21890 - Senior Vehicle Engineering Manager

Please note this role requires full time attendance on site is therefore not suitable for hybrid or remote working.

The address is: National Distribution Centre, Branston, Burton on Trent. DE14 3EG

The National Distribution Centre (NDC

The Ministry of Justice Supply and Logistics area is made up of three core business areas and sits within Commercial.

Fleet Engineering Services (FES)

The provision of first line servicing for the National Distribution Centre (NDC) fleet of heavy and light commercial vehicles, the workshop also provides support to the wider MoJ fleet.

The team designs, develops and carries out vehicle conversions for HMPPS tactical units based on their requirements. They are also responsible for managing all vehicles as they enter and leave the fleet.

Before a vehicle is disposed of, the team carries out inspections and removes any sensitive equipment. They also inspect vehicles returned to Branston to decide if they can be reused instead of issuing a new one. If a vehicle can be reused, the team assesses its condition, identifies and costs any parts needed, and once agreed with the unit carries out repairs to ensure the vehicle is safe, roadworthy and meets legal standards.

National Distribution Centre (NDC)

Manages the collection, storage and delivery of goods. These include manufactured items, raw materials, prisoner property, mattresses, footwear, and a small amount of document storage. The site also supports other MoJ activities when needed. The warehouse is a modern 135,000 sq. ft. facility with high storage capacity. It can hold up to 16,500 pallets in both wide and narrow aisles, along with around 6,000 sq. ft. of office space.

The NDC operates its own fleet of 22 vehicles, providing around 500 scheduled deliveries each month. Deliveries are made across the prison estate nationwide, operating five days a week on a single shift, with overnight stays when required.

Transport Unit

Provides transport management services for the Ministry of Justice. It also manages a specialist vehicle workshop in Branston, supported by engineering and administrative staff. The unit’s main responsibilities include developing transport policies, providing technical advice, and managing both Crown Indemnity Insurance and commercial insurance requirements.

Role Summary

The Senior Vehicle Engineering Manager provides technical and operational leadership across all elements of vehicle engineering, fleet management, and vehicle compliance within the Ministry of Justice. The postholder ensures that vehicle operations are safe, efficient, cost effective and fully aligned with relevant legislation, MoJ policy, and Fleet Management Team standards.

The role is responsible for delivering technical guidance, managing the Fleet Engineering Services Department and the Fleet Management Team, supporting a sustainable fleet and working collaboratively with stakeholders across the MoJ, contractors, and local transport team.

Working hours:

Monday to Thursday: 08:00 – 16:00

Friday: 08:00 – 15:30

Key Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

Fleet Management & Technical Expertise

• Deliver best-practice technical advice to all fleet users.

• Lead effective fleet management advice to the Ministry of Justice within agreed resources and budget constraints.

• Develop and maintain an up to date knowledge of vehicle legislation, engineering developments, environmental requirements, and emerging technologies relevant to MoJ fleets.

• Provide oversight and guidance for vehicle design specifications, acquisition processes, and delivery of fleet assets.

• Champion and improve the effective use of existing fleet management data systems to deliver better performance and governance.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to the Health and Safety at Work Act and all relevant MoJ safety policies.

• Support the Health, Safety & Training (HS&T) Manager to ensure safe systems of work (SSOW) and robust risk assessments (RA) are in place and followed.

• Promote safe engineering practices across fleet and maintenance operations.

• Ensure compliance with MOJ Transport Policy & Procedure guidance across all vehicle activities and users.

• Report any vehicle related incidents, risks, or non compliance issues promptly through appropriate channels.

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong, effective working relationships with all key stakeholders.

• Engage positively as an ambassador for the Fleet Management Team at NDC Branston.

• Liaise with local transport coordinators and operational teams to provide expert advice and resolve technical issues.

• Work with colleagues to identify opportunities for consolidation or optimisation of fleet activities.

People Leadership & Management

• Provide effective leadership and management of the Fleet Management Team and Fleet Engineering Services Facility.

• Manage attendance, performance records, and HR requirements within the team.

• Develop team capability through coaching, training, and technical guidance.

• Promote a positive and professional working culture aligned with MoJ values.

Management Information & Reporting

• Produce, analyse, and maintain fleet management information to support operational and strategic decision-making.

• Review fleet activities across Fleet Management Team and Commercial to identify improvements and efficiencies.

• Monitor engineering and fleet performance, providing regular updates to senior management.

• Ensure records, technical data, and engineering compliance documentation are accurate and maintained.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alternations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Essential Criteria

• Vehicle qualifications (e.g., IMI, IRTE, NVQ Level 3 or above in vehicle engineering). or equivalent military experience (e.g., REME).

• Experience in a vehicle maintenance environment.

• An understanding of fleet legislation, safety standards, and engineering best practice.

• Ability to provide technical guidance to both specialists and non technical users.

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Experience managing or overseeing a vehicle/engineering workshop.

• Ability to analyse data, interpret technical reports, and develop solutions.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience using fleet data systems, Excel and Teams

• Fleet Management experience.

Application Stage

An initial sift will be performed against the following elements and will be assessed against the Civil Service success profiles framework:

Experience

• CV

• Statement of Suitability (up to 250 words): this should be based around your experience the key responsibilities and essential criteria

Behaviours

We will assess your application on the following behaviours (250 words). Please use the STAR method in your examples.

• Managing a Quality Service

• Leadership

Please note in the event of a large number of applications being received we may run the initial sift against CV, Statement of Suitability and lead behaviour of “Managing a Quality Service”.

If shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview and will be assessed on the selected success profile elements at the interview stage.

Interview stage

The interviews will be held at National Distribution Centre, Burton Road, Branston. DE14 3EG. The site is shared with B&Q distribution, please follow the road signs for MoJ once entering the site and report to the security gate where you will be directed to the reception to sign in. The interviews will be held on an Industrial Site and all staff and visitors are required to wear Hi-Vis Vests whilst moving around site; these will be provided by security on arrival, please ask for a vest if not offered one.

Behaviours

We will assess your application on the following behaviours. Please use the STAR method in your examples.

• Changing and improving

• Delivering at pace

Experience

At interview there will be 2 questions around your similar experience of managing a service and leading a team.

Strengths maybe assessed at the interview, and these are not shared in advance.

To learn more about the Civil Service success profiles framework and how they are assessed please click here.

Please use STAR approach to structure your examples for both the application and interview for behaviours. Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.

Situation: Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.

• Where are you?

• Who was there with you?

• What had happened?

Task: The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.

• What was the task that you had to complete and why?

• What did you have to achieve?

Actions: What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.

Results: Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.

• What results did the actions produce?

• What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?

• Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?

Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.