- VIC

- Permanent Full time

- Australian Surface Technologies

Ready to Step Up From the Tools?

Australian Surface Technologies (AST) is the industry leader in hard chrome surface technologies, and we're looking for a Production / Workshop Manager to lead our team of machinists and electroplaters at our Dandenong South workshop.

This role is built for a senior machinist, leading hand, supervisor or existing workshop manager who knows positive machining when they see it and is ready to take the next step in their management career. You already understand the work, the machines and the people running them. Now you can lead them.

Unlike a traditional production environment, our workshop handles a variety of individual machining, repair and refurbishment jobs, each with its own technical requirements and challenges. You'll use your practical experience to plan work, solve problems and keep jobs moving.

You'll also be the face of our workshop to customers: talking through repairs and job requirements, assessing work and preparing quotes. Sales experience is a real advantage, but if you've dealt with customers at the counter, on the phone or in the workshop, you'll have a head start.

What You'll Be Doing

- Lead the workshop floor: Directing our machinists and electroplaters day to day, allocating work, and planning labour and schedules so every job meets its deadline.

- Be the technical go-to: Using your machining knowledge to assess jobs, solve problems, set priorities and maintain quality, while coaching and developing your team.

- Look after our customers: Preparing quotes and job assessments, giving technical support, building relationships, and spotting new opportunities for the business.

- Keep work flowing: Overseeing production, stores and dispatch so jobs move through the shop safely, efficiently and profitably.





- Champion safety and quality: Maintaining a strong safety culture and overseeing quality assurance across all operations.

- Track performance: Supporting budgeting, cost control and operational reporting to senior management.

Why Join AST?

- A genuine career step: Move into management with real autonomy and responsibility, while staying close to the machining and plating work you know.

- Leadership support: We'll back you as you build your people-leadership skills and grow into the role.

- Stability and growth: A secure, workshop-based role with an established industry leader in hard chrome plating, cylindrical grinding and pump shaft repair, operating since 1992.

- Strong career pathways across the Questas Group, with 37+ sites nationally.

- Great benefits: Novated leasing, Fitness Passport and salary packaging.

- Family-friendly leave: 8 weeks paid parental leave and 1 week secondary carer leave.

- A safety-first workplace: Our 'Home Safely Every Day' program is at the heart of how we work.

- A diverse and inclusive workplace that values contribution and initiative.

About You

Essential

- Trade-qualified machinist (or equivalent experience) with strong, hands-on manual and/or CNC machining experience, such as lathes, mills or grinding.

- Experience leading others as a leading hand, supervisor, team leader or senior machinist who guides and trains colleagues, and a keen desire to move into management.





- Ability to read engineering drawings and to plan, prioritise and schedule work.

- Solid understanding of workplace health and safety obligations.

- A calm, decisive and approachable style, with the ability to earn the trust and respect of workshop personnel.

- Current Driver's Licence.

Highly Regarded

- Customer-facing experience, such as sales, quoting, estimating, counter or technical customer support.

- Knowledge of hard chrome plating, electroplating, cylindrical grinding, hydraulics, pump shaft repair or industrial refurbishment.

- Experience with job costing, scheduling or reporting.

- Supervision or leadership training (for example, a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management), though this is not required.

About Us

Founded in 1992, Australian Surface Technologies is the industry leader in hard chrome surface technologies, based in Dandenong South, Victoria. AST's major strengths are hard chrome plating, cylindrical grinding and pump shaft repair, servicing a growing list of Australian customers across the heavy industrial, manufacturing and resource sectors.

AST is part of Questas Group, a proudly Australian-owned leader in hydraulic, pump, and engine solutions. With a team of nearly 800 people across 37 sites, Questas has supported the mining, construction, industrial, agricultural, and energy sectors for over 30 years.

We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive, safety-first workplace, where every team member has the opportunity to grow, contribute, and go Home Safely Every Day.

Think you might not tick every box? Apply anyway.

If you have the machining skills and the drive to lead, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today, or for enquiries, please contact us via [email protected].

📌 Production Manager (Victoria)
🏢 Questas
📍 Victoria