Fleet Garage Manager: Lead Maintenance & Compliance

Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 10% annual bonus

Life Assurance policy

Private Medical Insurance

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave

Pension Employer Contribution Scheme

Müller Rewards discounts

Free parking

Job summary

Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller in Manchester seeks a proactive Garage Manager to lead the Vehicle Maintenance Unit, ensuring safe, compliant, and high‑performing fleet operations. You will manage workshop resources, schedules, and budgets while driving a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

The role requires strong leadership, technical knowledge of HGVs, and a focus on safety, efficiency, and cost reduction within a fast-paced transport environment.

Qualifications

• Previous management experience within a fleet maintenance, transport engineering, commercial vehicle, or workshop environment.
• Technical knowledge of HGVs, trailers, vehicle maintenance systems, defect management, and engineering best practices.
• An understanding of fleet compliance, preventative maintenance planning, vehicle legislation, and operational risk management.
• Experience managing workshop performance, budgets, resource planning, and productivity.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of transport and logistics operations and the critical role engineering plays in delivering customer service and operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the Vehicle Maintenance Unit, ensuring all maintenance activities are completed safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards.
• Manage workshop resources, labour allocation, and repair schedules to maximise fleet availability and minimise downtime.
• Ensure all vehicles, trailers, and workshop activities remain fully compliant with DVSA, Operator Licence, health and safety, and company standards.
• Drive a proactive preventative maintenance culture, identifying opportunities to improve reliability and reduce operating costs.
• Monitor workshop performance, productivity, maintenance spend, and key fleet engineering KPIs.
• Lead, coach, and develop engineering and workshop teams, creating a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Investigate vehicle failures, defects, incidents, and engineering-related root causes, implementing corrective actions where required.
• Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, suppliers, manufacturers, and third-party service providers
• Maintain high standards of housekeeping, safety, quality, and audit readiness across all workshop activities.
• Support fleet replacement, vehicle specification, and engineering improvement initiatives to enhance operational performance.

Skills

Management

HGV knowledge

Vehicle maintenance

Defect management

Compliance & safety

Budget & resource planning

Leadership & coaching

IT skills (MS Office)

Job description

Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller in Manchester seeks a proactive Garage Manager to lead the Vehicle Maintenance Unit, ensuring safe, compliant, and high‑performing fleet operations. You will manage workshop resources, schedules, and budgets while driving a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

The role requires strong leadership, technical knowledge of HGVs, and a focus on safety, efficiency, and cost reduction within a fast-paced transport environment.