Vehicle Maintenance Assistant

Job title: Vehicle Maintenance Assistant 
Salary: £41,843     Grade: DAREA
Contract type: ST-DAR     Reference: 4347
Team: Engineering – DAR     Directorate: Dial-A-Ride
Contract details: Full-time     Location: Palmers Green, London N13

Application closing date: 23 June 2026 @ 2359

All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right‑to‑work checks.  Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK.  At the present time TfL is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.  

Overview of project/role

Dial a Ride is Transport for London’s free, door to door assisted transport service for people across London who are unable to use public transport independently. Our service plays a vital role in helping members maintain their independence, enabling travel for everyday needs such as shopping, medical appointments and social visits.
Operating 365 days a year between 06:00 and 02:00 (subject to availability), Dial a Ride delivers around 1.2 million passenger journeys annually. To support this essential service, we rely on a well maintained, reliable fleet.

As a Vehicle Maintenance Assistant, you’ll support the upkeep of our vehicles by carrying out maintenance, inspections, basic diagnostics and repair tasks as required. Your work will help ensure our fleet remains safe, roadworthy and fully available to support our customers.

Due to the operational nature of the service, you must be willing to work flexibly across our bus depot locations and adapt to varying working hours.

Key Accountabilities

Your duties will include, but will not be limited to:

• Carrying out vehicle inspections, servicing and repair tasks in accordance with documented maintenance procedures and company standards
• Assisting with the investigation and diagnosis of mechanical and electrical faults, escalating complex issues where required
• Working as part of the Vehicle Maintenance team to ensure vehicles are maintained safely, efficiently and in line with company maintenance requirements
• Ensuring all work undertaken is accurately recorded on the relevant company systems and documentation
• Ensuring all company tools, plant and maintenance equipment are used correctly, maintained in good order and defects reported promptly
• Ensuring all parts issued from stores are correctly recorded against vehicle records and reported in line with the documented stores issue procedure
• Supporting the preparation of vehicles for inspections, audits or return to service as required
• Attending training courses and completing internal learning as directed by the company to maintain and develop technical knowledge
• Keeping up to date with relevant technical information, maintenance procedures and safety requirements
• Liaising and communicating effectively with colleagues and other departments to ensure operational and maintenance requirements are met
• Maintaining a clean, safe and organised workshop and depot environment at all times
• Complying fully with all statutory legislation and company policies relating to Health & Safety, fire safety and environmental requirements
• Working flexibly across company locations and shift patterns to support operational needs

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Skills

• Understanding of various vehicle components (Essential)
• Ability to diagnose faults using diagnostic equipment and specific testing procedures (Essential)
• The ability to adapt to learning new tasks (Essential)
• Good team working skills, but with the ability to work independently, prioritising tasks on own initiative (Essential)
• Ability to document complete and accurate records (written or digital) of work completed and parts used, on vehicle records and stores (Essential)
• Must hold a current driving licence (D1 preferred) permitting the driving of vehicles in the UK (Essential)

Knowledge

• Qualified in vehicle engineering and maintenance to NVQ Level 2 or an equivalent nationally recognised qualification (IRTEC) (Essential)
• A demonstrable basic understanding of Health & Safety legislation in the UK (Essential)
• Qualified in electrical and hybrid vehicle diagnostics and repairs (Preferred) If you do not currently hold this qualification or experience training will be provided

Experience

• You will have previous experience working in a vehicle workshop environment, undertaking the maintenance, inspection and repair of commercial and/or passenger vehicles. This experience will include safely carrying out mechanical and basic electrical tasks using appropriate tools, equipment and diagnostic systems, while working to prescribed procedures and manufacturer standards (Essential)
• The role requires a strong awareness of Health & Safety legislation and safe working practices, including the correct use of PPE, risk assessments, manual handling techniques and adherence to safe systems of work within a depot or workshop setting (Essential)

Application Process

• Please apply using your CV and a one-page cover letter
• Think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience in the advert and cover this in your CV and cover letter
• PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the level of role but mostly include the below:

• Final salary pension scheme
• Free travel for you on the TfL network
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers
• Discounted Eurostar travel

We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.

Vetting Process

At Transport for London, safety, trust and fairness sit at the heart of how we recruit. Our Vetting Charter (https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/careers/our-vetting-process) explains the checks we carry out before you join us, helping ensure we create a safe, inclusive and reliable network for everyone who depends on our services. We simply ask that the information you provide is honest and accurate so we can progress your application smoothly. If something doesn’t match or can’t be verified, we may not be able to move forward with your application, but we’ll always treat you with transparency, respect, and clear communication throughout.