OEM Program Manager

Be essential at Cars Commerce

At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, our reputation-based digital wholesale auction marketplace, Dealerclub, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it’s built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together – putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challengeand Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it’s hard. It’s our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don’t take our word for it. As a U.S. News & World Report Best Company to Work For in 2024, we're obsessive about the employee experience. We are among the top 20% being declared “Best” of our industry based on six critical factors that are important to employee wellbeing, like quality of pay, benefits, work life balance and more.

OEM Program Manager

Job Description

About the Position

Dealer Inspire / Cars Commerce is a certified provider of multiple products and services within many automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) programs. These certifications allow for franchise dealer enrollments and significantly contribute to the market penetration of products and revenue generated for the company. The OEM Program Manager will lead an OEM Program(s) to successfully manage business objectives, client relationships and work pipelines necessary to maintain and grow these OEM program affiliations.

This OEM Program Manager will be well-versed in software technology and digital marketing and will excel in developing client relationships. This OEM Program Manager will work in direct relationships with OEM clients to lead and manage the work request pipeline, facilitate business meetings, identify and consult to new opportunities, and troubleshoot/resolve issues. This OEM Program Manager will be the business point of contact, partnering and interacting closely with the Technical Program Manager to serve each program’s technical needs. The OEM Program Manager will also coordinate and build strong relationships with internal Technology, Product, Operations, Marketing, and Sales departments for ensuring the successful implementation and high-quality delivery of all program strategy, growth, and technical opportunities and deliverables.

OEM program pipelines include both routine maintenance efforts as well as the introduction of more complex integrations and large-scale projects requiring OEM Program Manager in full partnership with Technical Program Manager to help set expectations, evaluate priorities, understand desired outcomes and manage a project plan and roadmap to ensure smooth execution. The role of OEM Program Manager will oversee these activities across multiple projects for the Program, in partnership with the Technical Program Manager, helping provide direction to team members and clients, helping resolve priority conflicts, and maintaining a rollup view and client roadmap of the overall work pipeline related to managing the program. Additionally, the OEM Program Manager will operate in close partnership with leaders across Technology, Product, Operations, Marketing, and Sale departments to continuously communicate Program information and documentation, including strategic priorities, opportunities and timelines, in order to help identify needed resource allocation, and to provide analysis of program successes against business objectives.

The primary goals of the OEM Program Manager role are to balance the strategic business opportunities and needs of the managed OEM program(s) against internal business goals and organizational priorities while developing and leading the client strategy and relationships. The ideal candidate is a proven leader with thorough experience building and maintaining high-efficiency workflows, successful client relationship development, and excellent communication channels for working with high-profile programs or client accounts.

Functions of the Role: 

• Lead and manage a portfolio of multiple small and/or medium sized OEM programs, focusing on business growth, opportunity development, technology innovation, client and partner/agency relationship stability, and operational excellence across all products and services.

• Consult, advise and recommend software, technical, digital strategies for clients through regular virtual and in-person engagements, meetings and communications, while staying knowledgeable on industry trends and all product offerings and services

• Maintain close working partnerships with all external and internal leaders across functional areas and client/partner counterparts to drive continuous communication cadence of all program initiatives to maximize success

• In partnership with Technical Program Manager, manage task intake from OEM clients including shared alignment on request triage, scope definition, outcomes, dev hour allotments or budget, and the setting of clear timeline and deliverable expectations.

• In partnership with Technical Program Manager, responsible for communicating updates and maintaining accurate status assessments on project progress to OEM clients and internal business stakeholders.

• Initiate and collaborate on goals for OEM programs aligned with business and technical objectives. Measure and communicate progress towards these goals.

• Accountable for understanding health scores and satisfaction across all programs, identifying areas for improvement and resolving in collaboration with the technical teams.

• Apply change, risk, and resource management to balance the needs of program(s) and evolve operations through partnership with internal departments..

• Lead across program and projects to maintain strategy and process for continuous client and program performance improvements, including analysis and determination of actionable insights from aggregated program product performance data

• Maintain a roadmap of program business strategy and client requested projects and objectives, partnering with leadership and Technical Program Manager to guide prioritization and resource distribution. Keep leadership informed through progress reports and risk/opportunity analysis.

• Maintain program profitability (revenue vs. cost) and opportunity, providing regular updates and tracking.

• Collaborate with leadership to create and refine strategic objectives within current and future programs.

• Primary first point of contact responsibility for Program Brand and compliance requirements, technical integration and specifications requirements, contract terms, performance SLAs, product performance reporting deliverables, billing reconciliations and governance, and market share trending.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in business management, digital marketing, computer sciences, software engineering, technology/project management, or similar practical experience.

• 1-3 years of experience in program, product, or project management or similar roles.

• Prior Business to Business Experience with OEMs or Large Dealer Groups

• Record of successful, high value account/program management, preferably within the automotive industry.

• Thorough knowledge and proficiency in program, product, project management, and SDLC methodologies.

• Strong ability to balance stakeholders through negotiation and organizational savvy.

• Experience managing people and leading through influence of others

• Experiencing managing executive level or high value accounts with excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Excellent customer service skills and ability to understand client needs

• Outstanding presentation, communication and delivery skills to engage clients and team members. Must possess the ability to present over the phone and in person

• Fast learner with willingness to embrace the ever-changing software, technical, digital marketing landscape and strong problem-solving capability

• Strong performance, with exceptional organizational and process skills, with the ability to execute a roadmap and plan.

• Ability to understand technical tasks in a variety of software applications, tech stacks, and systems with experience collaborating with software development teams.

• Understanding of product lifecycle development, Agile, and other SDLC methodologies.

• Knowledge of all software, technical, digital products

  • Website infrastructure and technology

  • Analytics and Reporting (Google GA4)

  • SEO principles and fundamentals

  • Digital Advertising/Media

• Required Certifications:

• Google Analytics/Ads

Our Comprehensive Benefits Package includes:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans
• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up
• Generous PTO
• Refuel - a service based recognition program where employees receive additional paid time away to learn grow and reset
• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day

Learn more about our Benefits, Perks, & Culture on our LinkedIn Life Pages!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. California Applicants: Click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Applicants. For current employees, please click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Employees.