Lead Product Manager, Inventory

Carvana; Carmel (IN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical benefits

401K with match

Vehicle discounts

Student loan payments

Discounts on vehicles

Pet benefits

Wellness program

Job summary

Carvana in Carmel, Indiana, seeks a passionate Lead Product Manager to lead the Inventory and ADESA product teams. You’ll own roadmaps for reconditioning network, inspection centers, and ADESA auctions, working with GM, Engineering, and DSS to optimize operations across 150+ centers and 50+ auctions.

The role emphasizes data-driven decision-making, lean manufacturing, and AI-enabled improvements to speed, cost, and quality. Regular travel to centers nationwide is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, or similar field.
• Domain experience in supply chain, operations, manufacturing, or industrial engineering.
• Six+ years in product, product analytics, or related fields; higher for senior roles.
• Analytical thinking with SQL fluency and BI tool experience.
• AI-first approach with hands-on use of AI tools for research and productivity.
• Strong written/verbal communication and project management skills.
• Ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience in lean manufacturing, high-throughput operations, and automotive or ecommerce contexts.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple product managers in roadmaps for scaling the reconditioning network.
• Develop and drive scalable products aligned with business metrics.
• Create clear requirements and documents to guide engineering.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Data Science, Analytics, and stakeholders.
• Partner with DSS and ML Engineering on AI/ML solutions for automation.
• Own experimentation, measurement, and translate insights into improvements.
• Travel to Inspection Centers across the network for hands-on understanding.

Skills

SQL

Data analytics

Product roadmaps

Cross-functional leadership

AI/ML tools

Tableau/Looker/Sigma

Communication

Experimentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Tableau

Looker

Sigma

Snowflake

Job description

About Carvana

Stephens Investment Bank, Analyst Report, Sept. 2024

JP Morgan Chase, Analyst Report, Jan 2026

About Carvana

"We believe CVNA is in the early stages of becoming the next U.S. retail category killer."

Stephens Investment Bank, Analyst Report, Sept. 2024

"Growing a capital and labor intensive, industrial type asset at a 40% clip is unchartered territory…"

JP Morgan Chase, Analyst Report, Jan 2026

Building leading‑edge technology has been at the core of Carvana’s strategy since our founding, driving us to become the 3rd fastest company in history to organically reach the Fortune 500 following only Amazon and Google. Today, we remain founder‑lead and as ambitious as ever. In 2024, we have not only emerged as the fastest growing automotive retailer, but also the most profitable thanks to our deep vertical integration across retail, lending, vehicle transportation, wholesale auctions, and more.

If You Want To Grow Not Just As An Engineer But As a Leader And Business‑builder, Carvana Is The Place For You. Our Technology Teams Build

• End‑to‑end ecommerce for both selling and buying cars, including everything you see on Carvana.com and in our mobile apps.
• AI‑driven customer support across chat, email, SMS, and voice, as well as a proprietary CRM platform to ensure the most efficient and highest quality customer experience.
• 360° vehicle photography and interactive merchandising using cutting edge computer vision and AI techniques.
• The most sophisticated and self‑service automotive lending platform in the world.
• Systems and tools behind a nationwide logistics network that has delivered and picked up over 3 million cars via our fully owned and operated fleet of automotive haulers, efficiently managing distribution of our massive inventory to 85% of US driveways.
• Enterprise grade systems for operating the largest vehicle reconditioning facilities in the US, with workflow and automation to guide the work for everything mechanical, electrical, and cosmetic needed to bring each car to our high standards.
• Early adoption and customization of AI tools for optimizing our Developer efficiency and experience.

And much, much more…

This is a fully on‑site position, Monday through Friday, at our corporate office located in Carmel, Indiana. The role includes regular travel to Inspection Centers across the US.

About The Team And Position

We are looking for a passionate Lead Product Manager to lead multiple product managers within Carvana's Inventory and ADESA product teams. The Inventory and ADESA Product team owns the systems and processes that turn an acquired vehicle into sale‑ready inventory as efficiently as possible, across Carvana's network of 150+ Inspection Centers (ICs) and 50+ ADESA auctions. The team's scope spans reconditioning workflow and throughput, labor forecasting and utilization, vehicle quality standards, inventory management and lot operations workflows — the core levers that determine how fast, how well, and how cheaply a vehicle moves through the network. Our long‑term goal is to automate the reconditioning process using AI and machine learning, optimizing for speed, cost, and quality across the network.

