Mechanic job description: duties, skills, routes and a template for car, van and heavy vehicle technicians

The word mechanic is older than the car, but most people who search for a mechanic job description mean the person in the garage: the one who finds out why the warning light is on, tells you what it will cost and has the vehicle back on the road by Friday. The trade now calls that person a technician, and the job has changed with the vehicles.

This article gives a mechanic job description for cars and vans and for heavy vehicles, using the National Careers Service profiles for motor mechanic and heavy vehicle technician and the Skills England apprenticeship standards. It covers what a mechanic does, the duties, the skills, the routes in, what is different about diesel and heavy vehicle work and about electric vehicles, and a template to adapt. The routes are for England.

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What is a mechanic?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a mechanic as “someone whose job is repairing the engines of vehicles and other machines”, with the examples of a car, garage or bike mechanic.

In the motor trade the titles have moved on. The National Careers Service says motor mechanics “repair and service cars and vans”, and lists light vehicle technician and hybrid and electric vehicle technician as alternative titles. Its heavy vehicle technician profile, with HGV mechanic and LGV technician as alternatives, says these technicians “service and repair lorries, trailers, transporters, forklifts, buses and coaches”. What Americans call a diesel mechanic is, in the UK, usually a heavy vehicle technician.

The Skills England standards give the one-line occupation summaries: the motor vehicle service and maintenance technician, light vehicle, a level 3 apprenticeship of 36 months, is about “Servicing and repairing light vehicles.”; the heavy vehicle service and maintenance technician, also level 3 and 36 months, is about “Inspecting and repairing a range of heavy vehicles and trailers.”

Duties of a mechanic

The National Careers Service lists the day-to-day tasks of a motor mechanic. In our words, a mechanic could find and diagnose faults using hand tools or a computer; advise customers on what repairs are needed, including costs; carry out regular maintenance and repair or replace faulty parts; test vehicles on the road to check repairs; monitor stock levels and update vehicle service records; and work with high voltage batteries when dealing with hybrid or electric vehicles.

Grouped for a job description, the mechanic job role has six duties.

1. Diagnose. Find the fault, with hand tools, test equipment and diagnostic software, and confirm it before work starts.
2. Advise. Tell the customer or the service adviser what is needed, what it will cost and what can wait.
3. Maintain and repair. Servicing to schedule, and the repair or replacement of faulty parts.
4. Test. Road-test and check the repair before the vehicle goes back.
5. Record and stock. Update the service record for every job and keep parts stock in order.
6. Work safely. Lifts, tools, fluids and, increasingly, high voltage systems.

What does a diesel or heavy vehicle mechanic do?

The heavy vehicle technician's duties overlap with the motor mechanic's and add scale, systems and downtime pressure. The National Careers Service says a heavy vehicle technician could carry out scheduled service and maintenance on vehicles; attend breakdowns to carry out repairs; diagnose and fix faults in mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems; dismantle, repair and reassemble parts; use hand and power tools and specialist equipment; order spare parts from suppliers; prepare vehicles for MOT inspections; make quality checks before handing vehicles back; and complete records for each job.

Three differences matter for the description.

• Breakdowns. Heavy vehicle technicians attend roadside breakdowns; the profile says hours are 40 to 50 a week, on days, nights or weekends on a rota. Some jobs need an HGV driving licence.
• Systems. Hydraulics, trailers, tail-lifts and, on buses, passenger equipment sit alongside engine and electrical work.
• Operators' obligations. Fleet vehicles are maintained under an operator's licence, so inspection records and MOT preparation are part of the job. Our truck driver job description explains the driver's side of the same system.

The profile says you could work for haulage companies, airports, organisations with their own fleets and bus and coach companies, and that with experience you could become a senior service engineer or workshop manager.

Skills to ask for

For both roles the National Careers Service lists the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools; knowledge of engineering science and technology; thoroughness and attention to detail; problem-solving; the ability to work well with your hands; customer service skills; the ability to use your initiative; and competent use of a computer and the main software packages. The motor mechanic profile adds working well with others; the heavy vehicle profile adds flexibility and openness to change.

Two things have changed the skill list in the last decade.

• Diagnostics. Faults are found on a laptop as often as under the bonnet. Ask for experience with diagnostic equipment, not just tools.
• Electric and hybrid vehicles. The National Careers Service names working with high voltage batteries as a task and specialising in electric vehicles as a career path, and flags the motor mechanic as a potential green job. Say whether the role includes EV work and what training you will give.

Routes in and qualifications

The National Careers Service says you can become a motor mechanic through a college course, an apprenticeship or training with a breakdown company. College courses include light vehicle maintenance and repair and the T Level in maintenance, installation and repair for engineering and manufacturing, with electric and hybrid options. The apprenticeship is the motor vehicle service and maintenance technician, light vehicle, at level 3, which usually takes two to three years, and the profile notes that you could also train as a vehicle mechanic in the British Army.

