Director, CAF Strategic Program Management

CarMax; Kennesaw (GA); On-site; USD 148,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

CarMax Auto Finance seeks a Director of Program Management to lead the CAF PM function, aligning business and technology initiatives with enterprise goals. The role focuses on governance, prioritization, and value realization across complex programs while developing leadership in the program management discipline.

The candidate will drive problem-solving culture, strategic investments, and measurable outcomes, partnering with CAF and Technology leadership to optimize delivery and associate

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in program management, business, technology, operations, finance, analytics, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience leading complex cross-functional programs, business transformation, technology-enabled change, operational strategy, or portfolio delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence across senior leaders, business partners, Technology, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of business processes, operating models, systems, data flows, integrations, controls, and how technology changes impact operations.
• Experience establishing intake, prioritization, governance, portfolio management, value realization, and outcome measurement practices.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate ambiguous business problems, identify root causes, assess solution options, and guide leaders toward practical decisions.
• Experience leading leaders or developing program management talent preferred.
• Strong executive communication skills, including the ability to summarize complex operational and technical information into clear recommendations.
• Curiosity and working knowledge of automation, AI-enabled solutions, reporting improvements, workflow redesign, or emerging technology opportunities.
• Consumer finance, auto finance, operations, technology, risk, analytics, or process improvement experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish the vision, strategy, operating model, and standards for CAF Program Management, ensuring the function enables disciplined problem solving, business and technology alignment, and measurable value delivery.
• Partner with senior leaders to identify, evaluate, prioritize, and sequence complex business and technology initiatives based on strategic value, operational impact, capacity, risk, and organizational readiness.
• Lead portfolio-level governance by creating visibility into initiative demand, dependencies, resource needs, risks, tradeoffs, business outcomes, and value realization across CAF.
• Establish and reinforce a problem-solving culture that ensures leaders and teams consistently identify root causes, evaluate opportunities objectively, and prioritize solutions based on business value, customer impact, and strategic alignment.
• Shape CAF's approach to technology-enabled business transformation by promoting the use of automation, AI, workflow optimization, and scalable technology solutions that improve business performance and associate experience.
• Serve as a strategic liaison between CAF leadership and Technology leadership to align investment decisions, delivery capacity, technology roadmaps, and business priorities.
• Evaluate enterprise impacts of business, organizational, process, and technology changes and guide leaders through tradeoff decisions that balance risk, capacity, customer outcomes, and long-term strategic objectives.
• Develop leaders and program management talent by setting expectations, coaching problem-solving discipline, strengthening technical and business acumen, and building a consistent program management capability.
• Provide executive-level communication, recommendations, and decision support that summarize complex operational and technical issues into clear options, tradeoffs, and recommended paths forward.
• Continuously improve program management practices, intake processes, governance routines, documentation standards, adoption planning, and value measurement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Problem solving

Portfolio management

Cross-functional collaboration

Influence across leadership

Business-technology alignment

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Job description

9002 - Carmax Auto Finance - 225 Chastain Meadows Ct NW, Kennesaw, Georgia, 30144

CarMax, the way your career should be!

Director, Program Management

CarMax Auto Finance, Kennesaw, GA

About This Job

The Director, Program Management is responsible for leading the Program Management function for CarMax Auto Finance and ensuring CAF is focused on the highest-value opportunities that support strategic objectives and long-term business outcomes. This role partners with senior leadership to establish portfolio priorities, allocate resources, evaluate investment opportunities, and ensure business and technology initiatives are aligned to department and enterprise goals. The Director establishes the operating model, standards, governance framework, and capability strategy for Program Management. This role oversees portfolio health, prioritization, value realization, organizational capacity, and the effectiveness of how business problems are identified, evaluated, and addressed across CAF. The Director leads through influence, strategic thinking, and possesses broad business acumen and technical fluency. This role creates an environment where teams are empowered to solve complex problems, leverage technology effectively, and continuously improve business outcomes for associates, customers, and the organization.

