Head of Workshop Operations

Full-Time | Workshop-Based with Regular Site Visits | East Horton, Hampshire

Lead the operation. Own the standard. Everywhere.

Wildwood Machinery is one of the most exciting names in groundcare - a fast-growing, relationship-driven company serving an extraordinary client base that includes Premier League and Championship football clubs, championship golf courses, and world-class sports venues across southern England.

We've just opened a brand-new, purpose-built headquarters, workshop and service centre at East Horton and now we need the right person to lead everything that flows from it. Not just manage the building. Own everything that happens inside it, and everywhere our engineers go.

This is a pivotal role for Wildwood. As Head of Workshop Operations, you are accountable for the full output of our engineering team in the workshop and out in the field. You'll be the link between our engineers and our office, the guardian of our standards, and the person who ensures that wherever a Wildwood technician shows up, the work is done to a level our clients expect and our reputation demands.

The Role

Based primarily at our state-of-the-art East Horton facility, you'll lead a team of Service Technicians who work both in the workshop and out on client sites across southern England. Your responsibility doesn't stop at the workshop door, you are accountable for the quality, efficiency and professionalism of your engineers' work wherever they are, whether that's at a Premier League training ground, a championship golf course, or a private estate.

You'll be hands-on when the job needs it, picking up the tools alongside your team as required as well as acting as the vital conduit between the engineers on the ground and the office team managing parts, scheduling and client relationships.

This isn't a desk job. It's a leadership role that demands presence in the workshop, on the road, and with your team.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Engineering Standards — Workshop & Field

•       Full accountability for the quality and workmanship of all engineering work, whether carried out in the workshop or at client sites

•       Ensuring every engineer operates to Wildwood's exacting standards at all times, there are no exceptions on the road

•       Monitoring field work quality through regular site visits and direct oversight

•       Stepping in on the tools as and when required, this is a hands-on leadership role

•       Ensuring all work is accurately recorded, documented and signed off regardless of where it takes place

•       Maintaining full compliance with health, safety and industry regulations across all working environments

Workshop Leadership

•       Day-to-day management and smooth running of our purpose-built workshop facility

•       Maintaining the workshop to an impeccable standard; organised, safe, compliant and efficient

•       Overseeing accurate recording and documentation of all jobs and work orders

Team Management

•       Leading, motivating and developing a team of Service Technicians

•       Being the trusted link between your engineering team and the wider office; parts advisors, schedulers and management

•       Ensuring engineers are efficiently and intelligently scheduled, both for workshop jobs and site visits

•       Championing team wellbeing and acting as the first point of contact for your team's day-to-day needs

•       Driving a culture of continuous improvement, training and shared pride in the work, wherever it's being done

Parts, Supplies & Logistics

•       Working with the parts and scheduling teams to ensure engineers are always properly stocked in the workshop and in their vans

•       Overseeing stock levels of parts and consumables so no job is ever delayed by a missing component

•       Coordinating with suppliers and the office to keep procurement running seamlessly

Client Visits & Relationships

•       Regular visits to our prestigious client sites to oversee work in progress and maintain client confidence

•       Acting as a senior Wildwood representative; professional, knowledgeable and relationship-focused

•       Using first-hand client feedback to continuously improve how the team operates in the field

Who We're Looking For

You'll be a natural leader who gets their hands dirty. Someone who earns respect through technical knowledge, fairness and the fact that you've been there yourself. You'll understand what 

it takes to run a busy service operation across multiple locations, and you'll care as much about the people in your team as the quality of the job they've just finished, whether that was in our workshop or 50 miles away on a Premier League pitch.

You will bring:

•       Proven experience managing a workshop, service team or technical operation

•       A strong mechanical or engineering background - groundcare experience is highly valued

•       The ability and willingness to work on the tools yourself when the situation calls for it

•       Excellent organisational skills with a natural instinct for process and efficiency across multiple workstreams

•       Real people skills - managing engineers, working with an office team, and representing Wildwood to clients

•       A high personal standard and genuine pride in the quality of your team's output, wherever they're working

•       Experience with job management, documentation and compliance in a mobile service environment

•       A calm, solutions-focused approach - this is a fast-growing business and you'll need to grow with it

•       A full UK driving licence

The Package

We know that attracting the right person for a role this important means offering something genuinely compelling. Here's what we're offering:

•       Substantial salary depending on experience

•       Company vehicle with fuel card

•       A brand-new, purpose-built workshop to lead and develop

•       Continuous Professional Development - we invest in the people who invest in us

•       A genuine opportunity to shape how a growing business operates

•       A supportive, people-first culture where your wellbeing and input matter

•       Free golf!

This Is Your Operation. Everywhere.

Wildwood is at an exciting inflection point - growing fast, winning prestigious clients, and investing heavily in our people and facilities. The person who takes on this role will have a real hand in shaping what we become. 

If you're ready to lead from the front, hold the standard wherever your team is working, and be part of building something genuinely special, we'd very much like to hear from you.

To apply, please send your CV and a brief covering note directly to James Bastian, Managing Director:

📧  james@wildwoodmachinery.com

📞  07733 261752

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.