For heavy vehicles, the routes are a college course in heavy vehicle maintenance, a level 3 apprenticeship such as heavy vehicle service and maintenance technician or bus and coach engineering technician, or direct application with experience on lorries, construction equipment, agricultural machinery or passenger vehicles. The profile says some employers will take on a car and van mechanic and give extra training for heavy vehicles, and mentions the Institute of the Motor Industry for professional development.

For the job description: say whether you want a qualified technician, an apprentice, or an experienced mechanic you will train up, and list the licences the job needs.

Working conditions to state

The National Careers Service describes a garage or workshop environment that may be noisy, dirty and physically active or demanding, with safety clothing and equipment. Typical hours are 38 to 45 a week for a motor mechanic, with evenings and weekends possible, and 40 to 50 on a rota for heavy vehicles. A driving licence may be needed. Put the real pattern in the description: shift rota, Saturday cover, call-outs and any on-call payment.

A mechanic job description template

Job title: Vehicle Technician (state light vehicle or heavy vehicle)

Reports to: Workshop Manager or Service Manager

Purpose: Diagnose, service and repair the vehicles that come through the workshop so that they leave safe, on time and with an accurate record of the work.

Responsibilities:

• Diagnose faults using diagnostic equipment, test procedures and hand tools.
• Carry out scheduled servicing and maintenance to manufacturer and workshop standards.
• Repair or replace faulty parts, including mechanical, electrical and, for heavy vehicles, hydraulic systems.
• Advise customers or the service adviser on the work needed and the cost.
• Road-test and quality-check every repair before handover.
• Complete accurate job cards, service records and inspection records.
• Order parts and keep stock in order.
• Work safely, including high voltage procedures on hybrid and electric vehicles where trained.
• Prepare vehicles for MOT inspection (heavy vehicle roles).
• Attend breakdowns on the rota (heavy vehicle roles).

Skills and experience:

• Level 3 qualification in light or heavy vehicle maintenance and repair, or equivalent experience.
• Experience with diagnostic equipment and manufacturer systems.
• Thoroughness, problem-solving and clear customer communication.
• Full driving licence; HGV licence for some heavy vehicle roles.
• Electric or hybrid vehicle qualification: required, or we will train.

Working pattern: Hours, rota, Saturday cover, call-outs and on-call pay.

Our job description template explains each section. For wider plant and building work, see our maintenance technician job description.

Frequently asked questions

What does a mechanic do?

A mechanic, or vehicle technician, diagnoses faults using tools and diagnostic software, advises customers on the repairs needed and their cost, carries out regular maintenance, repairs or replaces faulty parts, road-tests the vehicle and updates service records. Hybrid and electric vehicle work adds high voltage battery systems.

What are the duties of a mechanic?

According to the National Careers Service, a motor mechanic could find and diagnose faults, advise customers on repairs and costs, carry out maintenance and replace faulty parts, road-test vehicles, monitor stock and update service records, and work with high voltage batteries on hybrid and electric vehicles.

What does a diesel mechanic do?

In the UK the role is usually called heavy vehicle technician. The National Careers Service says they service and repair lorries, trailers, transporters, forklifts, buses and coaches: scheduled maintenance, breakdown repairs, faults in mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems, dismantling and reassembling parts, ordering spares, preparing vehicles for MOT and completing records.

What qualifications does a mechanic need?

In England the usual route is a level 3 apprenticeship, motor vehicle service and maintenance technician for light vehicles or heavy vehicle service and maintenance technician for heavy vehicles, each around three years, or a college course followed by a trainee role. Employers may also take on experienced mechanics and train them for other vehicle types.

What skills does a mechanic need?

The ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools, knowledge of engineering science and technology, attention to detail, problem-solving, manual skill, customer service, initiative and competent computer use, according to the National Careers Service. Diagnostic equipment experience and electric vehicle training are increasingly important.

What is the difference between a mechanic and a technician?

In everyday speech they are the same person. The trade and the apprenticeship standards now use technician, reflecting the diagnostic and electrical work involved. A job advert can use either, but the description should list the diagnostic and electric vehicle skills the job needs.

Your next step: write the description around the vehicles

1. Say which vehicles: cars and vans, heavy vehicles, buses, plant, or a fleet mix.
2. List the diagnostic equipment and manufacturer systems the technician will use.
3. State whether the job includes hybrid and electric vehicle work and what training you will give.
4. Put the hours, rota, call-outs and licences in writing.

For the first weeks in the workshop, read and download our employee onboarding guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.

Want technicians' targets, training and reviews in one place? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current job descriptions. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.