East Coast Workshop Manager
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns | National Leadership Role
Are you an experienced workshop manager, senior technical leader or heavy vehicle professional ready to step into a national (East Coast) leadership role?
Do you thrive on setting standards, leading teams, and driving safety, productivity and performance across multiple workshop environments, while remaining practically connected to operations?
About VDI Australia Group
VDI Australia Group is the sole national distributor of IVECO trucks and Yutong buses, supplying vehicles and parts across a broad range of industries. We are an Australian‑owned, family‑operated business with a national footprint, including Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Cairns.
Due to continued growth, we are seeking an East Coast Workshop Manager to lead and oversee workshop operations across our Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns sites.
About the Role
The East Coast Workshop Manager is responsible for providing national leadership and oversight of workshop operations across the eastern seaboard, ensuring consistent standards of safety, quality, productivity and compliance. This role combines strong hands‑on technical credibility with senior operational leadership. You will work closely with site leaders, Service and Parts teams, and the National Compliance function to ensure workshops operate in line with WHS legislation, OEM requirements, and regulatory obligations.
While this role does not deliver formal compliance training, it plays a critical role in ensuring compliance requirements are embedded, understood, and applied in day‑to‑day workshop operations.
Key Responsibilities
- Ensure all workshops operate in line with WHS legislation, SWMS and JSA requirements, lock‑out and tag‑out procedures, PPE standards, and heavy vehicle regulations
- Ensure vehicles, tooling, equipment and facilities meet applicable safety, licensing, OEM and regulatory requirements
- Provide national oversight of workshop productivity, labour efficiency and performance
- Establish and maintain consistent workshop standards, processes and operating disciplines across all sites
- Lead, mentor and develop site leaders, supervisors, technicians and apprentices
- Review staffing levels, skill mix and workforce capability, making recommendations on recruitment, training and succession planning
- Identify and manage training needs across workshop operations, coordinating required training with the National Compliance team and approved training providers
- Provide practical, on‑the‑ground operational leadership to support site leaders with workflow, resourcing, technical and safety challenges
- Ensure consistent and accurate job allocation, time capture and workflow management through Pentana and other company systems
- Monitor labour utilisation, efficiency and rework trends, implementing corrective actions where required
- Ensure accurate and timely completion of Repair Orders, warranty documentation and technical records
- Contribute to operational and financial reporting, including productivity, labour recovery, warranty performance and cost control metrics
- Promote and actively lead a zero‑harm safety culture
- Ensure workshop tools, hoists, lifting equipment and diagnostic systems are maintained and used safely
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across national workshop operations
- Undertake other duties as reasonably assigned to support operational outcomes
Skills and Experience
- Demonstrated experience in workshop management or senior technical leadership within a heavy vehicle environment
- Strong working knowledge of heavy vehicle systems and diagnostics
- Experience using Pentana or similar workshop management systems
- Sound understanding of workshop productivity, labour efficiency and operational reporting
- Proven experience leading, mentoring and developing technical teams and apprentices
- Strong understanding of WHS obligations, compliance requirements and heavy vehicle regulations
- Ability to balance strategic oversight with practical, operational involvement
- Willingness to work outside core trade duties where operationally required
- Formal qualifications in Compliance and Risk Management (Certificate IV or similar) advantageous
- Formal qualifications in Work Health and Safety (Certificate IV or Diploma) advantageous
- Experience working alongside a central compliance function to support site‑level implementation and assurance processes advantageous
- MR or HR licence advantageous
- Forklift licence advantageous
Why Join VDI Australia?
At VDI Australia, we invest in our people and our leaders. This role offers the opportunity to influence operations at a national level while remaining closely connected to the workshop environment.
You will be supported with:
- Genuine national leadership responsibility
- Ongoing professional development and capability uplift
- Access to modern facilities, systems and tooling
- A collaborative, values‑driven leadership team
We are DRIVEN by our values:
Dedication, Responsibility, Innovation, Value, Excellence and Nurture
These values guide how we support our teams, our customers and our broader community.
If you are ready to take the next step in your career and make a meaningful impact across a national workshop network, we would welcome your application.
VDI Australia is an equal opportunity employer and supports diversity and inclusion across all workplaces.
Find out more at www.vdiaustralia.com.au
