Senior Bodyshop Manager — Lead, Optimize & Grow

The Vella Group; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days holiday

Company car/allowance

Bonus scheme

Death in service

MediCash

Leadership development

Childcare support

Free parking

Job summary

The Vella Group is seeking an experienced Bodyshop Manager to lead a busy accident repair centre in the UK. You will drive operational excellence, coach a skilled team and deliver exceptional customer outcomes through robust processes and strong leadership.

With 30+ years in the sector, we reward performance with a competitive package including company car or allowance, 33 days holiday, pension and a structured development pathway within a national network of repair centres.

Qualifications

• Previous experience managing an accident repair centre.
• Strong knowledge of vehicle repair processes and production planning.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams including Panel Technicians, MET Technicians, Paint Technicians and others.
• Proven experience delivering operational KPIs including productivity and cycle time.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills.
• Strong commercial awareness with ability to balance operation and profitability.
• Experience working with insurer partners and industry stakeholders.
• Understanding of BSI 10125 and related compliance standards.
• Full UK driving licence.”

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily operation of the repair centre, ensuring work is delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest standards.
• Manage repair production, workflow planning and resource allocation to maximise productivity and site performance.
• Monitor KPIs including cycle time, labour utilisation, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Lead daily production meetings and review workloads and priorities.
• Build strong relationships with insurer partners, work providers, suppliers and customers.
• Act as primary escalation point for customer concerns and resolve issues professionally.
• Ensure repair quality remains compliant with manufacturer methods and BSI 10125 standards.
• Manage site profitability through cost control and strategic planning.
• Lead, coach and develop colleagues across all departments within the repair centre.
• Conduct performance reviews and support ongoing training and development.
• Drive a culture of accountability, teamwork, quality and customer service.
• Ensure Health & Safety, COSHH, environmental and company procedures compliance.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement within site operations and implement solutions.

Skills

Bodyshop management

Leadership

Vehicle repair processes

KPIs management

People management

Commercial awareness

Insurer collaboration

BSI 10125

Job description

The Vella Group is seeking an experienced Bodyshop Manager to lead a busy accident repair centre in the UK. You will drive operational excellence, coach a skilled team and deliver exceptional customer outcomes through robust processes and strong leadership.

With 30+ years in the sector, we reward performance with a competitive package including company car or allowance, 33 days holiday, pension and a structured development pathway within a national network of repair centres.