Damage Manager at U-Drive in Poole, England, United Kingdom

About U-Drive

U-Drive opened in Wareham in 1982 and remains family-owned, with three generations of the founding family still involved. We now operate a fleet of over 4,000 vehicles from nine locations across England and Wales, employ more than 150 people, and hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. Our vision is to be the trusted partner of choice for businesses nationwide. We are large enough to matter to our customers and small enough that the people who do the work are known to the people who run the business.

Our company values shape how we work: Respect, Have Fun, Take Responsibility, Integrity, Start With The Customer, and Learn By Doing. You can read them in full at u-drive.co.uk/careers/company-values.

The Role

The Damage Manager owns the vehicle damage function across the whole fleet, leading a team of four and reporting directly to a Director. It is a hands-on management role: you will set the standard for damage assessment, hold the team to it, and personally handle the cases that are difficult, contested or high in value.

Every hire ends with a damage assessment, and every assessment has to be right. That is an integrity question before it is a commercial one — we charge for the damage that is there, we evidence it properly, and we do not charge for anything that is not. It is also a customer question. Somebody being held liable for damage is still our customer, and how the conversation is handled decides whether we keep the account. Recovering the money is only half of the result.

What you will be responsible for

• Managing the full damage lifecycle from assessment at the end of hire through to recovery and case closure
• Leading, developing and supporting a team of four, and setting the tone for how customers are treated when the conversation is a difficult one
• Overseeing end-of-hire damage assessment across all fleet, ensuring the evidence behind every case is complete, proportionate and defensible
• Handling escalated and disputed charges personally, resolving them in a way that protects both the recovery and the relationship
• Managing uninsured loss recovery, third party and accidental damage claims through to conclusion
• Coordinating repairs through our external bodyshop and repair network, and driving down vehicle-off-road time
• Contributing to supplier selection and performance review alongside the Director and Risk Manager
• Agreeing settlement positions on a case-by-case basis and presenting the reasoning for each
• Producing monthly management reporting on damage volumes, recovery and financial performance
• Improving how the function works — reviewing what disputes tell us and acting on it
• Maintaining the function in line with company policy, contractual obligations and our ISO management systems

How performance is measured

Recovery rate, recharge rate, vehicle-off-road repair times, loss of use earnings, and claims backlog — alongside the standard of customer handling behind those figures.

• A track record of managing people in a fleet, rental, claims or insurance environment
• Demonstrable experience of managing an external bodyshop or repair network — agreeing work, scrutinising estimates, holding suppliers to turnaround times and challenging poor performance
• Practical understanding of recharge and cost recovery, and the commercial judgement to know when a case is worth pursuing and when it is not
• The ability to hold a firm line in a dispute while keeping the customer relationship intact
• Communication that stands up under pressure — clear, calm and evidence-led
• Confidence with data, able to build the reporting rather than only read it
• Real attention to detail, particularly where figures and evidence are concerned
• Experience of vehicle damage assessment or insurance claims would be a distinct advantage
• Someone who will own the outcome and tell us straight when something is not working
• A track record of managing people in a fleet, rental, claims or insurance environment

• 30 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays) increasing with length of service

• Employee discount on U-Drive rental, including discount for friends and family
• Employee Assistance Programme in partnership with Health Assured
• Company sponsored training and development opportunities
• Access to Employee Discount Programme offering savings on over 3,000 retailers
• Free eye test and £75 towards glasses
• Smart tech
• Competitive pension
• Opportunity to buy more annual leave where available