Company

Cox Automotive - USA

Job Family Group

Engineering / Product Development

Job Profile

Product Operations Director

Management Level

Director

Flexible Work Option

Hybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the week

Travel %

Yes, 5% of the time

Work Shift

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary of $129,100.00 - $215,100.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

The Enterprise Technology Product Operations Director is responsible for leading the product management discipline standards across all Cox Automotive product delivery streams and managing initiatives of strategic importance to the organization to enable product management excellence.  

  

This role works cross-functionally with key partners in the product development lifecycle to define and operationalize best practices, develop learning and development programs to educate team members on topics which aim to mature the Product organization and drive adoption of enterprise standards. This role supports driving on-going improvement in product development and management practices at scale to ensure our Product team member’s efforts achieve maximum impact.  

  

This role will operate in a portfolio focused on internal customer-facing products and practices. There is specific focus on accelerating discovery, stakeholder management, enabling customer feedback throughout the lifecycle, alignment of highly inter-dependent product roadmaps, driving efficiency, and improving alignment, communications, and processes around the products the Cox Automotive Product and Technology Group (CAPTG) team develops and manages. This role also will need to implement enterprise standards, practices, and processes to align with the stakeholder and work context in the Enterprise Technology portfolio. 

  

The ideal candidate has an advanced experience in product management and a strong background in working in large technology organizations with matrixed teams to build trusting relationships, understand needs, consult on the best ways to address them, all while driving change and measuring continuous improvement. They also must have excellent facilitation and communication skills, be process oriented and disciplined, as well as possess the ability to think through broad needs across the enterprise. 

 

The Enterprise Technology Product Operations Director is responsible for helping SVPs, VPs, and AVPs assess and improve the product management discipline within specific delivery streams and/or across enterprise initiatives.   

This role works cross-functionally with key partners in the product development lifecycle and the Enterprise Transformation COE to propagate best practices and develop learning & development programs to educate team members and drive adoption of these standards. This role is ultimately responsible for driving a successful step-change improvement in product management practices within the portfolio and delivery streams supported.  

This role will operate in a portfolio focused on internal customer-facing products and practices. There is a specific focus on accelerating discovery, stakeholder management, enabling customer feedback throughout the lifecycle, alignment of highly inter-dependent product roadmaps, and improving alignment, communications, and processes around the products the Cox Automotive Product and Technology Group (CAPTG) team develops and manages.  

The Product Operations Director must have excellent facilitation skills and a track record of product management excellence, an awareness of key practices and skills necessary to effectively perform the job of product manager, and an ability to work with leaders and team members in a supportive manner to elevate their performance as a product managers or product management leaders. The ideal candidate has advanced experience in product management and a strong background working in large technology organizations with matrixed teams to build trusting relationships, understand needs, consult on the best way to address them, all while driving change and measuring continuous improvement.   

 

 Position responsibilities:  

Maturing Product Management: Drive processes that improve various levels of product management maturity and skills and well as elevate our ability to function as one Cox Automotive. Accountable for improvements in product discipline maturity within Enterprise Technology  

Enterprise Stewardship: Partner with Product Operations, Product Management and other teams internal to the Product COE and CAPTG to coordinate efforts and promote awareness for Product Operations initiatives 

Required Qualifications: 

  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

Strong ability and desire to: 

catalyze behavioral change through knowledge and compelling, thoughtfully curated information   

provide excellent service to internal clients / stakeholders, always seeking to add incremental value   

think critically and broadly about the ways tools can be used, can be used together  

teach others and illuminate best practices in a compelling way that drives buy-in and sustained adoption 

manage multiple tasks simultaneously to meet aggressive goals and objectives 

 

The candidate must think in terms of how to meet diverse needs while driving enterprise cohesion. They also must be technical and creative, while understanding what a role a Product organization plays in a technology company. 

  

Other key attributes:  

self-motivated, able to independently drive initiatives with minimal oversight  

thinking and operating broadly across diverse teams/stakeholders, macro/enterprise-level thinking  

excellent team player who brings a passionate, positive, high-energy approach to working across diverse internal stakeholders and delivering results 

Experience and education required: 

 Education:  

Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline and 10 years’ experience in a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 8 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 5 years’ experience in a related field; or 14 years’ experience in a related field

5-7 years of experience in a Product organization directly in Product Management or Product Operations 

Experience specifically in the technology space with a software company 

Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Product Management practices and processes  

An extensive background in leading large multi-discipline organizations to create and deliver programs at scale that result in improved operational excellence  

Strong leadership, facilitation, negotiation skills 

Direct involvement in driving continuous improvement and large operational change management initiatives  

Strong ability to build key business relationships and contribute to the enterprise vision at Cox Automotive 

Strong ability to assess capabilities, gaps, and build plans for addressing training needs  

Managing initiatives with diverse stakeholders / needs to address  

  

Working knowledge of: 

Product Lifecycle  

Agile Delivery  

Double Diamond framework 

Change Management Experience/Work

  

Nice to have: 

Consulting experience  

Previous use of Human Centered Design methods, certification not required  

Knowledge of Lean (Six Sigma) concepts, certification not required  

  

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, parental leave, and COVID-19 vaccination leave.

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.

Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.