Head of Operations – Longford Garage Group
UK-based (flexible; near one of our sites preferred) | Permanent, full-time | Extensive travel between garages
Longford Garage Group buys and looks after independent MOT testing centres and vehicle repair garages in the UK. We buy to own for the long term. When we buy a garage, the name above the door stays, the team stays, and the business keeps serving the customers who know it. The group handles capital, acquisitions and reporting; the garages run themselves day-to-day, with the right support behind them.
Our garages today include A. Hedley Motor Engineers (Chester-le-Street) and A1 German Car Specialist (Stevenage). We are actively acquiring and expect to have 4 sites when this role is filled.
The Role
This is our first senior operating hire, and the most important one. You will be the person on the ground in the UK who makes each garage better after we buy it. You will report to the Founder, and have real autonomy to make decisions within agreed budgets and spending limits.
What you will do
- Integrate every garage we buy: lead the handover and first 100 days, move each site onto group reporting, and get contracts, payroll, insurance, health and safety and MOT compliance right from day one.
- Own the P&L of every site: set budgets with site managers, review the numbers weekly and monthly, and act early on labour efficiency, effective labour rate, parts margin, MOT volumes and bay utilisation.
- Be the first point of escalation for site managers, and recruit, coach and hold them to account.
- Grow revenue through pricing, local marketing, Google reviews, online booking, fleet and trade accounts, and MOT capacity.
- Cut costs that don't add value, including group buying power as we scale.
- Keep every site compliant with DVSA, health and safety, environmental and data protection rules, and hold or obtain AEDM status.
- Join the Founder on acquisition visits and give an operator's view.
What we are looking for
- 5+ years managing multiple garages, workshops or sites, for example as a regional or area manager in a fast-fit or autocentre chain, dealer aftersales, an independent garage group or a retail group. Similar experience in other industries will be considered.
- Proven site P&L responsibility, with examples of profit you improved and how.
- Strong grasp of workshop economics: labour efficiency, pricing, parts margin and MOT operations.
- Hands-on: comfortable in a workshop and in a spreadsheet.
- Leads with respect, holds people to a high standard, and reports bad news early.
- Full UK driving licence and willing to travel extensively.
- Willing to obtain AEDM status.
Nice to have: experience integrating acquired businesses, Level 3 Award in MOT Centre Management, and Xero or garage management systems.
Package
- Base salary £75,000 to £95,000, depending on experience
- Annual cash bonus potential of £30,000 to £38,000
- Long-term cash incentive linked to profit growth across the group
- Opportunity for equity in time
- Car allowance of £600 a month
- Pension with 6% employer match
- Laptop and travel expenses
