came up through the work and still does it. Raymond said it cleanly: "We all win together and we all lose together" and when the day runs long "Its not gonna be you working extra time its going to be us working extra time." That is squad culture. Shreveport adds to the fit. Barksdale Air Force Base is right there the VA is minutes from the shop and a service member who misses the camaraderie can still find it after hours. The hunting and fishing are in Raymonds words "endless" and the cost of living lets a paycheck stretch.

VHS matched this role because the operational tempo the accountability culture and the leaders direct team-first style align tightly with transitioning logistics maintenance and supply NCOs and junior personnel who want to own a seat in a place that will treat them as a human not a headcount.

Required Skills:

A strong working knowledge of the 12-volt DC circuit and the ability to chase wiring faults grounds and connections. This is the one hard technical floor. Hands-on mechanical aptitude with rigging installs and component repair (this is not heavy engine teardown). Willingness to learn and configure modern marine electronics. Attention to detail and a personal standard for finish quality. Ability to operate and test boats including high-performance models. Nice To Have Not Required Prior boat experience helps but it is not required. Factory training from our engine manufacturers and a Garmin installer class are provided after hire. If you have the electrical instinct and the right mindset we will teach you the rest.