SERVICE MANAGER / FIXED OPERATIONS MANAGER

Build It From the Ground Up | Internal Recon + Retail Service | Leadership Growth Opportunity We're not hiring someone to inherit a service department. We're hiring someone to build one. Vantacar is launching a full service operation designed to complement and strengthen our existing retail automotive business in Owensboro. The demand already exists. We currently have 150+ inventory units requiring varying levels of mechanical attention, diagnosis, inspection, repair or placement with qualified outside vendors. We also have an existing customer base of 5,000+ customers that creates a significant long-term opportunity for maintenance, repairs and continued customer relationships after the vehicle sale. And we already have something equally important: Three young, bright, energetic technicians who want to work, learn and get better. Now we need the person capable of leading them.

THIS IS A BUILDER'S POSITION

We're not looking for someone whose only experience is maintaining a service department somebody else already built. We want someone who can help answer: How should vehicles flow through the shop? What gets diagnosed first? What gets repaired internally? What should be outsourced? Who should we outsource it to? What should each repair reasonably cost? Where are we wasting money? How do we source parts more intelligently? How do we measure technician productivity? How do we prioritize 150+ vehicles? How do we build inspections that actually catch problems? How do we develop three talented technicians into exceptional technicians?

And eventually:

How do we turn this into a profitable public-facing service department? You'll have the opportunity to help build those answers.

CRITICAL THINKING IS PARAMOUNT

Replacing parts is not diagnosing a vehicle. We need someone who understands the difference. Diagnostic ability will be crucial to this position. When a vehicle has an electrical, drivability, mechanical or intermittent problem, we don't want to continually throw parts at it until something works. We want someone capable of slowing the problem down, understanding the system, testing intelligently and determining the actual cause. That same thinking applies to management. If recon is backed up, why? If repair costs are increasing, why? If a technician repeatedly misses something, why? If vehicles are sitting waiting on parts, why? If we're outsourcing the same repair repeatedly, should we develop that capability internally? If we're doing something internally that another source can perform significantly better or cheaper, should we continue doing it? Solve the problem—not just the symptom.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MASTER TECH A

Master Technician background would be extremely valuable and will absolutely be considered accordingly. But it is not mandatory. We're looking for someone who has a strong understanding of automobiles, diagnostics, repair processes and shop operations and who can lead people. You need enough automotive knowledge to earn the respect of technicians and make intelligent repair decisions. You also need enough humility to recognize when someone else knows more than you. We want a leader who develops technicians—not someone who needs to prove they're the smartest mechanic in the shop. That said, this is a hands-on environment. There will be times when you will be expected to: Diagnose a difficult vehicle. Perform or verify an inspection. Help a technician work through a problem. Jump into a repair when necessary. Test drive a vehicle. Verify that a repair actually corrected the concern. You need to be comfortable around cars—not just comfortable managing people who work on them.

YOU WILL LEAD THE TECHNICIANS

We currently have three young technicians with energy, ability and room to grow. That's an opportunity. Your responsibility is not simply to hand them repair orders. We want you to make them better. Teach diagnostic thinking. Establish repair procedures. Create accountability. Inspect work. Help identify weaknesses. Recognize strengths. Teach efficiency. Establish cleanliness and organization. Build pride in workmanship. Create realistic deadlines. And develop a shop culture where people want to perform. A great Service Manager shouldn't just produce repaired vehicles. They should produce better technicians.

THE FIRST PRIORITY

OUR

INVENTORY

Initially, public service will not be our primary focus. Our retail dealership already creates substantial service demand. We currently have more than 150 inventory units requiring some combination of: Inspection Diagnosis Mechanical repair Electrical diagnosis Maintenance Parts Recon Vendor work Outside specialty repair Final quality-control inspection We need someone who can bring structure to that pipeline. Every vehicle sitting unnecessarily represents capital that isn't producing.

The objective is:

Acquire → Inspect → Diagnose → Approve → Repair → Verify → Frontline And we need to know exactly where every vehicle is in that process.

WATCH EVERY DOLLAR

This is extremely important. We're not interested in being cheap. We're interested in being intelligent with money. There is a difference.

Every repair decision should consider:

Parts cost Labor time Vehicle value Retail margin Alternative repair methods OEM vs. quality aftermarket options Internal vs. outside labor Vendor pricing Turnaround time Warranty considerations Likelihood of comeback Sometimes the cheapest repair becomes the most expensive repair. Sometimes we're spending $1,500 solving a problem that could have been solved correctly for $500. We expect you to know the difference. Treat dealership money like it matters—because it does.

VENDOR MANAGEMENT

Not everything belongs inside our shop. You'll help develop and manage relationships with: Specialty repair facilities Transmission shops Body shops Alignment/tire facilities Parts vendors Mobile technicians Diagnostic specialists Dealership service departments Other outside contractors But sending something outside doesn't eliminate responsibility.

