General Manager – Used Car Dealership
We are seeking a highly experienced, motivated General Manager to lead and grow a new used-car dealership location. This is a hands-on leadership position with responsibility for the overall performance of the store, including sales, profitability, inventory acquisition, vehicle purchasing, staffing, customer experience, and day-to-day operations.
Because this is a new location, we are looking for an experienced automotive operator who knows how to build a dealership, develop a strong team, establish processes, acquire the right inventory, and take full ownership of store performance.
Key ResponsibilitiesDealership Management & Sales
- Oversee all day-to-day operations and overall performance of the dealership.
- Drive vehicle sales, gross profit, inventory turnover, and overall store profitability.
- Establish monthly sales and profitability goals and hold the team accountable for results.
- Recruit, train, manage, motivate, and develop sales staff.
- Desk deals and assist salespeople with negotiations and closing customers when needed.
- Monitor leads, appointments, showroom traffic, follow-up activity, and closing ratios.
- Ensure consistent and proper use of the dealership CRM.
- Conduct regular sales meetings and individual performance reviews.
- Establish a strong culture of accountability, urgency, professionalism, and customer service.
Vehicle Purchasing & Inventory Management
- Actively source and purchase vehicles for dealership inventory.
- Purchase vehicles through auctions, wholesalers, trade-ins, direct-from-consumer opportunities, dealer networks, and other appropriate sources.
- Appraise vehicles and make disciplined purchasing decisions based on market value, condition, anticipated reconditioning costs, consumer demand, days-to-sale, and potential gross profit.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with auctions, wholesalers, dealers, and other vehicle sources.
- Maintain the appropriate inventory mix based on market demand and dealership sales objectives.
- Monitor inventory aging, market pricing, and days-to-sale.
- Adjust pricing and purchasing strategies to maintain strong inventory turnover.
- Identify and address aged or underperforming inventory quickly.
- Work closely with service and reconditioning vendors to get acquired vehicles frontline-ready quickly and cost-effectively.
- Ensure vehicles are properly priced, photographed, described, merchandised, and advertised.
Financial & Operational Performance
- Take ownership of the store's sales, gross profit, expenses, and overall profitability.
- Monitor front-end gross, back-end gross, gross profit per vehicle, inventory costs, and operating expenses.
- Review daily, weekly, and monthly dealership performance.
- Manage expenses and maintain appropriate operational controls.
- Work closely with finance/F&I to maximize financing opportunities and appropriate ancillary product sales.
- Maintain accurate deal documentation and ensure transactions are completed correctly and efficiently.
- Work with ownership/senior management to establish budgets, forecasts, inventory targets, and growth plans.
Customer Experience
- Maintain a high standard of customer service throughout the sales and delivery process.
- Handle escalated customer concerns and resolve issues professionally.
- Build a dealership culture focused on integrity, accountability, responsiveness, and repeat/referral business.
- Ensure customers receive timely follow-up before and after the sale.
Compliance & Store Standards
- Ensure dealership operations comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
- Maintain proper processes for vehicle titles, registrations, financing documentation, advertising, privacy, and customer records.
- Ensure vehicles and dealership facilities are presented professionally.
- Establish operating procedures, controls, and accountability as the new location grows.
Experience & Qualifications
- Minimum 10 years of automotive dealership management experience, including significant experience running and taking responsibility for dealership/store operations.
- Previous franchise dealership experience strongly preferred.
- Extensive knowledge of the used-car business and vehicle acquisition.
- Demonstrated ability to appraise, purchase, price, and manage used-vehicle inventory.
- Strong experience purchasing vehicles through auctions, wholesalers, trade-ins, dealer networks, and other acquisition channels.
- Proven track record of achieving sales, gross-profit, inventory-turn, and profitability objectives.
- Strong understanding of dealership sales, deal structuring, financing, F&I, inventory management, and dealership financial performance.
- Proven ability to recruit, train, manage, and motivate high-performing sales teams.
- Strong negotiation, desking, and closing skills.
- Comfortable working with dealership CRM, inventory-management, appraisal, and vehicle-pricing systems.
- Strong leadership, organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
- Ability to operate independently, make sound business decisions, and take full ownership of results.
- Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a seasoned automotive operator, not simply a sales manager. We are looking for someone with substantial experience running dealerships who understands every major component of the business—from buying the right cars at the right price to managing inventory, desking deals, developing salespeople, controlling expenses, maximizing gross profit, and delivering an excellent customer experience.
Franchise dealership management experience is strongly preferred, particularly for candidates who have successfully managed high-volume operations and understand the structure, processes, accountability, and performance standards of a professionally operated dealership.
This is an opportunity for an experienced automotive leader to take ownership of a new dealership location, build the operation from the ground up, develop the team and inventory, and grow the store into a successful and highly profitable business.
Compensation: $125,000–$275,000+ annually (base salary + commission/performance-based compensation), with significant upside based on store profitability and growth.
Pay: $125,000.00 - $275,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
