Location: Swanley (Workshop-Based Role)
Salary: Competitive + Benefits
Hours: Monday – Friday | Full Time
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Workshop Team Leader to join a busy engineering depot in Swanley. This role is ideal for a skilled Senior Engineer or Workshop Supervisor looking to take the next step into leadership while remaining hands-on within the workshop environment.
As a Workshop Team Leader, you will support the Workshop Manager in ensuring the day-to-day running of the engineering team, maintaining high standards of productivity, safety, and quality. You will act as the first point of contact for engineers, providing technical support, leadership, and guidance to ensure the team consistently delivers excellent customer service. This role combines technical engineering expertise with team leadership, ensuring equipment is prepared to the highest standard while managing workshop performance and key operational targets.
Key Responsibilities
As a Workshop Team Leader, your responsibilities will include:
• Team Leadership: Act as the first point of contact for engineers, supporting and guiding the team in daily workshop operations.
• Workshop Performance: Work with the Workshop Manager to monitor and achieve workshop KPIs including equipment turnaround time, preparation targets, and job completion metrics.
• Engineering Support: Provide first-level technical escalation and support engineers with complex diagnostics and repairs.
• Work Planning & WIP Management: Ensure jobs are completed on time and within agreed service targets while maintaining accurate documentation.
• Quality Control: Maintain high standards of engineering quality and ensure equipment is prepared to required standards.
• Health & Safety Leadership: Lead all health & safety initiatives including safety audits, risk assessments, near miss reporting, and accident investigations.
• Team Development: Support engineer performance management through coaching, engagement, training needs identification, and development planning.
• Resource Management: Manage engineering coverage including absence management and holiday approvals.
• Communication: Lead team meetings to communicate business objectives, workshop performance, and operational updates.
• Workshop Standards: Ensure strong housekeeping and 5S workshop standards are maintained and audited regularly.
Engineering Responsibilities
Alongside leadership duties, you will also remain involved in hands-on engineering work including:
• Servicing, maintaining, and repairing forklift trucks and material handling equipment
• Carrying out pre-delivery inspections and equipment preparation
• Diagnosing and repairing mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic faults
• Performing preventative maintenance and safety checks
• Ensuring equipment meets operational and safety standards before delivery
You will work with a wide range of equipment including:
• Electric pallet trucks
• Counterbalance forklifts
• Narrow aisle equipment
• Engine-powered industrial trucks
What We’re Looking For
To be successful in this Workshop Team Leader role, candidates should have:
• Experience working as a Workshop Engineer, Forklift Engineer, Plant Engineer, Plant Fitter, or Vehicle Technician
• NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) in a mechanical or engineering discipline, or strong industry experience
• Proven team leadership or supervisory experience within an engineering environment
• Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems
• Excellent communication and people management skills
• Experience managing workshop workloads and performance targets
• Good IT skills and experience using digital service systems
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to engineering quality
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• A proactive and motivated approach to problem solving
• A full UK driving licence
Experience working with plant machinery, powered access equipment, agricultural machinery, industrial vehicles, or material handling equipment would be highly advantageous.
What’s on Offer
• Competitive salary based on experience
• Leadership role with long-term career progression
• Ongoing technical and leadership training
• Pension scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Opportunity to lead and develop a team of engineers
• Stable workshop-based position within a growing engineering operation
Apply Now
If you are an experienced Senior Forklift Engineer or Workshop Supervisor looking to step into a Workshop Team Leader role with strong career progression, we would like to hear from you.
Apply today with your CV to learn more about this Workshop Team Leader opportunity in Swanley.
Holt Recruitment – Specialising in Plant, Agricultural, Powered Access, Forklift, Lift & Access, Static Plant.
We recruit across the UK for Workshop Team Leader, Senior Forklift Engineer, Workshop Supervisor, Forklift Engineer, Forklift Technician, Plant Engineer, Plant Fitter, Material Handling Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Field Service Engineer, and Maintenance Engineer