What You Will Do – Essential Responsibilities

• Establish the vision, strategy, operating model, and standards for CAF Program Management, ensuring the function enables disciplined problem solving, business and technology alignment, and measurable value delivery.
• Partner with senior leaders to identify, evaluate, prioritize, and sequence complex business and technology initiatives based on strategic value, operational impact, capacity, risk, and organizational readiness.
• Lead portfolio-level governance by creating visibility into initiative demand, dependencies, resource needs, risks, tradeoffs, business outcomes, and value realization across CAF.
• Establish and reinforce a problem-solving culture that ensures leaders and teams consistently identify root causes, evaluate opportunities objectively, and prioritize solutions based on business value, customer impact, and strategic alignment.
• Shape CAF's approach to technology-enabled business transformation by promoting the use of automation, AI, workflow optimization, and scalable technology solutions that improve business performance and associate experience.
• Serve as a strategic liaison between CAF leadership and Technology leadership to align investment decisions, delivery capacity, technology roadmaps, and business priorities.
• Evaluate enterprise impacts of business, organizational, process, and technology changes and guide leaders through tradeoff decisions that balance risk, capacity, customer outcomes, and long-term strategic objectives.
• Develop leaders and program management talent by setting expectations, coaching problem-solving discipline, strengthening technical and business acumen, and building a consistent program management capability.
• Provide executive-level communication, recommendations, and decision support that summarize complex operational and technical issues into clear options, tradeoffs, and recommended paths forward.
• Continuously improve program management practices, intake processes, governance routines, documentation standards, adoption planning, and value measurement.

Purpose of the Role

The Director, Program Management ensures CAF has the discipline, visibility, and leadership needed to solve complex business problems through strong partnership between business and Technology. This role is accountable for elevating the function beyond project coordination by helping leaders determine what problems matter most, what solutions are feasible, what tradeoffs exist, and how work should be sequenced to deliver meaningful business outcomes. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader who can influence across levels, connect business priorities to technology capabilities, develop others, and use industry, operational, and technical knowledge to improve processes.

Qualifications And Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in program management, business, technology, operations, finance, analytics, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience leading complex cross-functional programs, business transformation, technology-enabled change, operational strategy, or portfolio delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence across senior leaders, business partners, Technology, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of business processes, operating models, systems, data flows, integrations, controls, and how technology changes impact operations.
• Experience establishing intake, prioritization, governance, portfolio management, value realization, and outcome measurement practices.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate ambiguous business problems, identify root causes, assess solution options, and guide leaders toward practical decisions.
• Experience leading leaders or developing program management talent preferred.
• Strong executive communication skills, including the ability to summarize complex operational and technical information into clear recommendations.
• Curiosity and working knowledge of automation, AI-enabled solutions, reporting improvements, workflow redesign, or emerging technology opportunities.
• Consumer finance, auto finance, operations, technology, risk, analytics, or process improvement experience preferred.

About CarMax

CarMax disrupted the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent, and high-integrity experience customers want and deserve. This innovative thinking around the way cars are bought and sold has helped us become the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, with over 250 locations nationwide. Our amazing team of more than 30,000 associates work together to deliver iconic customer experiences. Along the way, we help every associate grow their career and achieve their best, at work and in their community. We are recognized for our commitment to training and diversity and are one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®.CarMax is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Annual Salary For This Position Is

$148,100.00 - $237,000.00

May be eligible for bonus and equity.

Benefits

Except as otherwise required by state law, CarMax Associates are entitled to the following paid sick, vacation, and holiday time.

Associates That Are Considered Full-time Hourly Or Commission/incentive Eligible

• To earn up to 48 hours of sick time per year accrued on a per pay period basis and between 80 hours and 200 hours per year of vacation time after a 90 day waiting period depending on years of continuous service with the Company.
• For 8 hours of pay for each of a total of 6 paid scheduled holidays per year plus 1 floating holiday. If such an Associate does work on a scheduled holiday due to business need, they are eligible for Holiday Premium Pay.

Associates considered full-time salaried are entitled to paid time away with no specified limit as needed for sick, vacation, bereavement, jury duty, holidays, floating holiday, etc. subject to manager approval.

For more details about benefits, please visit our CarMax Benefits website.

Upon an applicant's request, CarMax will consider reasonable accommodation to complete the CarMax Job Application.