You will see from our website and from our recent interim results that we are a rapidly becoming one of the Country’s leading automotive retailers. Employing over 2,500 colleagues we are now the 8th largest retail motor group in the UK and we will continue to expand as we drive our business forward into 2010/11. Our growth to date has been achieved through a combination of acquisition and business improvement in our current operations. We are very well placed in the market and are able to take advantage of the current economic backdrop to achieve our growth and performance objectives.

The Opportunity

In readiness for our future expansion plans we have recently re-organised our divisional structure and as a result have created a new Divisional Aftersales Director role in our Renault, Fiat, Mazda, Hyundai and Seat division. The successful candidate will work as part of the senior divisional management team and will have specific responsibility for delivering the Groups aftersales strategy and driving performance within the division. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced manager who possesses a depth of knowledge, and is highly skilled, in Service, Parts and Bodyshop operations.

This role currently covers over 15 dealerships located from Exeter to North Yorkshire. It is expected that the successful candidate will be willing to undertake significant amounts of business travel in order to effectively guide and support the dealership General Managers and their aftersales management team (the Service, Parts and Bodyshop Managers) throughout the division.

Requirement of the Role

This role covers all facets of the Groups aftersales operations and the successful candidate will be capable of communicating effectively at all levels. You will be expected to take the lead on manufacturer and supplier relations and will regularly be involved in negotiating parts targets, agreeing service campaigns, developing aftersales marketing strategies and managing Group bodyshop work provider relationships. You will be required to integrate with and support both management and non-management colleagues and must be capable of understanding the practical issues they may face and be able to provide advice and guidance at an appropriate technical level. You will also be required to provide input at a senior level into the Groups overall aftersales strategy.

You must have strong leadership and people management skills as your primary focus is to lead the dealership management in delivering their business objectives. Clearly, you will be expected to work in partnership with the dealership General Manager to effectively lead these managers. This includes setting the vision and objectives, motivating them to achieve their objectives and ensuring that effective performance management techniques are in place. You should be capable of providing first class coaching, support and training to the management team to support this.

You should be able to demonstrate a successful management track record in aftersales and must be committed to achieving excellence. You will be able to clearly demonstrate your ability to generate impressive results by increasing aftersales performance, profitability and efficiency across multiple sites while maintaining excellent CSI performance. You must have first class planning and organisation skills and be capable of implementing complex initiatives or programmes successfully. You will be expected to develop and actively manage the Divisions aftersales marketing strategy in conjunction with the other Aftersales Directors.

Core Knowledge Requirements

• Awareness of Franchise campaigns, strategies, targets and standards
• Awareness of marketing strategies and techniques
• Knowledge of competitors’ products and prices and where they sit in the market
• Techniques to drive trade and retail performance
• Aftersales budgeting and cost control processes
• Kerridge and Manufacturer computer/ordering systems
• Vehicle and consumer legislation and trade practices.

If you feel you are able to demonstrate your ability to succeed in this role and are interested in joining the most progressive team in the industry please apply above.

If successful you can look forward to an excellent remuneration package, company car, BUPA cover, a share option and share incentive scheme, continuous ongoing training opportunities, career progression and a range of other benefits you would expect from an employer of choice, including a contributory pension scheme (from day one) and access to a childcare voucher scheme.