Workshop Controller

A new opportunity has arisen to join us as a Workshop Controller at Newbury. The main purpose of this role is to manage the process of optimising workshop resources to meet agreed departmental budgets and to control the flow of work through the workshop to maximise utilisation and ensure technicians are working efficiently. In addition to workshop control responsibilities, this is a semi-productive role, requiring the successful candidate to support the workshop by carrying out servicing, maintenance, and repair work as required. You will lead by example, assist the team during busy periods, and help ensure customer vehicles are repaired and maintained to the highest standards.About the Role:

• Calculate and manage the effective use of workshop resources.
• Monitor individual and workshop efficiencies to ensure key performance indicators are met.
• Plan the distribution of work amongst the team, utilising available skills and experience.
• Identify individual training and development needs.
• Manage liaison between the workshop and service reception regarding customer vehicle progress.
• Maintain workshop standards in accordance with company requirements.
• Receive job cards from service reception, pre-time each job and allocate work to technicians to maximise sold hours and monitor progress.
• Carry out servicing, maintenance, diagnostic and repair work as required to support workshop productivity and efficiency.
• Lead by example through maintaining high standards of workmanship and technical expertise.
• Assist the workshop team during peak periods, staff absence, or as operational demands require.
• Receive customers and their vehicles in a friendly and professional manner, discuss and confirm requirements, and take responsibility for the vehicle during its time with the retailer.
• Hand over and receive back any loan vehicle in accordance with company procedures.
• Ensure repair orders are raised and processed according to established guidelines and that work is completed to schedule.
• Ensure all internal and external customers receive excellent levels of customer service.
• Promote services offered by other departments within the dealership.
• Identify and resolve any customer concerns in conjunction with other departments.
• Support other departments when required due to absence or workload demands and demonstrate flexibility in line with business needs.
  
  Previous experience as a Workshop Controller, Senior Technician, or similar position within a franchised dealership environment.
• Qualified vehicle technician with strong diagnostic and technical skills.
• Comfortable operating in a semi-productive role, balancing workshop control responsibilities with hands-on technical work.
• Excellent organisational and workload planning skills.
• Strong leadership and people management abilities.
• Ability to motivate and develop technicians to achieve performance targets.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Results-driven with a focus on efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
  
  Sandown Dorset and Wiltshire Limited, registered in England and Wales, Company number 02866474, with its registered office at Holes Bay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 2BD, trading as Mercedes-Benz of Dorchester, Mercedes-Benz of Poole, Mercedes-Benz of Salisbury, smart of Poole, Sandown OMODA JAECOO Poole and Sandown Kia Salisbury. VAT number: 642 2305 74.
Sandown Surrey and Hampshire Limited, registered in England and Wales, Company number 03018671, with its registered office at Edison Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, RG21 6YH, trading as avocado Newbury, Mercedes-Benz of Basingstoke, Mercedes-Benz of Epsom, Mercedes-Benz of Farnborough, Mercedes-Benz of Guildford, Mercedes-Benz of Hindhead, Mercedes-Benz of Newbury, Sandown Guildford, smart of Basingstoke, smart of Epsom, smart of Guildford, Sandown Chery Guildford, Sandown Chery Newbury, Sandown OMODA JAECOO Basingstoke, Sandown OMODA JAECOO Guildford, Sandown OMODA JAECOO Newbury and Sandown Van Centre Poole. VAT number: 642 2305 74. Sandown Dorset and Wiltshire Limited and Sandown Surrey and Hampshire Limited is an appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (their registration number is 313486). Permitted activities include advising on and arranging general insurance contracts and acting as a credit broker not a lender. We can introduce you to a limited number of finance providers. We do not charge a fee for our Consumer Credit services. We do not act as a financial adviser, or fiduciary. We act in our own interest, whichever lender we introduce you to, we will typically receive commission from them based on either a fixed fee or a fixed percentage of the amount you borrow. Any and all commission amounts will be fully disclosed to you as part of your sales journey. You will be required to give your fully informed consent to our receipt of this commission. By doing this, you acknowledge that you understand our role as a credit broker, and that we will receive a financial incentive if you take out a loan from a lender that we introduce you to.