Workshop Operations Manager – Trade Qualified

Tune Works Newcastle PTY LTD – Thornton NSW

Tune Works is seeking an experienced, highly organised and trade qualified Workshop Operations Manager to take complete ownership of the day to day operation of our busy diesel performance workshop.

This is a senior leadership role for someone who thrives on responsibility, accountability and driving results. You will be responsible for leading the workshop, maintaining workflow, protecting productivity, developing the team and continually improving our workshop systems and processes.

This is a role for an experienced workshop leader, not someone looking to take their first step into workshop management. We are seeking someone with proven leadership experience who can quickly earn the respect of the team, hit the ground running after an initial handover period and make an immediate impact.

This is not a full time hands on mechanical position. Your primary responsibility is to lead the workshop, coordinate operations, maintain standards and ensure the workshop performs at its highest level. Mechanical or diagnostic work will only be required occasionally to support workshop flow when necessary.

If you require constant direction, supervision or micromanagement, this is not the role for you.

Key Responsibilities

- Take complete ownership of the daily operation, performance and organisation of the workshop.
- Manage daily workflow, technician allocations and job priorities to maximise efficiency and productivity.
- Delegate work effectively across the workshop, monitor technician workloads and performance, identify shortfalls or inefficiencies, and make timely adjustments to keep workflow moving.
- Ensure every technician understands the full scope of each job before work commences and has everything required to complete it efficiently.
- Know the status of every vehicle in the workshop at all times, proactively following up on delays, parts, customer approvals and technician progress before they become issues.
- Monitor every job throughout the day, identifying delays, scheduling conflicts or quality concerns before they impact workflow.
- Plan ahead by reviewing upcoming bookings, ensuring workloads are balanced, parts are available and the workshop is prepared for future jobs.
- Provide strong, confident and consistent leadership, maintaining accountability and high standards across the entire workshop.
- Lead by example, demonstrating professionalism, organisation, urgency and a commitment to the high standards expected at Tune Works.
- Be approachable and supportive to the team while remaining firm, fair and consistent in maintaining standards and accountability.




- Enable the tuners and office manager to remain focused on their specialist responsibilities by taking ownership of day to day workshop operations, managing office to workshop enquiries, resolving issues and ensuring technicians and apprentices follow the correct chain of command.
- Supervise, guide and mentor apprentices, ensuring work is completed safely, efficiently and to the required standard, providing occasional mechanical or diagnostic assistance only where necessary to maintain workshop flow.
- Hold technicians accountable for productivity, workmanship, organisation and adherence to workshop procedures.
- Address performance, attitude or workmanship issues promptly, professionally and respectfully, escalating to management where appropriate.
- Carry out quality control inspections to ensure every vehicle leaves the workshop to Tune Works' standard.
- Assess job cards and vehicle inspection findings to prepare accurate quotes for required repairs, maintenance and appropriate upsell opportunities, clearly explaining recommendations to customers and obtaining approval where required.
- Maintain clear communication with the office regarding workshop progress, approvals, delays and customer expectations.
- Work closely with the office team to ensure all required parts are ordered and available before scheduled work begins, proactively identifying any shortages or delays that may impact workflow.
- Complete and oversee weekly stock takes while maintaining appropriate stock levels of workshop consumables and commonly used parts.
- Ensure warranty returns, supplier claims and parts requiring dispatch are processed promptly.
- Maintain an organised, clean and professional workshop environment at all times.
- Remove obstacles that prevent technicians from remaining productive, ensuring downtime is minimised and workshop flow is maintained throughout the day.
- Identify wider operational shortfalls and opportunities for improvement, working closely with management to develop and implement systems, processes and procedures that strengthen workshop performance, efficiency and accountability.

Essential Requirements

- Trade qualified Automotive or Diesel Technician.
- Proven experience in a Workshop Operations Manager, Workshop Controller, Foreman or similar senior workshop leadership role.
- Demonstrated ability to improve workshop systems,



productivity and overall team performance.
- Strong leadership skills with the confidence to make decisions, solve problems and hold people accountable.
- Proven ability to lead experienced tradespeople and apprentices.
- Strong conflict resolution and people management skills.
- Exceptional organisational, planning and time management skills.
- Strong mechanical knowledge and diagnostic capability.
- Experience preparing repair quotes and communicating confidently with customers.
- High attention to detail with uncompromising quality standards.
- Robust computer skills and administrative accuracy.
- Ability to remain calm, organised and decisive under pressure.
- Current unrestricted driver's licence.

About You

You are a leader first and a technician second.

You don't wait to be told what needs doing. You naturally identify problems, implement solutions and take ownership of outcomes.

You know what's happening in your workshop at all times. You know which vehicles are waiting on parts, which require customer approval, which technicians need support and which jobs are falling behind, often before anyone else notices.

You are respected because you lead by example, communicate clearly and are not afraid to have difficult conversations when standards are not being met.

You have proven experience leading people, maintaining standards and keeping a workshop operating efficiently without constant input from management.

You understand that excellent workshop leadership isn't about doing every job yourself. It's about creating structure, holding people accountable, protecting specialist staff from unnecessary interruptions and ensuring every member of the team is focused on their responsibilities.

We are looking for someone who genuinely takes ownership. Someone who notices problems before they become bottlenecks, takes action without being asked and treats the success of the workshop as a personal responsibility.

What We Offer

- Senior leadership position with genuine authority and responsibility.
- Attractive salary package and flexibility on offer based on experience.
- Modern, well equipped diesel performance workshop.
- Stable, growing business with an excellent reputation.
- Opportunity to influence workshop systems, team culture and long term business performance.

Important

This role requires an experienced leader who can work independently without micromanagement. Following an initial handover and training period, you will be expected to confidently hit the ground running, take full ownership of your responsibilities and lead the workshop with minimal input from management.

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📌 Workshop Operations Manager – Trade Qualified (Maitland)
🏢 Tune Works Newcastle
📍 Maitland