Upstream Solutions Group
National Service Manager
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
National Service Manager
Location: National role – regular UK travel required
Reports to: Operations Director / National Operations Manager
We are looking for an experienced National Service Manager to lead and develop service operations across a multi-site depot network. This is a senior operational role with responsibility for improving service performance, workshop productivity, equipment availability, process consistency, and leadership capability across the business.
The successful candidate will have strong experience of leading multi-site service operations and will be able to demonstrate a track record of delivering Lean, Continuous Improvement, or operational process improvement across multiple locations.
The Role
As National Service Manager, you will lead and support Service Department Managers across the business, creating consistent standards and driving improved operational performance across all depots.
You will work closely with the Operations Director and wider senior leadership team to improve service delivery, productivity, cost control, and equipment availability, while developing a strong culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Leading, coaching, and developing Service Department Managers across multiple depots.
- Driving improvements in workshop productivity, service delivery, and equipment availability.
- Improving Right First Time performance and overall service quality.
- Developing and implementing consistent service processes and operating standards across all locations.
- Leading Lean, Continuous Improvement, and process improvement initiatives.
- Identifying opportunities to improve workflows, repair turnaround times, and equipment readiness.
- Monitoring operational KPIs and using performance data to identify trends, issues, and improvement opportunities.
- Reviewing workshop expenditure and identifying opportunities to improve cost efficiency.
- Supporting Service Managers with complex operational, repair, and asset-management issues.
- Improving asset condition, service planning, and equipment utilisation.
- Supporting monthly P&L reviews and operational performance discussions.
- Ensuring strong health, safety, and compliance standards across all workshops.
- Developing consistent training, competency, and performance standards across service teams.
- Supporting recruitment, development, engagement, and retention of workshop employees.
- Supporting the successful setup and opening of new depots.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
The role profile places particular emphasis on consistent national leadership, standardised processes, improved repair turnaround, Right First Time delivery, equipment availability, and continuous improvement.
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for an operational leader who can demonstrate experience in the following areas:
Multi-Site Leadership
You will have experience managing operational teams across multiple branches, depots, workshops, or service centres. You should be comfortable leading through managers rather than directly managing every operational issue yourself.
Service Operations
You will have worked in a service-led operational environment where performance is measured through areas such as:
- Productivity
- Service levels
- Repair turnaround
- Asset or equipment availability
- Utilisation
- Quality
- Cost control
- Customer service
Experience within plant hire, equipment rental, engineering services, automotive, fleet, industrial services, or another comparable multi-site service environment would be particularly relevant.
Lean and Continuous Improvement
This is an important part of the role.
We are looking for someone who has personally led process improvement, rather than simply worked within an organisation that operated Lean or Continuous Improvement programmes.
You should be able to demonstrate examples of where you have:
- Identified operational waste or inefficiency.
- Improved processes or workflows.
- Introduced standard ways of working across multiple locations.
- Improved productivity or turnaround times.
- Improved quality or Right First Time performance.
- Used operational data to identify and solve performance problems.
- Engaged managers and frontline teams in operational change.
- Delivered measurable improvements as a result.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Formal Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or Continuous Improvement qualifications would be useful, but practical delivery and measurable results are more important.
About You
You will be a strong operational leader who combines people leadership with a structured approach to performance improvement.
You will be comfortable working at both strategic and operational level — able to contribute to national service strategy while also spending time within depots understanding how the operation really works.
You will be:
- A strong leader and coach.
- Comfortable challenging existing ways of working.
- Data-led and commercially aware.
- Experienced in managing operational performance.
- Focused on developing managers and building accountability.
- Able to influence teams across multiple locations.
- Practical and solutions-focused.
- Comfortable leading operational change.
Why Join?
This is an opportunity to take a significant leadership role within a national service operation and have a direct impact on how the business performs.
You will have the opportunity to improve operational standards, develop leadership capability, and introduce more consistent and efficient ways of working across the depot network.
For the right person, this is a role where you can make a visible and measurable difference to the performance of the business.
Apply
If you have a strong background in multi-site service operations and can demonstrate successful Lean or Continuous Improvement leadership, we would like to hear from you.
Please apply with your CV, including examples of operational or process improvements you have personally led and the results achieved.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills