Smart Controller in Stevenage

To control, schedule, and quality-check all SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technique) repairs, ensuring work is completed efficiently, safely, and to manufacturer, insurer, and customer standards. The role focuses on maximising throughput, cost control, and customer satisfaction, with internal preparation for group vehicles being the primary focus.

Key responsibilities:

• Operational Control: Plan, schedule, and allocate SMART repair work while managing daily workflow to meet SLAs, cycle times, and delivery commitments. Prioritise internal vehicle preparation and route suitable work to the off-site bodyshop to maintain throughput and efficiency.
• Quality & Compliance: Inspect vehicles pre- and post-repair to ensure work meets manufacturer, insurer, and group standards while maintaining health & safety compliance and minimising rework.
• Commercial & Performance: Maximise utilisation, conversion, and first-time-fix performance while controlling materials, stock levels, and repair methods to deliver SMART department Gross Profit targets across Labour and Paint sales.
• Customer & Stakeholder Communication: Liaise with service advisors, VDAs, customers, and internal teams to provide accurate updates, manage expectations, and support customer satisfaction (CSI) targets.
• Administration & Reporting: Maintain accurate job documentation, manage WIP and invoicing timelines, update systems with repair progress, and report departmental performance metrics to management.

What's in it for you:

With our benefits there is something good for everyone. We’re a progressive business that believes building a good team culture is not only good for everyone who works for us but it makes a difference to how we engage with customers too. That’s why when you join Citygate, you can expect to receive a wide range of impressive employee benefits including:

• Access to our in-house training academy for everyone
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Training levels 1- 4 for specific roles
• Internal career progression opportunities across our various brands and locations
• High street discounts
• Wellbeing portal
• Employee assistance programme
• Purchase, service and parts discounts
• Employee referral scheme
• Standard company benefits such as pension, life assurance cover, competitive holidays and cycle to work scheme

About You:

If you are looking for your next role and would like to be part of a successful and busy team and would like to be considered to join our fantastic Bodyshop, you will need to possess the below skills and attributes:

• Extensive experience in SMART repair, bodyshop control, or cosmetic repair operations with strong technical knowledge of repair methods, processes, and limitations.
• Proven ability to plan, schedule, and prioritise workflow effectively while maintaining high quality standards.
• Strong communication and customer management skills, ensuring clear updates, positive stakeholder relationships, and delivery against CSI/CSAT targets.
• Commercially aware with the ability to achieve Gross Profit and Labour & Paint sales performance targets.
• Proactive and solution-focused, able to manage operational challenges, coordinate with off-site bodyshops, and prioritise internal preparation activity to support wider business objectives.

Why Citygate:

Citygate is a highly successful, privately owned business that has grown significantly over the past twenty years to 650 employees across multiple locations including London, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We work with global brands (Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, SEAT, CUPRA, KODA and Kia), provide excellent quality training and internal progression opportunities.