Workshop Manager - Plant and Light Vehicles

Workshop Manager - Plant and Light Vehicles

Location:Redditch, United Kingdom
Sector: Workshop Management / Plant and Vehicle Maintenance
Employment Type: Full-time, salaried
Salary: £40,000-£48,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Hours: On-site workshop role; working pattern available on enquiry
Recruitment Partner: ANT Recruitment

About the Company

We are recruiting for an established UK transport and engineering business delivering general haulage, specialist transport and heavy-lift projects. You will work within an operation where reliable equipment, practical expertise and close teamwork support demanding customer assignments.

The Role

We are looking for a hands on Workshop Manager to lead a mixed plant and light vehicle workshop. You will combine diagnosis, servicing and repairs with daily work allocation, coaching and quality control. The fleet includes vans, pickups, forklifts, hydraulic jacks and generators, including older equipment that calls for sound practical judgement.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and allocate daily maintenance work, balancing routine servicing, repairs and equipment availability.
• Stay visible on the workshop floor and provide hands on technical support rather than managing entirely from an office.
• Monitor work in progress, inspect completed work and follow up defects, incomplete tasks and recurring faults.
• Coach technicians and support apprentices within their competence and supervision needs.
• Develop clear working routines, job records, housekeeping and communication between the workshop and fleet management.
• Help establish suitable workshop equipment, resources and maintenance processes as the operation is improved.
• Prioritise safe, legal and compliant maintenance, escalating issues that need specialist advice or further authorisation.
• Set professional standards for punctuality, teamwork, responsibility and care of vehicles and equipment.

Skills and Experience Required

• A strong practical maintenance background with credible workshop supervisory or management experience.
• Ability to lead technicians while contributing to fault finding and repairs.
• Confidence coordinating a mixed vehicle/plant workload and recognising the limits of personal competence.
• Experience checking work quality, supporting colleagues and maintaining clear maintenance records.
• An organised, constructive approach to improving an established workshop and bringing people together.

Desirable Experience

• Relevant technical or workshop management qualifications.
• Experience with vans, pickups, forklifts, hydraulic equipment or generators.
• Transferable HGV or PSV workshop leadership experience, supported by a clear plan for learning unfamiliar plant.

Candidate Profile

This role would suit a hands on leader who enjoys improving how a workshop operates. You should be comfortable with older equipment, a mixed team and a workshop that is being developed. Practical judgement, visible supervision and a willingness to help colleagues matter as much as an impressive job title.

Package and Working Arrangements

• Bupa healthcare, subject to scheme eligibility
• 25 days' annual leave plus eight bank holidays
• Workplace pension
• Three-month probation and review

This opportunity offers the chance to combine hands on engineering with workshop leadership, developing technicians and improving the maintenance of a varied plant and light vehicle fleet.