Job description:
**THE ADVERTISED POSITION IS IN NEW ZEALAND**
Are you a skilled Mechanic, Auto Electrician or Automotive Air-Conditioning Technician who wants more responsibility but isn't ready to hang up the tools completely?
We are interested in experienced technicians who have strong automotive experience and the ability to lead a workshop.
At Cool HQ Limited, trading as CoolCar Air-Conditioning & Heating North Shore, we're looking for a hands-on workshop manager who can lead from the front — managing people and jobs, driving workshop performance and still getting on the tools when needed.
This role is ideal for an experienced automotive technician who enjoys fixing vehicles, solving problems, running a team and being the go-to person for both customers and staff.
You'll run a busy and growing workshop with a seasonal rhythm: high-volume automotive air-conditioning work and a larger team through summer, followed by a smaller crew and more varied project, electrical and accessory work through winter. Your ability to plan, prioritise, make decisions and keep work moving is key.
What We Work On
Our work includes:
- Automotive air-conditioning and heating
- Auto electrical and mechanical diagnostics and repairs associated with our workshop services
- Portable fridge/freezer servicing and repairs
- Caravan and motorhome rooftop air-conditioning, water heaters and other RV repairs
- Tow bars, roof racks and other caravan/motorhome accessories
- Auxiliary and off-grid electrical and power solutions
Key Responsibilities
This is a hands-on workshop manager role. You'll be responsible for the day-to-day performance of the workshop while remaining technically involved in the work.
Responsibilities include:
- Managing day-to-day workshop operations, workflow and WIP
- Allocating and prioritising work and keeping jobs moving through the workshop
- Monitoring technician productivity, workshop utilisation and job quality
- Providing technical support and assisting with diagnosis and difficult jobs
- Remaining hands-on with automotive A/C, electrical and other workshop work when required
- Customer consultation, quoting and recommending appropriate repairs and additional work
- Converting approved work into productive workshop hours and contributing to workshop revenue and profitability
- Ensuring jobs are correctly scoped, quoted, authorised and invoiced
- Parts sourcing, purchasing and stock control
- Refrigerant management and workshop consumables
- Team leadership, staff training and performance coaching
- Maintaining high standards of workmanship, productivity and customer service
- Administration and liaison with our support office
- Developing trade customer relationships including growing our mobile service offering
Minimum Qualifications & Experience
To be considered for this position you will need:
- At least 5 years' recent automotive workshop experience ideally including substantial hands-on automotive air-conditioning experience to be able to independently diagnose automotive A/C faults and determine appropriate repairs (AC training will be given to the right candidate).
- Practical experience removing and installing major A/C components, including compressors, condensers, TX valves and evaporators preferred.
- Confidence undertaking dashboard removal and refitting where required
- Sound automotive electrical diagnostic ability
- Demonstrated experience supervising, leading or coordinating other technicians, including informal team-lead or senior-technician experience
- Experience quoting work, recommending repairs and communicating technical issues to customers
- Strong spoken and written English
- Confidence with basic maths and computer systems, including MS Office and workshop/job/parts systems
- A current NZ or international driver's licence
- Physical fitness appropriate for normal workshop duties
Previous experience with the job title "Workshop Manager" is not essential. We are equally interested in an experienced senior or lead technician who has demonstrated leadership ability and is ready to take the next step.
To be considered, your application must clearly show that you meet the minimum experience requirements of this role. We prefer candidates with strong automotive air-conditioning experience however this is not essential. We cannot assume that general automotive workshop experience includes automotive air-conditioning work so where you have it, please specifically describe your automotive A/C experience including the types of diagnosis and repairs you have personally undertaken.
Key Terms & Conditions
- This is a full-time, permanent position
- Remuneration is $38.95-$48.00 NZD/hour, depending on qualifications, experience and technical capability, plus overtime where required
- Ordinary hours: 8:00 am–4:30 pm, Monday to Friday
- Minimum guaranteed hours: 40 hours per week
Summer Seasonal Peak
During our summer peak, the position requires:
- Up to 10 hours per week overtime, including rostered and additional Saturdays
- Availability Compensation of $1.25/hour, paid in addition to the base rate for all ordinary hours
Winter
During winter:
- Up to 2.5 hours per week overtime
- Availability Compensation of $0.31/hour, paid in addition to the base rate for all ordinary hours
The availability compensation is paid in consideration of the agreed availability requirements, including compensation relating to cancelled overtime where applicable.
Any further overtime is by mutual agreement and is paid at the employee's normal hourly rate.
The position is based primarily at our North Shore workshop in Glenfield but may occasionally require duties at our Henderson workshop or attendance at mobile jobs.
Leave and other employment conditions will be in accordance with New Zealand employment law.
International Applicants
Applications from suitably qualified international automotive technicians are welcome.
For international applicants, your trade qualification and experience will be assessed against the requirements applicable to the position and New Zealand immigration requirements.
About You
You're likely to suit this role if you're the person others already come to when a job gets difficult.
You're technically capable, comfortable making decisions and willing to take responsibility for the performance of the workshop. You can talk to a customer just as comfortably as you can talk to a technician, and you understand that good workshop management means balancing quality workmanship, productivity, customer service and commercial performance.
And importantly, you still enjoy working on vehicles.
If you're an experienced automotive technician looking for the opportunity to step into a genuine leadership role without giving up the technical work you enjoy, we'd like to hear from you.
Work Location: In person
Pay: $31.60-$38.95 per hour
Expected hours: 40.0 – 50.0 per week
Work Location: In person
