Motor Network Manager

The Acorn Group; Liverpool; Remote; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The Acorn Group is seeking a Motor Network Manager to enhance relationships and performance within its First Party Claims team. This role involves setting best practices and delivering exceptional customer service. Opportunities exist for remote or hybrid work, with responsibilities that include technical audits, cost monitoring, and stakeholder engagement.

Benefits

Enhanced Annual Leave starting at 31 days

Colleague Assistance programme

Life assurance options

Flexible benefits platform

Refer a friend scheme

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year experience in the repair body shop industry.
• Strong leadership abilities to manage diverse teams.
• Adept in analysing and presenting data across various formats.

Responsibilities

• Oversee technical audits to ensure safe and cost-effective repairs.
• Monitor costs and identify trends for improvement.
• Collaborate with internal teams on continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Data Analysis

Communication

Education

IMI VDA accreditation

AQP qualification

Tools

Audatex

Escribe

Job description

This is an exceptionally exciting year for the team, and we are delighted to present a new opportunity for a Motor Network Manager to join our First Party Claims team here at The Acorn Group. Reporting to the Motor Network & Engineering Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring we maintain excellent relationships, design best practices and deliver a great performance through our motor repair network.

This position offers huge opportunities for professional growth and development, entails sizeable accountability and decision-making responsibilities, and will position you as a senior leader within the First Party Claims team, where you will have a real impact on our customers and business. In this role you will be a manager who leads from the front – being hands-on, engaging and committed to a quality-first mindset with a focus on creating good outcomes for our customers and our people. If that sounds like you, then please read on!

This exciting position offers the flexibility of fully remote work or a hybrid option with a desk at one of our offices located in Liverpool or Sevenoaks. Regular travel will be necessary, allowing you to spend time with your colleagues, meet with suppliers, visit body shops within our repair network, and attend industry events and conferences. This role will undoubtedly keep you busy, engaged, and well-connected to the industry!

We may be a bit biased, but we believe you would be joining the finest claims team in the industry. We are a close-knit group that enjoys having fun while working hard to provide the best service possible for our customers and each other.

Job title: Motor Network Manager

Location: Fully remote homeworking or hybrid office – regular travel required to various offices and suppliers

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours between 9:00am and 5:30pm

Salary: Competitive depending on experience, plus 10% annual performance related bonus paid quarterly, and car allowance

What you will be doing:

• Your role will involve collaborating closely with our repair network management provider to guarantee that repairs are conducted safely and cost-effectively, prioritising the customer in every decision made.
• You will be responsible for carrying out and overseeing technical audits, governance, and best practices established by the network provider.
• Implementing The Acorn Group's approach to ensuring effective repairs within the network, focusing on delivering quality, timely, and cost-efficient solutions.
• Monitoring of costs associated with vehicle repairs and identifying trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Developing new customer-centric and cost-effective solutions through updated processes, systems, or technologies.
• Creating and tracking key metrics to measure network performance and implementing actions plans to improve where necessary.
• Working closely with our internal motor engineering team sharing information, best practice and ideas for continuous improvement.
• Provide support on complaints and recovery of unnecessary costs incurred.
• Carry out performance reviews with the network provider.

What we’re looking for:

• Ideally, you should be IMI VDA (Vehicle Damage Assessor) accredited and have in depth knowledge of Audatex.
• You should also hold your AQP qualification – a current competency-based assessment in salvage categorisation from the IAEA or another recognised industry body.
• Demonstrable experience of working within the repair body shop industry is essential.
• Strong leadership abilities are a must.
• Exceptional stakeholder and relationship management skills are crucial; you will be expected to develop a robust internal network while managing relationships with various suppliers and industry contacts for example by attending various trade events.
• You should be adept at working with diverse types and sources of data, able to analyse, interrogate, and present it in various formats.
• Effective communication at all levels is required, with the ability to adapt your style as necessary.
• A solid understanding of the body shop industry’s complexities, including parts supply chains, repair methods, material composition, ADAS, and proficiency with specialised systems like Escribe is important.

We’re not about ticking boxes and so if you think that you meet most of the above, then we’d love to hear from you.

About Acorn Insurance
With over 40 years of experience, Acorn Insurance is a specialist provider dedicated to helping individuals secure motor insurance across the UK. We proudly serve more than 50,000 customers, ensuring they find policies that meet their needs and provide the peace of mind that comes with high-quality cover.

At Acorn Insurance, we offer comprehensive training and continuous in-house coaching. You'll receive in-depth, FCA-regulated industry knowledge and all the tools necessary to grow your career with us.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering a culture where everyone feels respected and valued. As a Disability Confident Level 1 and Level 2 employer, we ensure our workplace is accessible and inclusive, encouraging our people to bring their best selves to work every day.

The Acorn Group has been recognised as a Great Place to Work for 2024/5. A record number of employees participated in our survey, overwhelmingly highlighting our welcoming and supportive atmosphere as an excellent place to build a career. We are committed to continuous improvement and have ambitious plans for 2025.

Why Acorn Insurance?
Acorn Insurance want to give you more than a job, we want to give you a purpose and a career. So, what can we offer you as an employer? Some of the "your tomorrow" benefits you will receive include:

Wellbeing:

• Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement starting at 31 days and potentially increasing to 35 days per year depending on grade & length of service (including bank holidays)
• Enhanced paternity pay and 16 weeks full maternity pay.
• Colleague Assistance programme offers a suite of wellbeing services such as:
• 6 Free Counselling sessions per year
• Unlimited access to a telephone councillor 24/7
• Access to a free 4-week programme of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with a trained therapist mentor.
• Network of internal qualified mental health first aiders are available to provide support to colleagues.
• A core level of life assurance with the option to increase cover via salary sacrifice and add your spouse/partner
• Ability to access your earnings before payday via Dayforce Wallet.
• Company pension scheme
• Refer a friend scheme with a £250 bonus for every colleague recommended on passing their probation period.
• Access to a flexible benefits platform including an annual flex pot allowance to spend on over 15 benefits of your choice.
• Ability to give back. You can opt into donating money to charity to climate positive organisations directly from your salary.

Reward, Recognition and Culture :

• Long Service Award paid on 5,10- and 15-years’ service
• A reward and recognition hub to celebrate and reward colleagues and peers.
• Consistent and engaging company events including company awards, competitions and charity fundraisers.
• Budgets for department leaders to use for social and engagement events.

Please visit our website to view more of our excellent work benefits!

All roles are subject to DBS and Financial checks, any offer made will be conditional until checks are completed to a satisfactory standard.

Unfortunately, due to the length of training and complexity of the role, we can only accept applications from candidates who have at least one year remaining on their (Graduate/ Post study work) visa. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorships.

At Acorn, we are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment. We recognise that candidates may have specific needs and are happy to consider reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process and working environment to accommodate individual requirements. Whether it’s modifying equipment, adjusting working hours, or providing additional support, we aim to ensure all employees can perform at their best. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know during the application or interview process, and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met.