Territory Service Manager

Join the KRONE Family

 

Role Overview

The Territory Service Manager (TSM) is the primary point of contact between the KRONE North America Service Department and its dealer network within an assigned geographic territory. The TSM is responsible for the overall service health of the territory, supporting dealer service departments, managing service cases from open to close, and ensuring dealers have the technical resources and guidance needed to service KRONE equipment effectively. The TSM is not a replacement for dealer service capability - the goal is to build and strengthen that capability over time. This is a field-based role requiring significant travel within the assigned territory.

 

Reports To: Regional Service Manager (RSM)

Location: Field-based within assigned territory; remote home office

Travel Requirement: Yes - significant travel required within assigned territory

Territory Scope: Assigned geographic region covering a defined dealer base

Ticket System Access: Full access - owns all open cases within assigned territory

 

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate's or 2-year technical degree in Agriculture Technology, Agricultural Business, or a related technical field preferred. Equivalent combination of education and 3+ years of field service experience in agricultural equipment or a closely related industry will be considered.
• Solid working knowledge of KRONE product lines or equivalent hay, forage, and baling equipment.
• Strong dealer relationship management and communication skills - comfortable engaging with dealer principals, service managers, and technicians.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose equipment issues and guide technicians through repair procedures remotely and in person.
• Valid driver's license; ability to travel extensively (70%+) within the assigned territory.
• Experience with service case management or CRM systems preferred.
• Prior dealer service department experience (as a technician, service advisor, or service manager) preferred.
• Regularly works in dealer shop and field environments, including exposure to moving machinery, hydraulic systems, and outdoor conditions during equipment inspections and demonstrations. Requires the ability to climb on and around agricultural equipment and sit for extended periods while traveling by vehicle.

 

Core Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary service contact for all dealers within the assigned territory, building and maintaining strong working relationships with dealer principals and service managers.
• Support dealer service departments in diagnosing and resolving KRONE equipment issues - the goal is to enable dealers to solve problems themselves, not to solve every problem for them.
• Log, track, and manage all service cases within the territory in the ticket system from first contact through closure, ensuring no case is left without a status update.
• Escalate cases to the Product Service Expert (PSE) when resolution is not achieved within 24 hours (or sooner per escalation exceptions); loop in the RSM on all escalations.
• Maintain awareness of all PSE-owned escalations within the territory and remain the dealer-facing contact throughout the life of the case.
• Conduct regular dealer visits to assess service department capability, identify training needs, and support technician development.
• Monitor warranty claims submitted by dealers within the territory for accuracy, technical validity, and policy compliance - providing guidance to dealer service teams on submission requirements and escalating disputes or pattern concerns to the RSM as needed.
• Proactively identify situations within the territory where a goodwill concession may be appropriate - including out-of-warranty failures with extenuating circumstances, repeat failures on recently serviced machines, or cases where customer or dealer relationships are at risk. Initiate the goodwill request process per goodwill policy before any commitment is made to the dealer. TSMs are the first line of goodwill identification; the expectation is that they surface these situations early rather than waiting for a dealer to escalate a complaint.
• Identify and report recurring equipment issues, failure trends, and dealer feedback to the applicable PSE for tracking and Spelle escalation as appropriate.
• Participate in seasonal preparation activities, including pre-harvest support visits and WinterCheck program execution within the territory.
• Collaborate with the Territory Manager on the KRONE Sales Team within the territory - supporting sales efforts, coordinating on equipment demonstrations or customer concerns that have a service component, and presenting a unified KRONE face to shared dealers and customers.
• Support training initiatives by identifying technician skill gaps and coordinating with the Senior Training Manager on dealer training needs.
• Serve as a KRONE Trainer when assigned by the Senior Training Manager - leading or supporting service or sales training sessions within the territory or region. TSMs are expected to leverage their field experience to deliver practical, relevant instruction to dealer technicians and other audiences as directed.
• Close cases when resolution is confirmed; if a PSE closes a case within the territory, acknowledge receipt of PSE notification and follow up with the dealer as needed.
• Support equipment startups and demonstrations within the territory by coordinating with the Territory Manager to ensure KRONE equipment is properly prepared, functioning correctly, and that the dealer or customer receives an accurate operational orientation. The TSM is responsible for the service readiness of demo and startup units - not the sales outcome.
• Lead the service-side onboarding of new dealers within the territory - including an introductory visit to assess service department capability and tooling, walking the dealer service manager and technicians through KRONE warranty submission procedures, confirming LMS access and training enrollment, and establishing communication norms for ongoing case management. Coordinate with the Warranty Manager and training administrator to ensure all administrative setup is complete before the dealer begins selling or servicing KRONE equipment.
• Submit a weekly report to the RSM covering at minimum: open case status across the territory, any active escalations at the PSE level, dealer relationship notes or concerns worth regional visibility, and upcoming visits or planned dealer activity.
• Maintain the assigned company vehicle in clean, safe, and serviceable condition - including adherence to scheduled maintenance intervals, prompt reporting of any mechanical issues, and ensuring the vehicle presents a professional image when visiting dealers and customers. Vehicle maintenance records must be kept current per company policy. Refer to the KRONE North America Fleet Safety Program for full vehicle maintenance, inspection, and safe driving requirements, including the Vehicle Assignment Agreement and annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) review.
• Maintain a professional appearance consistent with representing KRONE North America in a dealer and customer-facing role. TSMs are the face of the brand in their territory - first impressions matter with dealer principals, service managers, and end customers alike.

