Automotive Master Technician / Diagnostic Specialist
Willard Garage - Waukee, Iowa
Full-Time - Monday-Friday - $95,000-$140,000+ Annually - Flat Rate
Willard Garage is building something uncommon in Waukee: a growing independent repair shop with the facility, equipment, workload, and leadership to support a truly advanced technician.
Brian Willard spent 20 years as an aircraft technician and inspector before he and his wife, Peggy, opened Willard Garage in 2014. What began with the two of them in a leased space has grown into a premium 15-bay repair center with seven technicians, two service advisors, and plans to keep growing.
The standards that built the shop have not changed. Honesty matters. Quality matters. Details matter. The team calls it MAD: Meticulous Attention to Detail.
Willard Garage is now looking for a Master Technician and Diagnostic Specialist who can bring that same standard to complex drivability, electrical, intermittent, and advanced repair work.
What This Opportunity Looks Like
This is an all-makes, all-models position, excluding exotics. The current workload is primarily Domestic and Asian, with European, light-duty diesel, hybrid, and electric vehicles also coming through the shop. European experience is highly valued, but this is not a European-only position.
The work will generally include:
- Approximately 40% testing and diagnostics
- Approximately 45% mechanical repair
- Approximately 15% maintenance
- Complex drivability and intermittent concerns
- Electrical, network, module, sensor, and actuator diagnostics
- Advanced engine diagnostics and repair strategy
- Timing components and internal engine repairs
- Brakes, steering, suspension, cooling systems, and driveline work
- Complete digital vehicle inspections with clear testing results and recommendations
Willard Garage is looking for someone who can gather information, develop a testing strategy, confirm the cause, complete the repair, and verify the result. This is not a position for someone who relies on codes and parts replacement alone.
Tools and Equipment
Willard Garage has invested in the equipment and information needed to complete advanced work properly, including:
- Advanced Autel scan tool with Remote Expert assistance
- CarDAQ 3 programming equipment
- OEM subscriptions for GM, Ford, FCA, Honda, Toyota, and others
- Multiple bi-directional scan tools
- ProDemand and Identifix
- Electrical testing equipment
- Oscilloscopes and pressure transducers
- Specialty engine timing and drivetrain tools
- R-1234yf and R-134a A/C equipment
- BG fluid-service equipment
- Flush-mounted alignment equipment
- Technician computers and mobile devices for Tekmetric DVIs
- ADAS calibration capabilities being added as the shop continues to grow
The shop is clean, heated, genuinely air-conditioned, and equipped with modern lifts and specialty tools.
Compensation
The realistic earning range for this position is $95,000-$140,000+ annually.
Compensation includes:
- $35-$45 (flat rate) per flagged hour, based on experience and ability
- Up to an additional $6 per flagged hour for ASE credentials, including $0.50 per certification, an additional $0.50 for ASE Master Technician status, and an additional $1.50 for L1 certification
- Team performance bonus paid every two weeks
- Technicians at this level generally earn an additional $400-$600+ per two-week pay period through the team bonus
- Annual pay reviews
- Additional opportunity and compensation for strong European experience
The bonus pool is based on a percentage of the team’s total gross profit for the pay period. Each technician’s share is influenced by flagged hours, skill, experience, and tenure.
This is a well-established part of Willard Garage’s compensation plan, not a vague bonus that may or may not appear.
Benefits and Support
- Monday-Friday schedule
- Technician hours of approximately 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- No weekends
- $2,340 annual tax-free tool reimbursement
- Health insurance with three plan options
- Willard Garage pays 50% of the employee’s health insurance premium
- Spouse, child, and family coverage available
- Dental and vision insurance
- Insurance eligibility beginning the first of the month after 60 days
- 401(k) with a 100% company match up to 5% of employee pay
- 401(k) eligibility after six months
- Two weeks of combined vacation and sick PTO beginning in the first year (40 hours of PTO placed in the employee’s bank at the start of employment An additional 40 hours accrued during the first year)
- PTO continues increasing with tenure
- Six paid holidays
- Company-provided uniforms with laundry service
- Paid technical training
- Employees are paid for their time spent in training
- ASE certification support and increased pay for certifications
- VISION and other local, online, and in-house training opportunities
What Will Make Someone Successful Here
Willard Garage needs someone who is fully independent in both diagnostics and repair. Five or more years of strong professional experience is preferred, but demonstrated ability matters more than a specific number of years.
The right person will bring:
- Advanced diagnostic and electrical ability
- Strong mechanical repair skills
- Accurate, complete documentation
- Good computer and typing skills
- The ability to maintain strong production without sacrificing quality
- A professional tool selection
- Reliable attendance and follow-through
- Pride in first-time-fix results
- A willingness to collaborate with other experienced technicians
- Confidence without ego
- The ability to remain teachable, and still eager to learn even at an advanced level
ASE certifications are strongly preferred and financially rewarded. Master Technician, L1, and European experience are especially valuable.
What It Feels Like to Work Here
Willard Garage is professional, fast-paced, and collaborative. Technicians work independently, but they are not left alone when a difficult vehicle needs another perspective. The team shares information, offers second opinions, and helps when another set of hands is needed.
Brian and Peggy are present in the business and accessible to the team. Feedback is encouraged, expectations are clearly communicated, and employees are trusted with responsibility and the authority needed to carry it out.
The standards are high because Willard Garage is serious about building one of the premier repair teams in Iowa. In return, technicians receive the equipment, training, compensation, and support needed to meet those standards and build a strong career.
If advanced diagnostics, honest work, strong earning potential, and Meticulous Attention to Detail sound like the right combination, we can't wait to meet you!
License/Certification:
- Valid driver’s license required
- ASE certifications preferred
- ASE Master Technician or L1 preferred
Questions? Contact [email protected]
Please do not contact the shop directly.
Pay: $95,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Application Question(s):
- Please rate your diagnostic skill level on a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being expert level and 1 being entry level
- Please rate your electrical skill level on a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being expert level and 1 being entry level
Experience:
- Professional Automotive Repair: 4 years (Required)
License/Certification:
- ASE Certification (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Waukee, IA 50263 (Required)
Work Location: In person
