IMPORTANT: This is NOT a service advisor or pure management role. You will spend the majority of your working day on the tools. If your background is primarily customer-facing or administrative, this vacancy is unlikely to be suitable.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are a busy independent automotive repair centre in Chard, and we are looking for an exceptional hands-on technician to step into a senior lead role. This is a working supervisory position — your technical ability and diagnostic expertise are what sets you apart, and leadership comes naturally alongside that.
You will spend the majority of your day on the workshop floor diagnosing and repairing vehicles alongside a team of 6 mechanics, 1 MOT tester, and 1 apprentice. The supervisory element of the role builds around your technical strengths — keeping the workshop flowing, maintaining quality, and developing the team — rather than pulling you away from what you do best.
Customer communication is handled entirely by our admin team. You will provide technical input when needed, but this role keeps you where a technician belongs: in the workshop.
TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES (CORE OF THE ROLE)
- Carry out 4–6 hours of hands-on diagnostics and repair work every day
- Lead on complex, multi-system, and intermittent fault diagnosis
- Use dealer-level and multi-brand diagnostic equipment (Snap-on, Autel, or equivalent)
- Provide technical guidance and second opinions for the rest of the team
- Conduct quality checks on completed work and manage any comebacks professionally
- Ensure all repairs follow OEM procedures and safety standards
- Keep diagnostic reports, job cards, and technical notes clear and accurate
- Technically approve estimates prepared by the admin team
WORKSHOP LEADERSHIP & SUPERVISION
- Oversee daily job allocation and monitor workflow throughout the day
- Identify bottlenecks, adjust priorities, and keep WIP moving
- Run morning start-up checks and end-of-day pack-down procedures
- Maintain workshop organisation, bay cleanliness, and equipment readiness
- Lead, support, and motivate the technician team with fairness and clarity
- Coach and develop the apprentice with structured, practical progression
- Promote a positive, accountable workshop culture
COMPLIANCE & SAFETY
- Enforce safe working practices and appropriate PPE use at all times
- Ensure environmental compliance: waste oil, batteries, tyres, and refrigerant
- Maintain workshop safety checks and equipment standards
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
- Minimum 10 years’ proven experience as an automotive technician in a hands-on role
- Strong multi-brand diagnostic skills — this is essential, not optional
- Level 3 qualified technician (or equivalent demonstrated experience)
- Experience with dealer-level diagnostic tooling (Snap-on, Autel, ADAS calibration, etc.)
- Confident diagnosing complex electrical, engine management, and multi-system faults
- Previous experience in a senior technician or working supervisor role
- Organised, calm, and consistent — someone the team can rely on
- MOT tester qualification desirable but not essential
We are not looking for a service manager, a workshop controller who has left the tools behind, or someone whose primary strength is customer communication. We need a technician first — one who is ready to lead.
WHAT WE OFFER
- £40,000–£45,000 per year, dependent on experience — the right candidate will not be let down on salary
- Monday–Friday only (8:30AM–5:00PM) — no weekends, no on-call
- A workshop leadership role that keeps you on the tools
- Opportunity to shape and develop a brand-new position with real influence
- Supportive admin team handling all customer-facing communication
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
- Ongoing training and development opportunities
HOW TO APPLY
If you are a skilled, hands-on technician with strong diagnostic experience and you are ready to take on a lead role without leaving the workshop floor, we would love to hear from you.
Please send your CV and a brief covering letter — telling us about your diagnostic experience and the types of faults you are most confident tackling — to:
[email protected]
Pay: £40,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
