Parts Manager

Summary

A Parts Manager in an auto dealership is responsible for managing the inventory, procurement, and distribution of automotive parts and accessories. They oversee the parts department, ensuring that it operates efficiently and meets customer and service department needs. They maintain relationships with suppliers, negotiate pricing, and monitor inventory levels to optimize stock availability and minimize costs. Additionally, Parts Managers assist with identifying and ordering specific parts for repairs and coordinating with the service department to ensure timely delivery and customer satisfaction.

Work Environment

As part of our team, you’ll find yourself surrounded by motivated individuals who share a common goal of delivering exceptional automotive service. Together, we strive for excellence, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. In this stimulating and team-oriented environment, you’ll develop lasting professional relationships, expand your skill set, and embark on a fulfilling career in the automotive industry.

Desirable Attributes

  1. Automotive Parts Knowledge: A strong understanding of automotive parts and their functionalities is crucial. The ideal candidate should possess extensive knowledge of various parts, their applications, compatibility, and quality standards to effectively manage inventory and assist customers and technicians.
  2. Organizational Skills: The ability to manage inventory effectively, maintain accurate records, and streamline parts ordering and distribution processes is essential. A Parts Manager should have excellent organizational skills to ensure efficient operations, minimize stockouts, and maximize profitability.
  3. Leadership and Team Management: As a manager, the ability to lead and motivate a team of parts personnel is vital. Strong leadership skills, including delegation, training, and performance management, enable effective teamwork, productivity, and customer service.
  4. Analytical and Problem-Solving Abilities: Parts Managers often need to analyze data, such as sales trends, inventory turnover, and customer needs, to make informed decisions. They should possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify areas for improvement, optimize inventory levels, and address customer inquiries and issues effectively.
  5. Customer Service Orientation: Providing exceptional customer service is crucial in the parts department. A Parts Manager should possess strong interpersonal skills, attentiveness to customer needs, and the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with customers, technicians, and suppliers.

Essential Duties

  • Forecasts goals and objectives for the department and strives to meet them.
  • Hires, trains, motivates, counsels and monitors the performance of all parts department staff.
  • Prepares and administers an annual operating budget for the parts department.
  • Maintains a balanced inventory consistent with the requirements of the service department, body shop, wholesale accounts, and the do-it-yourself public.
  • Establishes pricing parameters in each customer category that generate sufficient gross profit to produce a satisfactory profit while maintaining customer loyalty.
  • Establishes individual parts inventory levels and balances them for maximum turnover.
  • Ensures that parts inventory turns a minimum defined by the General Manager times per year.
  • Monitors and adjusts inventory to minimize obsolescence.
  • Ensures that all parts are properly tagged so that the dealership recovers full credit from the factory.
  • Supervises stock order procedures.
  • Sets and enforces a policy on the special ordering of parts. Ensures that stock orders represent a defined minimum percent of all orders.
  • Analyzes sales, expenses, and inventory monthly to maintain profit goals.
  • Develops and administers an aggressive wholesale parts program to produce a profit.
  • Ensures that the same high-quality level of service provided to outside customers is also provided to internal dealership customers.
  • Works with the service manager and body shop manager to ensure a timely turnaround of parts needed for internal jobs.
  • Attends managers’ meetings.
  • Holds weekly department meetings.
  • Analyzes departmental operations and storage layout and revises as needed for maximum effectiveness.
  • Provides technical assistance to parts department employees.
  • Monitors parts department employees’ payroll records.
  • Coordinates a prompt, efficient and timely flow of paperwork.
  • Directs shipping and receiving efforts to ensure timely processing.
  • Monitors daily reports such as DOE, DOC and sales productivity.
  • Develops and utilizes a lost sales tracking report.
  • Directs outside parts and counter sales efforts, including a telemarketing program to keep in contact with customers.
  • Develops sales promotions.
  • Takes advantage of all manufacturers’ inventory co-op advertising.
  • Develops, enforces and monitors guidelines for working with customers to ensure maximum customer satisfaction.
  • Handles customer complaints immediately and according to the dealership’s guidelines.
  • Ensures that all dealership purchases are properly accounted for before payment is made.
  • Assists in the collection of past-due accounts.
  • Supervises custodians to ensure that the work area is kept clean.
  • Enforces safety requirements, including but not limited to forklift training and operation, processing of MSDS sheets on all products carried and OSHA Right-to-Know.
  • Understands and keeps abreast of, and complies with federal, state and local regulations that may affect parts sales.
  • Maintains a professional appearance.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities
All Parts Department staff.

Valid Driver’s License is required