Workshop Manager

Job Title: Workshop Manager Location: Ridham Dock Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8SR (Ridham & Group Sites) Salary: Competitive Job Type: Permanent, Full time Working Hours: Monday to Friday - 50 hours per week, flexibility required

About Us

Countrystyle is a member of the family-owned Heathcote Holdings Group of resource management companies and as a family run business our people and customers are at the heart of our growth and drive for passion for solution focused service.

About the role

An experienced, hands-on Workshop Manager who takes personal ownership of the workshop as if it were their own, setting the standard, leading from the front, and ensuring every vehicle, plant item and piece of equipment is maintained to the highest levels of safety, compliance and operational readiness.

The role combines direct mechanical, diagnostic and repair work with day-to-day oversight of all workshop operations at Ridham, driving a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and engineering excellence. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable under a vehicle as they are in a budget review or compliance audit.

Responsibilities

Hands-On Technical Work & Fault Diagnosis: Carry out and oversee routine inspections, servicing, maintenance and repairs to fleet vehicles, plant, machinery and site equipment. Use diagnostic equipment and technical knowledge to identify faults across hydraulic, mechanical and electrical systems.

Carry out welding, fabrication, machining and general repair work as required to support workshop and operational needs. Complete initial assessments of vehicles, plant and equipment to identify root causes of faults and recommend cost-effective remedies.

Workshop Leadership & People Management: Take full ownership of the workshop - run it as if it were your own, holding yourself and your team to the highest standards. Lead, supervise and allocate daily tasks to mechanics, fitters, apprentices and other workshop staff.

Provide hands-on guidance, support and mentoring to all workshop personnel. Conduct performance reviews, one-to-ones and development planning for direct reports. Fleet Compliance & Regulatory Oversight: Ensure 100% Planned Event Maintenance (PEM) compliance across all vehicles and equipment types.

Ensure full adherence to DVSA requirements, Operator Licence undertakings, manufacturer standards and company policy. Oversee MOT preparation and presentation, targeting consistently high first-time pass rates. Monitor and drive defect management processes, prioritising safety-critical defects and eliminating backlog growth.

Conduct regular compliance audits; maintain audit-ready standards at all times and prepare the business for DVSA audits. Planning, Scheduling & Operational Performance: Plan and coordinate servicing schedules, inspections, breakdown repairs and urgent maintenance to minimise downtime. Monitor workshop productivit...

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