Head of Buying Operations

Carma Limited; Iluwurru; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Social events and team activities

Discounts on Carma cars and parts

NRMA cover discounts

Job summary

Carma Limited is seeking a Head of Buying Operations to lead the Buying Operations teams and optimise the customer journey from enquiry to vehicle purchase at the Carma HQ in Sydney. This permanent full-time role involves driving end-to-end efficiency, scaling processes, and shaping a high-performing, customer-first culture across buying functions.

You will coach leaders, translate targets into actionable goals, and partner with People to plan workforce needs.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading large customer-facing operations in fast-growing environments.
• Proven ability to build and scale operational teams across multi-site businesses.
• Strong people leadership with performance management.
• Able to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Highly commercial with target-driven mindset.

Responsibilities

• Lead Buying Operations teams across Customer Buying, Buying Customer Experience (BCX) and Inspections, creating a high-performing, customer-first culture.
• Coach and support Team Leads and Managers through performance conversations and development plans.
• Translate targets into achievable team goals and monitor buying funnel performance.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement improvements to optimize the end-to-end Sell to Carma journey.
• Collaborate with People on workforce planning, hiring and org design.
• Support capacity planning and readiness for new Sell to Carma sites.
• Build relationships across Buying, Strategy & Business Operations, Compliance and Valuations to drive improvements.

Job description

Head of Buying Operations

Department: Buying

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Carma HQ

Reporting To: Peter Willis

Compensation: $180,000 - $220,000 / year

Description

At Carma, we're more than just a car company—we're on a mission to shake up the Australian automotive industry! As a digital pre-owned car dealership, we're transforming the car buying and selling experience into something seamless, transparent and genuinely enjoyable. With our diverse and collaborative team managing everything from engineering to marketing, buying to reconditioning in-house, we're powered by great people—and we'd love for you to come along for the ride.

We're looking for a Head of Buying Operations to lead one of the most critical functions in our business. This is an opportunity to take an operation that's built strong foundations and scale it to the next level. You'll lead our Buying Operations teams, optimise the customer journey from first enquiry through to vehicle purchase, and build the systems, processes and culture that will support Carma's continued growth.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead and develop our Buying Operations teams across Customer Buying, Buying Customer Experience (BCX) and Inspections, creating a high-performing, customer-first culture.
• Coach and support Team Leads and Managers through regular performance conversations, development plans and strong operational rhythms.
• Translate ambitious buying targets into achievable team goals, ensuring performance stays on track across every stage of the buying funnel.
• Monitor daily and weekly operational performance, identifying bottlenecks and implementing improvements before they impact results.
• Own and optimise the end-to-end Sell to Carma customer journey, improving conversion rates, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
• Dive deep into frontline processes to understand how work gets done, then identify opportunities to simplify, automate and scale.
• Partner with People on workforce planning, hiring and organisational design to ensure the team stays ahead of business growth.
• Support the launch of new Sell to Carma sites through effective capacity planning, resourcing and operational readiness.
• Build strong relationships across Buying, Strategy & Business Operations, Compliance, Valuations and Onboarding to deliver business-wide improvements.
• Stay connected to frontline operations by attending inspections, visiting sites and spending time with the team to maintain quality and identify improvement opportunities.
• Use data and reporting to identify trends, solve operational challenges and make informed commercial decisions.
• Please note this position is based in our Alexandria Head Office and will require regular travel across our Sydney inspection sites.

Okay, let's talk about you:

• You have significant experience leading large customer-facing operations in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• You've successfully built and scaled operational teams, ideally across contact centres, field operations or multi-site businesses.
• You're an experienced people leader who knows how to develop leaders, build strong cultures and confidently manage performance.
• You enjoy balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution and aren't afraid to jump into the detail to understand how things really work.
• You're highly commercial and comfortable working towards ambitious operational and customer targets.
• You're naturally curious and always looking for ways to improve processes, customer experience and team performance.
• You build strong relationships and influence stakeholders across multiple teams and levels of the business.
• You're highly data-driven and use insights to make decisions, prioritise work and drive continuous improvement.
• You're confident using CRM platforms, reporting tools and operational systems.
• You have a growth mindset, thrive in ambiguity and enjoy building structure as businesses scale.
• A valid driver's licence is essential.

What's in it for you?

• Join a high-growth business where you'll play a key role in shaping one of Carma's most important operational functions.
• Work with an ambitious, collaborative team that's passionate about changing the way Australians buy and sell cars.
• Make a genuine impact with the autonomy to improve processes, build teams and influence business outcomes.
• We love social events—from parties and go-karting to bake sales, there's something for everyone.
• Enjoy discounts on Carma cars, parts and NRMA cover.