Workshop Assistant Manager

In line with strategic growth plans, Haynes Heritage Engineering are looking for an Assistant Manager to join our classic car workshop. The primary responsibility of this role is to both reliably deputise for the Workshop Manager and play a strong supporting part in the running of our classic car restoration business, MOT, service and repair centre. Haynes Heritage Engineering (HHE) is recognised as a centre of excellence for the restoration and preservation, servicing and maintenance of classic cars.

About Us: Servicing vehicles for over 35 years, HHE specialises in classic cars, including restorations, MOTs, mechanical and paintwork. HHE is part of Haynes Motor Museum, one of the leading museums and visitor attractions in the South West. You will join a dynamic and engaged team of over 120 staff and volunteers. Haynes Motor Museum is an Arts Council England accredited museum, a registered charity, and home to the UK’s largest exhibition of cars and motorbikes dating from the present day back to 1898. We welcome over 125,000 visitors annually. We are an independent UK charity. All proceeds go towards delivering learning activities to inspire current and future generations as well as conserving and preserving our motoring heritage collection.

In support of the Charity, the Museum also operates a Trading Company which comprises:

• Haynes Heritage Engineering, a commercial classic and modern classic car workshop, MOT facility and restoration centre
• Conference Department, state-of-the-art conference facilities hosting corporate and private events
• Events, including monthly Breakfast Club car meets, summer evening events, autojumbles and the John Haynes Classic Car Show
• Café 750, the Museum’s in-house grab-and-go cafe.

With a team of skilled and highly dedicated engineers who offer specialist restoration and servicing to an extensive national and international client base. The team deliver the full spectrum of engineering disciplines; from ground-up restoration and bodyshop fabrication to mechanical work and a state-of-the-art paintshop. Haynes Heritage Engineering is committed to providing the very highest standard of service, repair and restoration to our clients.

About You: The ideal candidate will have previous experience in supporting, administration, or management within a vehicle workshop, however we will consider anyone with relevant experience in other sectors and a real willingness to learn the motor sector. Alongside this, a good technical understanding of vehicles and their components is essential, and the ideal candidate would have a keen interest in, passion for cars - particularly classic. The ideal candidate will also have excellent organisational skills to ensure that parts, stock, invoices and administrative tasks are dealt with accurately. A confident and initiative led approach is a must when problem solving within the workshop environment. Experience in providing accurate, and confidently delivered customer communication is a must, as this forms a vital part of our client’s journey and satisfaction. This is a very rewarding opportunity for a candidate who wants to take ownership of the role and be heavily involved with rare, specialist and classic vehicles on a daily basis.

Responsibilities of the Role:

• Reliably deputising for the workshop manager.
• Ownership of MOT, service and selected customer journeys from enquiry and point of booking, through to invoicing.
• Carrying out admin tasks that are requested by the Workshop Manager or wider Haynes Museum team.
• Booking in parts and consumables, allocating them to the required jobs and any related returns.
• Researching, locating and ordering parts/supplies for both smaller bookings and larger restoration projects.
• Collecting and returning customer vehicles, as required.
• Answering and fielding telephone calls and emails and then using own initiative to provide the information required to progress.
• Gathering information from the technicians to ensure the client is both invoiced accurately and kept fully up to date with their vehicle’s progress throughout the visit.
• Managing social media, capturing and posting of content on Instagram and Facebook, with support from the Workshop Manager, technicians and wider museum team.
• Processing invoices, payments and receipts in an accurate and timely manner and ensuring customer and supplier accounts are kept up to date.
• Provide day-to-day supervision and management of all workshop activity in the Workshop Manager’s absence.

Skills & Personal Specification:

• A resilient and can-do attitude, with a strong desire to learn.
• Able to build relationships with our internal staff across the whole Haynes business.
• Ability to use own initiative and to plan ahead, ensuring the technicians have a realistic workload to decrease lost labour productivity or disappointing customers.
• Ability to build relationships with clients so they feel fully comfortable & confident entrusting their vehicle to you and the workshop.
• A proactive problem-solving mindset to keep workshop and office operations running smoothly when the Workshop Manager is busy or absent.
• Full UK Driving license.

Hours and Structure: Contract: Permanent, Full time. 40 hours per week including occasional weekends. Working Pattern: Monday–Friday, 8:30-17:00, with an hour break each day. Location: Haynes Heritage Engineering is based at Haynes Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset BA22 7LH - just minutes off the A303, the main trunk road to the South West. Some slight flexibility in start/finish hours may be required, as well as occasional weekend work in support of the Workshop’s attendance at shows and events. Time off in lieu (TOIL) will be given. 29 days holiday per year increasing with service. An extra day off for your birthday. Staff discounts in the Café, Shop and Workshop. Free on-site parking. Free Museum entry for you and your family. Ongoing training and professional development.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnership.