Service Manager

Salary: Dependent on experience

About the Role

The Service Manager is responsible for ensuring the Service Department meets all financial and non-financial objectives, including CSI and manufacturer targets. The role involves leading and developing the Service team to support business goals in line with company culture, evaluating group opportunities, proposing cost-saving and revenue-generating initiatives, implementing departmental plans through supervisors and staff, and establishing efficient organisational structures and control systems to support current and future departmental performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Create detailed annual departmental plans aligned to long-term goals covering profitability, productivity, resource control and market development.
• Implement plans through business management systems, monitoring variances and taking timely corrective action.
• Establish departmental structures, job roles, job descriptions and responsibilities.
• Lead recruitment activities including interviewing, selection and ensuring compliance with employment legislation.
• Implement control systems that monitor all factors affecting departmental performance.
• Set key performance standards and ratios and ensure continuous monitoring and corrective action.
• Monitor and control general overheads to achieve optimal absorption and support departmental growth.
• Analyse market activity to identify threats and opportunities, adjusting plans accordingly.
• Track competitor behaviour, customer trends, pricing, legislation changes and service levels.
• Maintain strong relationships with the Manufacturer to ensure obligations are met by all parties.
• Negotiate discounts, bonuses, premises standards and service development requirements. Manage financial and business management information, directing management accounts activity.
• Agree accounting and business information systems and lead monthly review meetings.
• Monitor adverse trends and initiate corrective action promptly.
• Evaluate and implement group centralisation initiatives where beneficial and approved, such as call centre or warranty centralisation.
• Adjust departmental processes where necessary to align with group standards.

Person Specification and Experience Required

• Proven experience managing service operations, ideally within the automotive sector.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Demonstrated ability to meet financial and non-financial performance targets.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify market trends and respond proactively.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience implementing control systems, performance standards and operational processes.
• Confident in managing budgets, performance data and business information systems.
• Effective communicator with strong stakeholder and manufacturer relationship-building ability.
• Ability to make sound decisions under pressure and take timely corrective action.
• Organised, detail-focused and committed to continuous improvement.