Workshop Controller

Job Description

Workshop Controller

Are you an experienced Workshop Controller or Motor Vehicle Technician that is looking for your next challenge? Could you help to keep our varied emergency vehicle fleet on the road?

An opportunity has become available within our Transport Services Department for a Workshop Controller to join our team. In Avon and Somerset Police, our Workshop Controllers are responsible for a team of Motor Vehicle Technicians operating from both our main vehicle workshop at Avonmouth and our satellite vehicle workshops across the force area. You will lead your team to provide an exemplary service, maintaining and repairing all fleet vehicles, including the latest vehicles with integrated emergency equipment fitted. Whilst you’ll run the day-to-day operation, you’ll have the support of your peer Workshop Controllers and the Workshop Manager. This role will be based at our Avonmouth workshop, with extensive travel and the requirement to work from other workshop locations in the force area. You will have use of a pool vehicle for any business mileage.

We strive to achieve very high standards and a first-time fix across our fleet – safety cannot be compromised on our emergency response vehicle fleet. You’ll play a critic al role maximising vehicle uptime and providing the highest levels of support to frontline officers and staff. prioritising vehicles accordingly. You will also manage capacity across multiple workshops and direct vehicles and staff accordingly to service demand.

Main Responsibilities Of The Role

• To manage and lead workshop staff on a daily basis, allocating jobs, making decisions and proactively identifying solutions to problems, using your product knowledge to make best use of all available resources and opportunities.
• To apply your technical knowledge and skills to effectively service, preventatively maintain and repair all types of fleet vehicles, including cars, commercial vehicles, plant and equipment. As a vehicle repair and maintenance subject matter expert, you will provide technical and diagnostic assistance and guidance to workshop staff, ensuring that maintenance standards and recommended repair methods are applied consistently, in line with wider industry best practice.
• To participate in regular workshop planning meetings with the wider workshop management team.
• To build strong working relationships with suppliers, holding regular review meetings with our external body shop and franchised dealer network suppliers – by working together you’ll ensure maximum fleet availability of our critical emergency service vehicles.
• To act as the first point of escalation for both frontline police officers and staff and Transport Services colleagues, resolving queries as appropriate and escalating concerns to the Workshop Manager where required.
• Reconciling electronic job cards on our fleet management software, ensuring that labour and parts are allocated correctly.
• To manage warranty claims with suppliers, working alongside colleagues in workshop stores to ensure the effective reclaim of warranty costs where possible.
• To review and report vehicle availability, ensuring that problem vehicle repairs are expedited as much as possible to minimise vehicle downtime.
• To champion and support your teams’ health, training and wellbeing, completing structured 121 meetings, providing first-line welfare support and providing coaching and development where necessary.
• To ensure that our workshops are operated in a safe and legal manner, working closely with our forcewide Health and Safety team. The Workshop Controller will be required to undertake routine Health & Safety checks and manage building and equipment faults and repairs, rectifying issues in a timely manner.
• To deputise for the Workshop Manager as required.
• Whilst this role will be based at Avonmouth workshop (which will be your base location), you will be required to frequently attend police stations and workshops across the force area. You’ll have access to a fleet vehicle for business mileage.
  
  

Qualifications

Skills, experience and qualifications:

• You must hold a City and Guilds Advanced Technical Certificate in the Automotive Industry (Level 3) or NVQ Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Level 3) or BTEC in Motor Vehicle Engineering (Level 3) or equivalent.
• Must hold a full current driving licence and be prepared to become a Force authorised driver
  
  

Experience Essential

• Must have previous practical experience of working within the motor vehicle trade within a police fleet, retail or a large fleet organisation. It’s essential that you have current and up-to-date knowledge of vehicle technology including electric vehicles to provide maintenance and repairs to a very high standard.
• We’re looking for a Workshop Controller that can work with us to continuously drive change and improve our Transport function. Experience working in - or leading - a team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, with the ability to effectively deliver change is essential.
• Previous experience liaising with customers and suppliers to deliver excellent customer service and industry-leading results, is essential
• The post holder must be computer literate and have experience of vehicle diagnostic equipment and/or fleet management systems (we currently use Jaama Key2).
  
  

Desirable

• A City and Guilds Motor Vehicle Engineering (Level 5) and/or membership of a professional institute such as AFP, IMI or IRTE.
• Whilst experience in an emergency service fleet is preferable, training in police vehicle systems will be provided as part of your induction.
• Previous experience of team personal development and the development of others.
  
  

What We Can Offer You

We recognise the extensive skills and experience that an effective Workshop Controller will bring to our team, and we offer a range of financial, lifestyle and health benefits to support whatever stage of life you're in, including:

• A competitive salary for a 37-hour working week
• A Local Government Pension Scheme, with typical 28% employer contribution
• 12.5% shift disturbance allowance
• No weekend or bank holiday working
• Opportunity for overtime
• Company provided tooling and laptop
• Company provided uniform and PPE
• Genuine job satisfaction and the opportunity to ‘own your results’
• Fully funded qualifications as required by the role
• Continuous professional development
• Employee Assistance scheme offering help through counselling services, legal advice, fitness advice, personal coaching and health assessment
• Access to Blue Light Card (for a £5 annual fee) offering discounts on products and services, shopping, days out, sporting events, and holidays
  
  

Additional Information

Working Hours:

The working hours will be split across a four-week shift pattern, with an equal distribution of early and late shifts. Our early turn shifts are Monday to Thursday working 07.00-15.00 and Friday 07.00-14.30. Our late turn shifts are Monday to Thursday working 11.00-19.00 and Friday 11.30-19.00. The exact working hours pattern will be agreed with the successful candidate.

Reporting Line

This role directly reports to the Workshop Manager based at Avonmouth Workshop.

Interview Process Timescales

Shortlisting will take place on w/c 28th September.

In person interviews will take place w/c 19th October .

This role will be based at our Avonmouth workshop. Travel to our other workshops in Bridgwater, Midsomer Norton and Yeovil, along with attendance at our Headquarters at Portishead will be required.

To be eligible to apply for this role you must have a 3 year ‘checkable history’ in the UK – ideally this means that you would have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years.

If you would like to make a difference by maintaining fleet availability to support Policing, then this is the role for you. Click the link below to apply.