Technical & Workshop Manager - UAE

Petit Forestier Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 220,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Petit Forestier Group in the United Arab Emirates seeks a Technical & Workshop Manager to lead the workshop operations, drive maintenance quality and guarantee fleet availability on the UAE fleet.

This hands-on role combines workshop leadership with local technical strategy, managing a technical team, suppliers and service partners, and partnering with the Country Manager to scale the operation.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in vehicle maintenance and repair, preferably in fleet or rental environments.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical systems and diagnostics.
• Good knowledge of refrigeration/transport refrigeration is an advantage.
• Good understanding of electrical systems, diagnostics and preventive/corrective maintenance.
• Proven workshop management experience and leadership capabilities.
• Experience dealing with technical suppliers and external repair partners.
• Ability to diagnose complex technical problems and implement practical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the UAE workshop team, ensuring reliability and availability of the fleet.
• Plan and supervise maintenance, technicians and on-call support to meet budget and quality targets.
• Manage workshop budget, parts, tools and external services.
• Develop technical standards, processes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Country Manager on fleet strategy and technical investments.

Skills

Vehicle maintenance

Diagnostics

Refrigeration systems

Electrical systems

Workshop management

Supplier management

Problem solving

Education

Technical qualification in automotive mechanics or related field

Job description

Location: United Arab Emirates, Dubaï
Reporting to: Country Manager
Department: Technical / Workshop

THE ROLE

As Technical & Workshop Manager , you will be responsible for the technical performance of our UAE operations, with the workshop at the heart of the role.

This is a hands-on management position combining the responsibilities of a Workshop Manager with broader local technical leadership. Your primary responsibility will be to manage the day-to-day workshop operation, lead and develop the technical team, and ensure the quality, reliability and efficiency of vehicle maintenance and repairs.

Beyond the workshop, you will act as the Country Manager’s key technical partner , taking ownership of local technical suppliers and purchasing, supporting fleet and technical decisions, and progressively structuring the technical organisation as the UAE business grows.

This is not an office-based technical management role. You will be expected to remain closely involved in daily workshop operations, work alongside mechanics and technicians, solve technical problems and ensure that standards and improvements are implemented on the ground.

The role offers the opportunity to build and develop a technical organisation from the ground up , rather than simply manage an established structure.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Workshop & Technical Operations

You will lead the workshop team on a daily basis, maintaining a strong presence on the workshop floor and will have overall responsibility for the day-to-day performance and budget of the UAE workshop, ensuring the reliability and technical availability of the fleet, both during normal operations and through the company’s 24/7 breakdown service.

• Ensure maintenance plans are properly established, followed and continuously improved in coordination with the Fleet Manager.

• Plan, organise and prioritise workshop activities according to fleet requirements, vehicle availability and operational priorities. Monitor workshop workload, productivity and turnaround times, and take action where performance needs to improve.

• Allocate and oversee preventive and corrective maintenance covering mechanical, electrical, refrigeration and bodywork-related issues, jobs are completed efficiently and to the required standards of quality, safety, reliability and cost efficiency.

• Monitor vehicle availability, downtime, breakdown frequency, repeat failures and maintenance costs. Analyse recurring technical failures, identify root causes and implement corrective and preventive actions.

• Provide hands-on support with complex diagnostics and technical problems when required.

• Decide when work should be performed internally or outsourced based on technical capability, cost, urgency and vehicle availability.

• Ensure workshop facilities, tools and equipment are properly maintained and used. Maintain high standards of housekeeping, waste management and health & safety.

• Ensure technicians have the appropriate knowledge, tools and procedures to respond effectively to roadside incidents. Help organise and continuously improve the technical on-call and emergency support system. Develop external emergency repair solutions where internal resources are insufficient.

• Establish and continuously improve workshop processes, technical standards, procedures and best practices.

• Coach and develop technical capabilities, through on-the-job coaching, technical training and knowledge sharing. Set clear expectations regarding quality, productivity, safety and professional standards. Identify skills gaps and establish training priorities.

• Use technical KPIs and lessons learned from repairs and breakdowns to drive concrete improvements in reliability, quality, productivity and cost efficiency.

• Promote a culture of technical excellence, accountability, safety and continuous improvement.

