Leading Hand

Hastings Deering (Australia) Ltd; City of Brisbane; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Big Pay, Bigger Growth

Leading Hand Allowance

Body, Mind & Wallet Support

World‑Class Training

Career Paths That Work for You

Job summary

Hastings Deering (Australia) Ltd in Brisbane is seeking an experienced Leading Hand to provide hands-on leadership to our trades team. This permanent role focuses on safety, quality, productivity and team development in a busy workshop environment.

You will lead from the front, coach and mentor staff, coordinate work, and drive continuous improvement while maintaining high workmanship standards. This role offers long-term career potential within a global Caterpillar dealer network.

Qualifications

• Experience leading trades teams in a workshop environment.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor and develop staff and apprentices.
• Strong focus on safety, quality and productivity in operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily workshop activities and coordinate operations.
• Plan and allocate work to maximise productivity and resource use.
• Coach and mentor tradespeople and apprentices.
• Monitor quality, safety and delivery against targets.
• Drive continuous improvement in safety, productivity and cost.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching & mentoring

Planning & productivity

Quality & safety focus

Team development

Job description

Company : Hastings Deering (Australia) Ltd Kickstart your career or take the next step with Hastings Deering, where our people build something BIGGER.

We’re looking for an experienced Leading Hand to join our award-winning team in Brisbane, providing hands‑on leadership to our trades team while driving safety, quality, productivity and development. This is a permanent role.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead from the front – provide active day‑to‑day leadership, coaching and mentoring to help your team perform at their best.
• Plan for productivity – coordinate and plan work efficiently, ensuring jobs are completed to schedule and resources are used effectively.
• Drive quality outcomes – monitor jobs for quality and efficiency, provide technical guidance and ensure work orders are completed correctly.
• Develop our people – train and mentor team members while ensuring apprentices receive the on‑the‑job experience required to achieve their competencies.
• Keep improving – proactively identify quality and efficiency risks, report defects and unsatisfactory practices, and support continuous improvement across the workshop.
• Champion safety and sustainability – ensure work is completed in line with safe work practices, company procedures and environmental requirements.

Who are we and why work with us?

Hastings Deering is proud to be one of the top 5 Caterpillar dealerships globally. We sell, rent, and offer support and parts distribution services for Cat® products across a range of industries, including resources, general construction, civil transport and commercial construction, power systems, government, primary industries and marine. We have more than 3,500 employees across 23 business service centres throughout Queensland, Northern Territory, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia, with our headquarters based in Brisbane, Australia.

When you join our team at Hastings Deering, you’ll benefit from:

• Big Pay, Bigger Growth – competitive hourly rates with competency‑based pay rises PLUS regular scheduled increases under our current Enterprise Agreement.
• Leading Hand Allowance – be rewarded for taking the lead and supporting the performance and development of your team.
• Body, Mind & Wallet Support – free health checks, Employee Assistance Program, income protection insurance, and discounts at major retailers.
• World‑Class Training – we’re one of only eight Caterpillar Centres of Excellence globally. Learn from the best in CAT and continue building your skills.
• Career Paths That Work for You – grow your career into leadership, technical specialist or support service roles.
• At Hastings Deering, we align with YOUR goals.
• Security You Can Count On – enjoy the stability of a long‑term career with Hastings Deering, backed by global strength.

What you’ll need

• Lead and coordinate daily workshop activities across component and hydraulic cylinder rebuild operations.
• Plan and allocate work effectively, maximising productivity and making the best use of available labour and resources.
• Champion Hastings Deering’s safety standards, ensuring procedures are understood, followed and reinforced across the team.
• Maintain a clean, organised and professional workshop, setting clear expectations around housekeeping and workplace standards.
• Monitor job progress, quality and delivery performance to ensure work is completed efficiently and customer expectations are met.
• Provide hands‑on technical leadership, coaching and mentoring to tradespeople, apprentices and trade assistants.
• Conduct quality inspections to ensure rebuilt components and hydraulic cylinders meet OEM specifications and internal quality standards.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across safety, productivity, quality and cost reduction.
• Build a culture of accountability, ensuring the team delivers against production targets, minimises rework and consistently maintains high workmanship standards.

Hastings Deering follows a Pre‑Employment Process for all successful applicants, which includes two employment references, a National Police Check and a medical assessment. These checks are essential to your application, and your Talent Acquisition Partner will support you through the process.