Job Description

Afrirent Pty (Ltd) is looking for a Vehicle Downtime Specialist who will be responsible for supervise and reporting on the repair lead times of vehicles as per original equipment manufacturer (OEM) operation codes and timeframes and ensuring that clients experience maximum vehicle availability throughout the contract lifecycles.

Downtime Administration and Control

Escalates long standing repairs to relevant stakeholders and provides regular updates to clients Obtains loan vehicles from OEMs Manages, tracks and closes open orders based on vehicle repair statuses on the system Obtains job cards for all completed repairs Tracks, files and report on collections Submits completed work status reports to Finance for invoice follow ups Tracks and reports on lead times for: Technical inspections, Quote submissions, Quote conversion rates Monitors repair timelines and ensure merchants' adherence to SLA thresholds (e.g. 72-hour repairs) Analyses downtime trends for escalation to OEM by failure type (e.g. electrical vs. mechanical) Maintains an accurate technical downtime dashboard to assist management in SLA enforcement Conducts maintenance, finance and work distribution trend analyses in order to identify and recommend cost reduction opportunities

Reporting, Audits and Trend Analysis

Compiles and submits comprehensive daily, weekly and monthly reports (including vehicle repairs, merchant performance, downtime, vehicle availability and authorisations, lead times, etc) Identifies recurring issues and recommends cost-saving measures or service provider improvements Supports internal audits and client reconciliations through clear documentation and commentary Provides technical analysis of top recurring faults across fleet (e.g. turbo failures, EGR valve issues, brake wear) Recommends OEM-specific cost containment strategies such as preventive part replacement intervals Drafts technical insight reports on merchant performance based on diagnostic accuracy and first-time-fix rate Reports on potential availability risks identified (such as parts, shortages, strikes, etc)

Verification of Lease Terms and Warranty Conditions

Reviews lease contracts and maintenance SLA's to verify whether the reported service is covered under the agreement Checks vehicle warranty statuses and determines whether the required repair is eligible for manufacturer warranty Escalates out-of-scope or high-cost repairs to the relevant stakeholder Interprets and validates manufacturer warranty against specific job card line items, using OEM warranty portals / technical bulletins Identifies and flags claims that are potentially wear-and-tear or driver abuse vs. mechanical failure Recommends internal policy changes where repeated claim rejections or ambiguous contract clauses arise

Maintenance Scheduling and Vendor Coordination

Books vehicles with appropriate merchants based on location, capability and SLA ranking Issues job instructions and authorisations to vendors, ensuring that the scope and contract compliance requirements are understood Tracks job progress, updates vehicle statuses and coordinate deliveries / collections where required Matches jobs to vendors based on technical capability (e.g. suspension work vs. drivetrain repair) and not just geography or SLA ranking Verifies vendor's understanding of the failure, proposed fixes and ensures that OEM repair methods are followed Reviews merchant quotes for technical feasibility before issuing authorisations

Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

Coordinates and liaises with relevant internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the repair / maintenance is carried out timeously and hold relevant parties accountable for non / poor delivery Monitors that repairs / maintenance activities are delivered to the highest standards of quality, compliance and client satisfaction Answers inbound calls professionally and records all client-reported incidents on the approved Fleet Management system Creates accurate reference numbers and records essential details (registration, issue type, location) Provides friendly, timely and accurate feedback to clients regarding maintenance updates Follows up on unresolved issues until completion and maintains continuous communication with clients Diagnoses likely technical faults accurately based on customer descriptions, repair history and known vehicle issues (desktop technical triage) Engages clients with basic mechanical explanations where applicable, bridging technical language into user-friendly updates Escalates complex technical issues to the OEM liaison or in-house technical advisors for validation

People Management

Manages the unit in line with company policies Allocates the workload and duties to subordinates Fosters a suitable and supportive environment conducive to staff development and the achievement of departmental objectives Implements staff development and training to achieve the unit and organisational objectives Implements performance management and monitors the performance of staff

Experience

3 - 5 years fleet management experience in maintenance repair processes and downtime management Ability to manage various stakeholders in the vehicle repair process 3+ years in fleet maintenance coordination or vehicle repair operations Previous exposure to complex diagnostics, merchant warranty disputes and repair cost optimisation Ability to interpret job cards, technical quotes and perform first-line issue assessment

Education and Requirements

Grade 12 (NQF Level 4) Diploma (NQF Level 7) in Finance / Business Management / Fleet Management Regulatory Examination (RE5) Certification Valid Code 08 Driver's Licence
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: R20000,00 - R30000,00 per month

Work Location: In person