Workshop Foreman

Tasks

About Us

Since the invention of the truck over 125 years ago, Daimler Truck AG has been a pioneer in the commercial vehicle sector and is today one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers. Established in South Africa over 60 years ago, Daimler Truck Southern Africa Ltd together with its subsidiaries Daimler Truck Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd and Sandown Motor Holdings (Pty) Ltd provides an optimal experience for our esteemed customers based on a comprehensive products and services portfolio. The Group’s success is based on its leading brands inclusive of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Buses, and FUSO Trucks in addition to offering parts and services for Freightliner and Western Star Trucks. Its product range is backed by its market-leading value-added services in Fleetboard, TruckStore, TruckTraining, and Financial Services. With a Southern African footprint that includes South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, the company is headquartered in Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa, and all its products are assembled locally in its East London production plant.

Job Overview

To effectively oversee and coordinate the operations of the truck service workshop by managing technician teams, ensuring optimal workflow, and maintaining high standards of service quality, safety, and productivity. Responsible for job allocation, technical troubleshooting, progress monitoring, and ensuring compliance with manufacturer standards, company policies, and regulatory requirements. Supports the achievement of operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and technical excellence while upholding the Company’s Integrity & Anti-Bribery Codes, Conflict of Interest Policy, S.H.E. requirements, Delegation of Authority, and organisational processes.

Main Job Activities:
1. People Management:

- Establish workshop staff requirements and adhere to recruitment processes.
- Conduct workshop staff performance appraisals, ensure appropriate action is taken on results.
- Identify training needs for workshop staff; initiate suitable training in conjunction with DTSA standards.
- Conduct regular staff meetings with the workshop team to improve motivation and communication.
- Ensure effective HR planning - skill mix ratios.
- Meet EE requirements according to EE plan.
- Conduct staff meetings.
- Effectively manage leave, incentive and overtime payments due.

2. Customer Service:

- Ensure customer needs are analysed and actioned correctly.
- Maintain a “first time right” policy.
- Comebacks controlled and prioritized.
- Customer complaints followed up timeously, courteously and effectively.
- Ensure that all vehicles are tested properly.
- Vehicle ready and cleaned at agreed time, Service Advisor timeously informed of progress.
- Ensure customer property is protected.
- Ensure effective communication with other departments and DTSA to enhance Customer Satisfaction Index.

3. Workshop Productivity:

- Establish & agree to labour sales and profit targets..
- Manage labour sales and workshop profitability.
- Ensure Effective Workshop Planning.
- Monitor Productivity reports.
- Maintain a database recording the mechanics/ technicians time and efficiency analysis.
- Assist technical staff with problems and facilitate on the job training.
- Warranty work done in accordance with DTSA standard warranty policies and procedures.
- All sundries controlled wastages of consumables minimised.

4. Housekeeping, Tools and Equipment:

- Tool store equipment machinery and registers managed according to dealership procedures.
- Ensure clean, neat workshop/work bays.
- Ensure all safety requirements are adhered to.
- Report defective equipment, diagnostic computer systems.

5. Product, technical & Business Knowledge
- Stay abreast of industry developments eg. new products, warranty, maintenance.
- Ensure that all product, technical training is attended as per DTSA requirements.
- Accept responsibility for the transfer of skills to apprentices/learners by teaching, mentoring, coaching to ensure learning outcomes are achieved.
- Updating of workshop manuals.

6. Administration:

- Ensure that all relevant DTSA core administration standards are adhered to.