Garage Manager

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

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert: Create Alert

Department: Logistics & Supply Chain & Transport

Location: Manchester, ENG, GB, M17 1TU

Lead the Team Behind the Fleet

We’re looking for a proactive and experienced Garage Manager to join our Transport Department based at our Manchester Depot. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong technical knowledge and leadership skills to take charge of our Vehicle Maintenance Unit (VMU), ensuring our fleet is safe, compliant, and operating at peak performance.

• Location: Manchester - M17 1TU
• Contract: Full Time / Permanent
• Salary: Competitive (monthly paid)
• Hours: 40 hours per week

What You’ll Be Doing

As Garage Manager, you will:

• 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.

What We’re Looking For

• 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.

We value our people and offer a wide range of benefits:

• Up to 10% annual bonus
• 4 x Life Assurance policy
• Private Medical Insurance
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising with service)
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Family Leave
• Enhanced Bereavement Leave
• Pension Employer Contribution Scheme (matched up to 8%)
• Exclusive access to Müller Rewards, offering a variety of online and in-store discounts
• Business Supplied IT Equipment
• Concessionary products
• Career Progression and Development Opportunities
• Free parking

Ready to lead a team that keeps our fleet moving?