About Venture Motorworks
Venture Motorworks is a quality-focused automotive repair shop in Calgary. We are not trying to be the cheapest shop in town, and we are not interested in becoming one. Our reputation is built on doing things properly, giving customers clear advice, standing behind our work, and helping people keep their vehicles reliable.
We have a modern facility, a strong team, offer digital vehicle inspections, a great customer experience, Uber rides for customers, and a shop culture that is professional but still fun. Our Google reputation matters to us, and protecting that reputation is a major part of this role.
We are looking for a Service Manager / Lead Advisor who can lead the team from within, staying involved in the daily operation, and help keep a busy service department moving smoothly.
This is not a “manage from the top” position. This is a hands-on operational leadership role.
About the Role
This position is roughly 50% senior service advising and 50% service management.
We already have two full-time service advisors. We do not need another standard advisor, and we do not need a full-time office-based service manager. We need someone who can bridge both worlds.
You will advise overflow customers, handle more complex service conversations, support and manage the advisor team, and take ownership of the daily workflow through the shop.
On a busy day, that may mean managing up to 20 appointments across 6 technicians, keeping the schedule realistic, reviewing inspection findings, building estimates, coordinating parts, dispatching work, handling customer concerns, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks.
When things go wrong, you will often be the person who steps in.
That means difficult customers, warranty concerns, comebacks, communication breakdowns, scheduling problems, or situations where the right answer requires judgment, calmness, and accountability.
Key Responsibilities
As the Service Manager / Lead Advisor, you will be responsible for:
- Managing the daily service workflow across the advisor team and technicians
- Directly managing, supporting, and holding accountable two full-time service advisors
- Advising overflow customers when the service advisors are at capacity
- Handling complex service advising situations, including difficult customers and sensitive conversations
- Writing estimates and selling recommended work
- Reviewing digital vehicle inspections, technician notes, photos, videos, and recommendations
- Making sure estimates are accurate, clear, and presented professionally
- Dispatching work to technicians based on skill, capacity, priority, and workflow
- Monitoring daily technician productivity, efficiency, and available capacity
- Coordinating parts requirements so jobs keep moving
- Managing customer follow-up when there are issues, comebacks, delays, or warranty concerns
- Helping improve advisor processes, scripts, communication standards, and training
- Maintaining a high standard of customer communication
- Protecting Venture Motorworks’ reputation and customer experience
- Ensuring the team stays focused on quality repairs, vehicle reliability, and doing the job properly
This role reports directly to the owners.
What This Role Is Not
This is not a marketing role. This is not a bookkeeping role. This is not a reporting/admin-only management role.
This is not a position for someone who wants to sit back, give orders, and stay away from the counter.
This is not a discount-driven sales role.
We need someone who is active in the day-to-day operation, willing to jump in when needed, and capable of leading by example.
The Right Person
The right person for this role is highly organized, detail-focused, calm under pressure, and comfortable holding people accountable.
You need to be able to keep track of many moving pieces at once: customers, advisors, technicians, inspections, parts, estimates, approvals, workflow, and deadlines.
You do not need to be a licensed technician, but you do need solid mechanical knowledge. You must be able to understand what the technicians are recommending, ask good questions, explain repairs clearly to customers, and know when something does not make sense.
Prior management experience is helpful, but it is not required. Years of service advising experience are less important to us than whether you are genuinely good at the work.
We are looking for someone who can:
- Lead by example
- Stay calm when the day gets busy
- Communicate clearly with customers and staff
- Handle difficult conversations professionally
- Hold advisors and technicians accountable without creating unnecessary drama
- Stay organized in a fast-moving shop environment
- Balance customer service, shop capacity, and business needs
- Sell needed work ethically and confidently
- Maintain high standards without cutting corners
- Fit into a quality-focused shop that values reputation over volume-at-any-cost
Required Skills and Experience
To be successful in this role, you should have:
- Strong automotive service advising ability
- Solid mechanical understanding
- Experience working with digital vehicle inspections
- The ability to review technician findings and turn them into clear customer recommendations
- Experience building and presenting estimates
- Confidence handling difficult customers and escalated service situations
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- The ability to manage workflow in a busy automotive repair environment
- Comfort using multiple software systems
Experience with AutoOps, SteerCRM, Protractor, and AutoVitals is an asset, but not required if you are capable of learning systems quickly.
A driver’s licence is not required for this position.
Compensation and Perks
This is a salaried position with performance based incentives.
Additional perks include:
- Staff discounts on parts and labour
- No weekends
- Modern, well-equipped shop
- Professional and fun working environment
- Quality-focused team
- Strong shop reputation
- Digital vehicle inspection process
- Customer Uber ride program
- Opportunity to play a critical role in the daily success of the business
Why This Role Matters
This is one of the most important operational positions in the shop.
When the workflow is managed well, technicians stay productive, advisors stay focused, customers are informed, and the business runs smoothly.
When it is not managed well, everything becomes harder.
We are looking for someone who understands that service management is not just about telling people what to do. It is about seeing problems early, communicating clearly, keeping people accountable, supporting the team, and making sure the customer experience stays strong even when the day gets complicated.
Pay: From $65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Store discount
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
