Service Manager
Meet Our Recruiter
About Profile
With over 20 years of experience in automotive aftersales, this candidate has built an impressive career across prestige commercial vehicle dealerships, main dealer workshops and fleet operations. Currently working as an Assistant Service Manager within a Mercedes-Benz commercial dealership, they are already carrying out many of the responsibilities associated with a Service Manager position and are now looking to take that next step.
Their current role involves supporting the day-to-day management of a team of 30 employees, including 18 Technicians working across day and night shifts and 12 administration and office staff. They have extensive experience managing service operations covering passenger cars, vans, trucks and buses, giving them a broad understanding of both retail and commercial vehicle aftersales requirements.
A significant part of their role centres around workshop performance. They produce monthly reports covering technician productivity, efficiency and utilisation, monitor departmental KPIs and identify opportunities to improve operational processes. They are also involved in managing expenditure, negotiating supplier costs and supporting the Service Manager with departmental performance.
Having previously worked as a Workshop Controller within a franchised main dealer, they understand the challenges technicians and workshop teams face. In this position, they supervised 13 qualified Technicians and two Apprentices, managed workshop loading, allocated work according to individual skill levels and monitored efficiency to maximise sold hours. This experience has given them a practical approach to management and a good understanding of how to keep a busy workshop running efficiently.
Their career also includes extensive customer-facing experience, having worked as a Service Advisor within commercial vehicle dealerships. Responsibilities included managing customer bookings, organising vehicle collections and deliveries, selling service contracts and identifying additional repair opportunities. They have also managed inspection schedules for more than 150 customer vehicles and coordinated HGV bookings through an on-site MOT testing facility.
More recently, they achieved Mercedes-Benz C-Management certification, complementing their existing IMI/ATA Service Advisor accreditation and manufacturer training. They have a particularly stable career history and are keen to secure a permanent Service Manager position where they can take greater responsibility for departmental performance, staff development and customer satisfaction.
Key Experience & Strengths
20+ years of automotive aftersales experience
Assistant Service Manager and Workshop Controller experience
Mercedes-Benz prestige commercial vehicle background
Management of 30 staff across workshop and administration
Passenger car, van, HGV and bus aftersales operations
Workshop productivity, efficiency and utilisation reporting
KPI monitoring and operational process improvement
Service Advisor and customer relationship management
Workshop loading, diary planning and technician allocation
Staff training, coaching and apprentice development
Customer complaint resolution and retention
Additional repair sales and service contract sales
Commercial vehicle inspection and MOT booking coordination
Departmental cost control and supplier negotiations
Mercedes-Benz C-Management certified
IMI/ATA accredited Service Advisor
Full UK driving licence
What They’re Looking For
Service Manager position within a main dealer, commercial vehicle dealership or established automotive business.
Ideally looking for an opportunity where they can take full responsibility for a service department, drawing on their extensive experience in workshop management, customer service and commercial vehicle aftersales operations.
Salary Expectations
£45,000+ basic salary plus bonus
Availability
4 weeks’ notice
Location
Looking for roles within up to 45 minutes of Bolton.
This candidate offers a valuable combination of long-standing main dealer experience, manufacturer management training and practical workshop leadership. Having progressed through Service Advisor, Workshop Controller and Assistant Service Manager positions, they understand how the different areas of an aftersales department work together.
For an automotive business looking to recruit a Service Manager in the North West, particularly within the commercial vehicle or HGV sector, they would bring experience managing large teams, improving workshop performance and maintaining strong customer relationships. Their stable employment history and familiarity with manufacturer processes make them particularly appealing for a long-term management appointment.