2. Suppliers & Purchasing

You will develop the technical ecosystem supporting the UAE operation. You will be accountable for the workshop budget, ensuring effective cost control while maintaining the required levels of quality, reliability and operational performance.

• Own the workshop budget and cost performance, monitoring actual expenditure against budget, challenging maintenance and repair costs, optimising parts and external service spending, and implementing corrective actions where required.

• Manage stock and maintain appropriate levels of critical spare parts and workshop consumables.

• Source and purchase spare parts, workshop equipment, consumables and external technical services. Negotiate prices, technical conditions, lead times and service levels. Develop alternative suppliers and sourcing solutions to improve resilience and reduce dependency.

• Manage relationships with local suppliers, dealers, repair partners and technical service providers. Challenge supplier performance and pricing, ensuring the best balance between cost, quality, availability and reliability.

3. Technical Leadership & Support to the Country Manager

As the Country Manager’s key technical counterpart , you will provide practical technical leadership across the UAE operation.

• Contribute to the UAE technical strategy and annual action plans. Lead technical projects and ensure their effective implementation on the ground.

• Support decisions regarding investments in fleet, workshop equipment, tooling, spare parts and technical resources. Anticipate the technical resources and organisation required to support business growth.

• Provide clear recommendations and visibility on maintenance costs, fleet reliability, technical risks and workshop performance.

• Provide technical input on vehicle specifications, equipment, repair-versus-replacement decisions and future fleet requirements.

• Prepare and monitor the technical budget together with the Country Manager.

The role is designed to combine strategic thinking with operational execution: you will be expected to move from technical decision-making and supplier negotiation to diagnosing a vehicle with a mechanic and implementing improvements directly in the workshop.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance will be assessed through a combination of fleet, workshop, financial, supplier and people indicators, including:

• Vehicle availability and downtime, breakdown frequency and recurrence, preventive maintenance and mandatory controls compliance

• Overall workshop productivity, quality and turnaround time

• 24/7 breakdown response performance

• Customer satisfaction

• Workshop safety performance

• Team skills development and training

• Reliable technical ecosystem development

• Vehicle range and specifications optimisation

• Workshop budget and overall purchasing performance, cost optimisation initiatives

• Continuous improvement initiatives implemented

PROFILE

Technical & Management Experience

• Solid experience in vehicle maintenance and repair , ideally within a fleet, rental, transport or commercial vehicle environment.

• Strong knowledge of mechanical systems and diagnostics.

• Good knowledge of vehicle refrigeration / transport refrigeration systems is highlydesirable.

• Good understanding of electrical systems, vehicle diagnostics, preventive and corrective maintenance.

• Proven experience managing a workshop, maintenance team or technical operation.

• Experience dealing directly with technical suppliers and external repair partners.

• Demonstrated ability to diagnose complex technical problems and develop practical solutions.

We are particularly interested in candidates currently working as:

• Workshop Manager

• Workshop Supervisor

• Workshop Team Leader

• Fleet Maintenance Manager

• Senior Technician / Technical Supervisor

or in a similar position, with the capability and ambition to take on a broader technical leadership role.

The ideal candidate will be able to bring proven methods, discipline and best practices into a growing UAE operation while adapting them pragmatically to a small structure.

Leadership & Personal Qualities

• Strong hands-on technical leadership and credibility with technicians.

• Comfortable spending significant time on the workshop floor.

• Practical, pragmatic and solution-oriented.

• Strong sense of ownership and accountability.

• Able to make decisions quickly in an operational environment.

• Strong negotiation and supplier management skills.

• Structured and organised.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Willing to challenge existing practices and drive continuous improvement.

• Comfortable working in a small organisation where everyone is expected to contribute.

• Entrepreneurial mindset: able to build rather than simply manage.

• Able to balance technical quality, operational urgency and cost control.

LANGUAGES

• Professional proficiency in English is required.

• French is an advantage.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

• Technical qualification in automotive mechanics, vehicle maintenance, refrigeration or a related field.

• Relevant technical certifications are an advantage.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

As the UAE operation grows, this position will have significant scope for development and increased responsibility.

The successful candidate will progressively be able to take ownership of a broader technical organisation, including the development of additional service points, expansion of the technical team, development of additional technical capabilities and implementation of increasingly structured technical standards and processes across the UAE.

The role therefore represents an opportunity to build the foundations of the UAE technical organisation and grow with the business.