You should know:

Why it's there. What they're doing. What they quoted. When it should be completed. Whether the price is reasonable. Whether the repair was performed correctly. And when we're getting the vehicle back. Outsourced vehicles cannot become forgotten vehicles.

INSPECTIONS & QUALITY CONTROL

We want a legitimate pre-sale inspection process. Not a checklist that gets pencil-whipped. If we sell a vehicle, we want reasonable confidence that we understand its condition. You will help establish and enforce inspection standards and verify that repairs are completed correctly before vehicles return to the sales operation.

Our objective is to reduce:

Missed problems Comebacks Unnecessary after-sale expenses Customer frustration Repeated repairs Unexpected mechanical exposure Good isn't good enough until it's your best—and it's the best. That standard applies in the shop just as much as it does on the sales floor.

SCHEDULING & SHOP FLOW

You'll manage the movement of work through the department.

That includes:

Technician assignments Repair priorities Internal appointments Customer appointments Parts availability Vendor scheduling Repair-order status Estimated completion dates Vehicle movement Quality control Communication with management A shop can have excellent technicians and still perform terribly if nobody controls the workflow. You will control the workflow.

WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS

As the department develops, you'll also interact directly with customers. That means being able to explain mechanical issues in normal language. No unnecessary technical jargon. No talking down to people. No selling repairs customers don't need.

We want customers to understand:

What's wrong. Why it matters. What it costs. What needs to happen now. What can reasonably wait. Our existing customer base gives us an enormous opportunity to continue relationships long after the original vehicle purchase. Eventually, we intend to develop public service into another meaningful part of the business.

WHERE YOU FIT IN MANAGEMENT

Vantacar is building a larger management structure around clearly defined areas of responsibility.

GM / OPERATOR

Owns overall dealership performance, leadership and strategy.

AGM / INVENTORY & OPERATIONS

Owns inventory acquisition, inventory performance, recon and dealership operations.

SERVICE MANAGER / FIXED OPERATIONS

Owns the mechanical pipeline, technicians, diagnosis, shop workflow, repair quality and service cost control.

GSM / SALES & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Owns the sales team, leads, customer experience and sales development.

ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS

Owns titles, records, payables, documentation and administrative controls. The Service Manager will work particularly closely with the AGM / Inventory & Operations Manager. The AGM determines what inventory needs to accomplish from a business perspective. You determine how the service operation executes it.

WE WANT AMBITION

We're not building this department for it to remain a three-technician internal shop forever. We're starting with what the dealership already needs. Then we build. Internal recon. Customer retention. Retail service. Additional technicians. Additional bays. Additional capabilities. Potentially additional locations. The person who helps successfully build the first service department should have the opportunity to grow as the operation grows. We want someone who eventually thinks beyond: "How many cars did we fix today?" and starts thinking: "How do I build a service operation that can handle hundreds of vehicles efficiently, profitably and at a consistently high standard?"

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Strong candidates may currently be: Service Managers Shop Foremen Lead Technicians Diagnostic Technicians Master Technicians ready for management Assistant Service Managers Fixed Operations professionals Experienced independent-shop managers We care about experience. But we care even more about ability.

You should be:

High energy Automotive knowledgeable Strong diagnostically Organized Cost-conscious Competitive Accountable Comfortable leading people Capable of teaching Willing to learn Good with customers Good with vendors Comfortable making decisions Able to prioritize Able to think critically Willing to get your hands dirty when necessary

THIS PROBABLY ISN'T FOR YOU

IF... Your first solution to every problem is replacing parts. You blame technicians instead of developing them. You can't keep track of multiple vehicles simultaneously. You don't pay attention to repair costs. You send difficult problems somewhere else without trying to understand them. You don't like dealing with customers. You believe management means sitting in an office. Or you need somebody above you making every decision.

THIS MAY BE FOR YOU

IF... You can walk into a busy shop and create order. You genuinely enjoy diagnosing difficult problems. You like teaching younger technicians. You understand that every day an inventory vehicle sits costs the company money. You negotiate with vendors. You find better parts sources. You question unnecessary expenses. You take pride in sending a vehicle out correctly repaired. You want responsibility.

And most importantly:

You want the opportunity to build something—not simply work inside something somebody else already built. We're not desperate to fill this position. We have an unusual opportunity, a substantial amount of immediate work and a talented young team already in place. We're looking for the person capable of turning those pieces into a service department. When applying, tell us about the most difficult diagnostic problem you've personally solved and about a process, shop or team you've helped improve.

Pay:

$85,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Employee discount Health insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Referral program Retirement plan

Work Location:

In person