Department Manager

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 18:00 - 22:00 will attract an Evening Premium at a rate of £4.25 per hour, and any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract a Night Premium at a rate of £5.25 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

At a glance:

• Salary range - Salary starting from £47,600 per annum plus monthly Additional Responsibility Allowance, depending on skills and experience
• Contract type - Permanent role
• Work Pattern - 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday core hours, an expectation to be on call Out of Hours including weekends on a rotation basis
• Location: Magna Park NDC

Key Responsibilities:

• Meeting required compliance KPIs including adherence to maintenance schedules, MOT FTP rates etc.
• Safe operation of the vehicle workshop including a culture of continuous improvement and self audit. Contribute to a safe working environment by being aware of legislative requirements of the workplace.
• Ensure downtime and other operational KPIs such as operational days per breakdown are met.
• Budgetary control of labour, parts and other costs to meet cost KPIs and continuously seeks means of reducing cost and providing value for money.
• Ensuring that all possible warranty claims are identified, managed and reported correctly.
• Leading the workshop team, providing direction, development and accountability as well as clear career and training plans for all Partners.
• Build a spirit of open team working and cooperation with internal stakeholders and customers, including transport operations.
• Create and encourage a culture that underpins the principles of Partnership behaviours. Encourage openness and Democratic Vitality, actively promoting local Democracy and Democrats.
• Develop and support Section Managers & Assistant Section Managers to deliver all department KPI’s in an efficient, safe and legal manner. Ensure the highest standards of data integrity, especially in the fleet management database. Ensure all Partners are competent, measured and accountable for their data integrity.
• Be aware of the general competition, trading climate and business performance.
• Actively demonstrate flexibility across the operation to fulfil business targets. Take responsibility for personal development and participate in a coaching and feedback culture.
• Support the Fleet Maintenance Manager as required.
• Support the assigned JL CDH Region and be the key fleet contact for that region.
• Support the assigned WR home delivery operating groups and be the key fleet contact for those groups.

Essential skills you’ll need:

• Sufficient experience managing a Vehicle Workshop and Health and Safety.
• People Management of Workshop Partners.
• Knowledge of O Licence regulations for Commercial Vehicle Maintenance to ensure compliance.
• Proficient in both verbal and written communication.

Desirable skills:

• Commercial vehicle engineering qualification (NVQ 3) or equivalent.
• MIRTE HNC or above.
• HGV driving licence.
• Certificate of Professional Competence in road transport operations.

Next Steps:

The application form consists of a CV upload followed by application questions. Please ensure you refresh the page each time you complete a task to ensure you complete everything that you need to in time. We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we recommend you apply early.

You'll be asked about any adjustments you might need to support the recruitment process. Let us know, and we'll be sure to discuss it with you.

Closing Date: May 17, 2026

Pay: £47,600.00 - £71,400.00 Annual

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday core hours, an expectation to be on call Out of Hours including weekends on a rotation basis

Job Level: Partnership Level 7

Where You'll Be Working: Magna Park Distribution Centre (John Lewis & Partners), Fen Street, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK17 8EW

Important points to note:

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.