Workshop Controller (Automotive)

Role Overview

This position places you at the heart of a busy automotive dealership and service workshop in Kitale, where you will take charge of daily repair operations from the moment job cards are issued to the final quality check before a vehicle is handed back. Your primary focus is keeping the workshop running smoothly: assigning work to technicians, removing technical roadblocks, protecting the dealership's reputation through consistent repair standards, and making sure customers receive clear, honest communication about their vehicles. You act as the bridge between the service advisors on the front desk and the mechanics on the workshop floor, while also ensuring that warranty work, sublet repairs, and safety protocols meet both manufacturer expectations and internal policies.

Key Responsibilities

• Start each day by reviewing scheduled bookings and vehicles already in progress, then assign technicians to bays and jobs based on workload, skill level, and promised completion times.
• Support technicians with difficult electrical and mechanical fault-finding, helping them interpret diagnostic data and select the most efficient repair method rather than relying on trial and error.
• Carry out spot checks and final inspections on completed work, road-testing vehicles where necessary and signing off job cards only when repairs meet strict quality and safety standards.
• Prepare and review warranty and policy claim paperwork, ensuring it is accurate, fully documented, and aligned with the manufacturer's submission rules to avoid rejected claims.
• Coordinate sublet jobs sent to external specialists, monitoring turnaround times, checking incoming work quality, and keeping the workshop schedule from being delayed by outside suppliers.
• Work beside service advisors when they build estimates, providing realistic labour times, part requirements, and technical explanations so customers receive precise quotations rather than vague guesses.
• Keep service advisors updated whenever a repair takes longer than anticipated or requires extra parts, so they can proactively inform clients before frustration builds.
• Enforce workplace organisation standards (5S), tool maintenance routines, and health and safety rules—including leading incident investigations and reporting near-misses to management.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Diploma in Automotive Engineering or a related mechanical field from a recognised institution.
• At least five years of hands-on technical experience repairing and servicing vehicles across multiple brands.
• A minimum of two years in a supervisory capacity—such as workshop foreman, team leader, or senior technician with direct oversight of other mechanics—within a busy workshop or franchised dealership.
• Proven practical ability to diagnose complex faults using modern diagnostic equipment, plan repair sequences, estimate labour times, and manage warranty processes.
• Strong leadership skills with the confidence to delegate tasks, hold team members accountable for productivity, and mentor junior staff through constructive coaching.
• Sharp attention to detail when inspecting repair quality, verifying safety-critical components, and reviewing documentation for accuracy.
• Clear and professional communication skills, comfortable discussing technical matters with service advisors, management, and customers without jargon or confusion.

What We Offer / Why Join

This is a full-time, on-site role based in Kitale, Trans-Nzoia County, offering a monthly salary of between KSh 40,000 and KSh 50,000. You will have the opportunity to take genuine ownership of workshop operations within an established automotive dealership, develop your supervisory experience, and play a direct role in shaping how the service department is perceived by its customers. Candidates already living in or near Kitale, or those prepared to relocate to the area, are welcome to apply.