 

Escalation Accountabilities

The TSM is the first line of response for all dealer service needs. Refer to the Service Operations Framework document for the full escalation workflow. Key escalation accountabilities for the TSM include:

• Attempt diagnosis and resolution upon receiving a dealer case; log the case immediately in the ticket system.
• Notify the RSM of all open cases and escalations within the territory.
• Escalate to the PSE at the 24-hour mark (or immediately for safety issues or during harvest season peak - see Service Operations Framework document for exceptions).
• Loop the RSM in on all escalations to the PSE level.
• Remain the dealer-facing contact at all escalation levels - the dealer should always hear from the TSM, even when a PSE or Spelle specialist is involved.
• Close cases or hand back from PSE ownership; ensure the dealer is updated on resolution.
• Approve goodwill decisions up to $5,000 at the TSM level - document the decision in writing, notify the RSM, and submit to the Warranty Manager for processing. Goodwill requests above $5,000 must be escalated to the RSM. Never commit a goodwill decision to a dealer before approval is confirmed. Refer to the Service Operations Framework document for the full Goodwill Decision Authority workflow.

 

Performance Expectations

• Maintains strong, trust-based relationships with all dealers in the assigned territory.
• Responds to dealer contacts promptly - dealers should never feel ignored or unheard.
• Keeps the ticket system current at all times; no open cases without a recent status entry.
• Escalates at the right time - neither sitting on unresolved cases nor escalating prematurely without attempting resolution.
• Proactively visits dealers rather than waiting for problems to surface; identifies issues before they become crises.
• Builds dealer service capability over time - measures success by dealers needing less hand-holding, not more.
• Maintains solid working knowledge across all KRONE product lines in the territory, knowing when to rely on PSE expertise.
• Actively pursues professional development through available KRONE training programs, industry resources, and on-the-job learning opportunities. A TSM who is growing in product knowledge, dealer relationship skills, and diagnostic capability raises the ceiling for the entire territory - complacency is not consistent with the standard this role requires.
• Manages territory workload effectively and communicates capacity constraints to RSM proactively.
• Maintains a strong working relationship with the Territory Manager within the shared territory - proactively communicating on dealer concerns, coordinating on accounts where service and sales interests intersect, and presenting a consistent KRONE experience to shared dealers and customers. The TM and TSM should never be working against each other or creating conflicting messages at the dealer level.
• Supports trade shows, field days, and industry events within the territory as coordinated with the Territory Manager and RSM. TSM contributions at these events typically include equipment setup and readiness, technical demonstrations, and on-site Q&A for dealers and prospective customers. Event commitments must be planned in advance and balanced against active territory service workload - trade show support is an expectation of the role, not an optional add-on, but it should never come at the expense of a dealer with an open service need.

 

Key Relationships

Regional Service Manager (RSM): Direct supervisor; receives escalation notifications; provides territory oversight and support

Product Service Expert (PSE): Technical escalation resource; TSM coordinates with PSE while retaining dealer-facing role

Territory Manager (Sales): Peer on the KRONE Sales Team; TSM collaborates to present a unified KRONE presence within shared territory

Dealer Service Managers: Primary day-to-day contacts within the territory; partners in service delivery

Dealer Technicians: End recipients of TSM technical support; TSM identifies their training gaps

Senior Training Manager: Coordination on technician training needs identified in the territory

Warranty Manager: Submit goodwill requests for processing; coordinate on warranty claim questions within the territory

 

A NOTE ON ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES & TEAMWORK

• The responsibilities listed in this job description are not exhaustive. All positions within the KRONE North America Service Department may be asked to take on tasks, projects, or duties outside of what is written here.
• Responsibilities may change or evolve at the direction of the Service Manager, NA based on business needs, organizational changes, or seasonal demands.
• Every member of this team is expected to approach their role with a 'team first' mindset. Passing the buck or citing job descriptions as a reason not to help is not consistent with the culture at KRONE North America. When the business needs something, we find a way to support it.

Apply