Road Transport Engineering Manager

Occupation Overview

Managing the road transport engineering department of a bus, coach or commercial vehicle operator

Overview of the Role

A road transport engineering manager is responsible for managing the road transport engineering department of a bus, coach or commercial vehicle operator. The department will comprise of a team that may include, technicians, senior technicians, specialist engineers and parts person. It is the duty of the engineering manager to ensure that the road transport engineering department is run in a safe, effective and efficient manner in support of the operational needs of the business compliant with health and safety regulations, relevant industry regulations and codes of practice. It is the road transport engineering manager’s duty to ensure the vehicle fleet is safe, reliable and roadworthy in line with organisational and regulatory requirements, ensuring that the vehicles are complaint with health and safety regulations, relevant industry regulations and codes of practice for Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCV), International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), or other specialist operations. The road transport engineering manager will ensure that the operator’s fleet will meet the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Traffic Commissioner and Operators Licence requirements and standards for operation at all times.

The road transport engineering manager shall have a clear understanding of all of the processes involved in bus, and coach or commercial vehicle engineering, they will constantly review working practices in the depot, managing the infrastructure and resources efficiently and managing environmental impact. By analysing data and inspecting the working techniques, the manager will apply various engineering methods to improve the performance of the vehicles. The road transport engineering manager will also initiate preventative maintenance, which involves checking the vehicle and replacing defective parts, preventing breakdowns wherever possible. As a senior member of staff the road transport engineering manager will monitor staff and financial performance, and liaise with suppliers so the workshop is stocked with the right parts. The manager must also develop rapport with customers to determine and address their needs and will also report to the company’s directors or line managers and provide them with regular updates about the performance of the engineering department.

Road Transport Engineering Managers have an understanding of:

The requirements in the management of current statutory and company Health and Safety regulations, industry regulations, as appropriate to the organisation, for Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCV),International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), or other specialist relevant operations, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Traffic Commissioner and Operators Licence requirement and how these are met in their own organisation
The requirements and procedures to gain and maintain a Transport Manager’s Certificate of Professional Competence
How to prepare and manage an engineering department budget and how to plan staffing levels and control costs and resources whilst maintaining performance and customer service and ensuring all data is accurately recorded
Current and emerging engineering standards, principles and procedures within own organisation and the wider industry sector
Methods to manage an engineering team to maximise efficiency, effectiveness and motivation, including procedures to monitor and address staff performance and facilitate learning and development in line with legal and organisational requirements
Practices that minimise the impact of vehicle maintenance and workshop activities on the environment
The current requirements for running a safe, clean and efficient workshop
The current Employment legislation and regulations, including Diversity and Equality and procedures to manage staff in own organisation

Road Transport Engineering Managers have their ability to:

Develop scheduled plans to organise and manage the fleet maintenance schedule to provide timely availability of safe, clean, legal and reliable vehicle fleet and meet operational performance standards
Actively work with drivers and internal and external customers, such as vehicle inspectors
To prioritise and manage breakdown and maintenance issues, including unplanned events i.e.; accidents, breakdowns and drivers’ defect reports in a safe , timely and efficient manner
Apply practical engineering solutions using established and emerging technologies to support workshop engineers in problem solving
Monitor the efficiency of depot engineering activities, making recommendations for improvements in terms of quality, procedures and/or cost control in order to reduce frequency and severity of breakdowns
Ensure colleagues and team adhere to legislation and industry best practice relating to health, safety and security, proactively seeking opportunities to identify and reduce risks and introducing measures to minimise occurrence of future incidents
Manage the performance of staff, leading by example to create an environment which motivates and encourages continuous improvement and addresses poor performance
Prepare and manage an engineering budget which sets and delivers realistic budget targets whilst maintaining standards of performance and customer service
Manage the storage, removal and disposal of waste in line with company procedures and up to date legislative requirements, actively seek opportunities to improve waste management and minimise the impact on the environment
Develop communication channels, build effective relationship with all stakeholders i.e.; internal colleagues, suppliers, manufacturers and regulators, adapting appropriately according to the needs of the range of audiences, presenting information clearly and concisely identifying key points for action.
Prepare and deliver effective reports in a professional and confident way utilising software packages and demonstrating Information Technology skills

Road Transport Engineering Managers will display the following behaviours:

Customer oriented, develops a rapport with customers, determining and addressing the needs of internal and external customers. Communicates with and act upon information from the customer, dealing sensitively and positively with complaints and special requirements
Focussed on achieving results, collaborate with peers and seniors to identify ways to exceed expectation, accept responsibility for delivery
Is positive and proactive about managing and developing team, sharing best practice and identifying a range of opportunities for development of self and others. Encourages others to succeed, openly recognises the contribution of others and provide timely and constructive feedback on performance
Listens actively and uses a range of communication methods to suit the audience ensuring people have a clear understanding of what is expected.
Makes sense of complex situations and considered decisions based on personal initiative, technical knowledge, analysis and understanding of the different interests of the stakeholders. Accepts responsibility for decisions and recognises limit to own authority
Demonstrates drive and resilience seeing things through to finish, constantly seek to maximise own and team’s performance. Questions the way things are done in order to improve performance, seeks feedback from customers and other stakeholders, prepared to try new things, review competitors to identify best practice. Embraces change and consider its effect on all team members and customers
Has a natural authority, making a good initial and sustained impression, is a role model, behaves and leads in a consistent way in regards to health and safety, engineering and financial practices, personal development, corporate responsibility and other company procedures

Entry Requirement

Individual employers will set the selection criteria for their applicants. In order to optimise success it is recommended that the candidate has completed a relevant apprenticeship at Level 3, an appropriate equivalent qualification or has significant work experience in an engineering supervisor role. The candidate will be required to achieve level 2 maths and English prior to the end-point assessment.

This apprenticeship is set at level 4.

Duration and level of Apprenticeship

Typically, the duration of this apprenticeship is 36 months. This period may be reduced for a candidate with previous relevant experience and / or someone already partially qualified. It is set at level 4

Professional recognition and career progression

This standard has been designed to meet the professional standards of the relevant professional bodies of the Engineering Council for initial registration as an Engineering Technician (Eng. Tech) and will meet the requirements for registration with the relevant professional bodies as defined by the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). For those deemed capable and ready, further career development/ progression opportunities could be considered, such as higher levels of education and training leading to a business management or engineering degree.

Standard Review

The apprenticeship should be reviewed after a maximum of 3 years

Originally published on Gov.uk, this information has been re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence.