Job description

Position Summary

The Workshop Supervisor leads the day-to-day operation of the workshop floor, ensuring technicians deliver repairs and services to OEM standards, on time, first time, and within standard labour hours.

The role is directly accountable for technician productivity, workshop throughput, repair quality, and adherence to safety and housekeeping standards. Acting as the operational bridge between Service Advisors, Parts, and the Technician team, the Workshop Supervisor protects customer commitments and dealership profitability through disciplined floor management, strong technical leadership, and continuous operational control.

By driving workshop efficiency and maintaining zero-defect standards, the role plays a critical part in customer satisfaction, aftersales profitability, and OEM compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Workshop Operations & Productivity

• Allocate Repair Orders (ROs) to technicians based on skill level, technical complexity, and workload capacity to maximize labour utilization and productivity

• Monitor work-in-progress (WIP) continuously throughout the day, removing operational bottlenecks and ensuring promised delivery times are achieved

• Ensure technicians follow OEM repair manuals, approved diagnostic procedures, and dealership standard operating processes for every job

• Drive workshop KPIs including productivity, efficiency, labour utilization, and technician performance against monthly operational targets

• Control workshop flow to optimize bay usage, technician allocation, and service turnaround times

Quality & Technical Standards

• Conduct final quality inspections on completed repairs prior to vehicle release to eliminate repeat repairs, customer comebacks, and warranty risks

• Investigate technical failures, repeat repairs, and customer complaints, implementing corrective actions and technician coaching where required

• Ensure proper usage of Special Service Tools (SSTs), diagnostic equipment, calibration systems, and OEM-approved repair methods

• Monitor adherence to technical service bulletins (TSBs), recall procedures, and manufacturer technical updates across the workshop team

Team Leadership & People Development

• Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of Technicians, Electrical Technicians, and PDI Technicians across daily workshop operations

• Identify technical skill gaps and coordinate with Technical Trainers to schedule OEM certification programs and internal development plans

• Conduct daily workshop briefings covering workload planning, safety updates, technical bulletins, and performance expectations

• Support technician discipline, attendance management, performance reviews, and succession planning within the workshop team

Safety, Compliance & Housekeeping

• Enforce all HSE standards across the workshop including PPE usage, safe lifting procedures, hazardous material handling, and equipment safety compliance

• Maintain workshop housekeeping standards aligned with OEM dealer audit expectations and 5S operational standards

• Ensure calibration schedules, workshop certifications, equipment maintenance, and safety inspections remain current and audit-ready

• Support compliance with warranty standards, OEM audits, internal controls, and dealership operational governance

Coordination & Reporting

• Coordinate closely with Service Advisors regarding additional repair approvals, customer commitments, delivery deadlines, and delay communication

• Liaise with Parts teams to escalate Vehicle-Off-Road (VOR) cases and ensure urgent parts availability for workshop continuity

• Prepare and submit daily, weekly, and monthly reports covering workshop productivity, labour efficiency, quality performance, and technician KPIs to the Service Manager

• Support service planning decisions through accurate operational reporting and workshop performance analysis

Skills

Educational Requirements

• Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in Automotive Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline

• OEM-certified Master Technician qualification or equivalent advanced technical certification is highly preferred

Experience Requirements

• Minimum 6–8 years of workshop experience within a franchised automotive dealership, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or team leadership role

• Strong technical career progression from Technician to Workshop Supervisor within dealership operations

• Proven experience managing technician productivity, First Time Right (FTR), labour efficiency, and customer comeback reduction in high-volume workshops

Technical Skills

• Strong working knowledge of OEM diagnostic systems, repair procedures, technical manuals, and warranty processes

• Proficiency in Dealer Management Systems (DMS) such as SAP, Kerridge, Autoline, or equivalent dealership platforms

• Solid understanding of EV/HV systems, ADAS calibration, vehicle electronics, and modern automotive technologies is highly desirable

• Ability to read wiring diagrams, schematics, technical service bulletins, and manufacturer repair instructions accurately

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications for operational reporting and workshop analysis