Service Manager

ZT Automotive

Service Manager - Toyota of Fort Walton Beach

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Service Manager who will work directly with our Service Director to help drive the continued growth and performance of our service operation.

The Service Director oversees the overall department , while this Service Manager will spend the majority of their time in the shop, working directly with technicians, team leaders, dispatch, advisors, and support staff to increase production and remove obstacles that keep the shop from reaching its full potential.

This is a highly involved operational leadership position for someone who knows how to move the needle on shop hours, technician productivity, efficiency, workflow, and technician development.
Primary Focus: Shop Production

Your biggest responsibility will be helping us get the most production possible out of the shop while maintaining quality and developing our people.

We are looking for someone who understands how to:

Increase total shop hours produced
Maximize technician productivity and efficiency
Improve technician utilization and available capacity
Identify where hours are being lost throughout the day
Improve dispatch and workflow
Reduce bottlenecks between technicians, advisors, parts, and dispatch
Increase hours per technician
Improve stall utilization
Identify underperforming technicians and develop improvement plans
Recognize opportunities to increase Customer Pay, Warranty, and Internal production
Help the department continue growing without sacrificing quality or customer experience

You should be someone who can walk through a shop, understand what is happening, recognize inefficiencies, and take action.
Hands-On Shop Leadership

This is not an office-only management position .

We want someone who is visible and involved in the shop throughout the day.

You will work directly with technicians and shop leadership to:

Monitor production throughout the day
Keep technicians productive and work moving
Address workflow issues before they become major problems
Help technicians overcome roadblocks
Make sure work is being dispatched appropriately
Identify training needs
Develop younger and less-experienced technicians
Help experienced technicians become even more productive
Maintain accountability for productivity, efficiency, attendance, quality, and performance
Assist with difficult repairs or technical situations when necessary

Strong Technical Knowledge Preferred

The ideal candidate will be technically inclined with a strong understanding of automotive repair and diagnostics .

You do not need to turn wrenches every day, but you should understand the work well enough to earn the respect of the technicians and help develop them.

You should be comfortable:

Discussing diagnostic processes with technicians
Understanding technician skill levels
Recognizing when a technician needs additional training
Helping technicians improve repair processes and efficiency
Understanding appropriate labor times
Identifying when a difficult repair is affecting shop production
Working with technicians, team leaders, and manufacturer resources to solve problems
Helping build a stronger technician bench through training and development

We want a manager who can coach technicians from experience and knowledge , not simply manage them from a report.
Working With the Service Director

The Service Manager will work closely with and report to the Service Director .

The Service Director will continue to oversee the overall service operation, including department strategy, financial performance, customer experience, staffing, and overall leadership.

The Service Manager will be a key operational partner responsible for helping execute that vision inside the shop every day .

You will help translate department goals into daily action by making sure the shop has the leadership, urgency, accountability, training, and processes necessary to hit those goals.
What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone with a proven dealership service background who understands the numbers behind a high-performing shop.

You should understand and be comfortable managing:

Total hours produced
Hours per technician
Technician productivity
Technician efficiency
Technician proficiency
Technician utilization
Available shop capacity
Effective labor rate
Hours per repair order
Customer Pay, Warranty, and Internal production
Comebacks and quality control
Technician staffing and skill mix

More importantly, you need to understand what actions actually cause those numbers to improve.
Qualifications

Strong automotive dealership service experience
Previous Service Manager, Shop Manager, Foreman, Fixed Operations, or similar leadership experience preferred
Proven ability to increase technician/shop production
Strong understanding of technician productivity and efficiency
Strong automotive technical knowledge
Experience coaching and developing technicians
Strong leadership and accountability skills
Ability to identify operational problems and implement solutions
Strong communication skills
Ability to work effectively with technicians, advisors, parts, and management
Comfortable in a fast-paced, high-volume dealership environment

Who Will Succeed Here

The right person is a shop leader and production driver .

You enjoy being in the shop.

You know your technicians.

You know who is producing and who has additional capacity.

You notice when a technician has been waiting too long for parts, approvals, dispatch, or assistance.

You recognize when a process is costing the department hours.

You know when someone needs training and are willing to help provide it.

You understand that adding technicians alone does not increase production - developing people, maximizing capacity, improving processes, and creating accountability does.

If you have a history of growing shop production and enjoy developing technicians and building high-performing service operations, we want to speak with you.

Requirements