This position requires a data‑centric product leader to lead and develop product managers accountable for the development and execution of product roadmaps in support of the broader business goals. You'll work closely with General Managers and their operations teams, Continuous Improvement, Quality, Procurement, Engineering, and Decision Support Sciences (DSS) to define and solve problems that affect the entire reconditioning network. This is a hands‑on, floor‑facing product role: you'll spend meaningful time inside Inspection Centers and ADESA Auctions, watching lines run, talking to technicians and shop and lot leadership, and using what you learn to shape the software and processes that support them. The ideal candidate has genuine empathy for the operators doing the work, is comfortable in a lean manufacturing environment, and gets energized by data‑heavy problems around labor, cycle time reduction, and quality that repeat across dozens of locations.

What you'll be doing

• Lead multiple product managers in the development and execution of product roadmaps in support of scaling and optimizing Carvana's reconditioning network, spanning Inspection Centers and ADESA auctions.
• Coach and develop your team to drive the business through launching and improving products that are scalable in support of applicable business metrics.
• Write consumable, actionable narratives to highlight business insights and new product requirements; regularly update the company, including senior leadership, with results and strategic recommendations.
• Actively participate in site‑level activities to better understand the needs and pain points of our field‑based partners. Have a deep understanding of the wants and needs of key stakeholders and user groups.
• Source and analyze data within product databases and SQL tables to provide business insights — when needed, create requirements for data visualizations in Tableau or other platforms.
• Drive the product roadmap and lead end‑to‑end product development informed by operator research, analytics, and business needs.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Engineering, Design, Data Science, Analytics, and business stakeholders to scope, prioritize, and ship high‑impact initiatives.
• Partner with DSS and ML Engineering to design and iterate on AI and machine learning solutions — including vehicle routing, labor demand forecasting, and automated quality detection — with a long‑term goal of fully automating the reconditioning process while optimizing for speed, cost, and quality.
• Own experimentation and measurement, actively interpreting results and translating insights into continuous product improvements.
• Apply AI tools as a core part of how you work, accelerating research, synthesis, prototyping, and day‑to‑day execution.
• Write clear requirements, project briefs, and documentation to align stakeholders and enable effective engineering execution.
• Use data to size opportunities, evaluate tradeoffs, and make decisions.
• Take full ownership of your product area and be accountable for the long‑term trajectory of key business outcomes such as sales, gross profit, and cost per unit.

What You Should Have / Know

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, or similar field from an accredited undergraduate institution required.
• Domain experience in supply chain, operations, manufacturing, or industrial engineering — particularly in environments where throughput, labor efficiency, and quality are the core business problems.
• Six or more years of product, product analytics, or related experience for mid‑level consideration; four or more years for senior‑level consideration.
• Analytical thinking, including fluency in SQL and comfort with BI tools such as Tableau, Looker, or Sigma. Capable of sizing opportunities, evaluating tradeoffs, and designing and interpreting experiments.
• An AI‑first approach to product work, with hands‑on experience using AI tools for research, analysis, prototyping, and day‑to‑day productivity. Excellent written and verbal communication, organizational, and project management skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to learn and absorb technical concepts and communicate them effectively to non‑technical audiences.
• Deep product experience at one or more highly successful and ideally high‑growth companies.
• Strong opinions about internal and operational products, with product taste calibrated to the needs of technicians, shop managers, lot operations crews, and operations teams.
• A willingness to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes for the sake of the team and our customers.
• Self‑motivated with a sense of humor and the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, ambitious environment.
• Regular travel to Inspection Centers across the network will be required.

It would be great if you also have

• A genuine passion for AI and its potential to transform product experiences — not just familiarity with the tools but a curiosity about where the technology is headed and how to apply it creatively.
• Demonstrated ability in designing, building, and deploying enterprise software solutions, with particular experience in areas such as industrial plant design, process management platforms, and automotive or supply chain manufacturing.
• Hands‑on experience building or iterating on AI‑driven or ML‑informed products, including features powered by machine learning, LLMs, RAG, tool‑calling, or agent frameworks.
• Knowledge of data science best practices and the ability to collaborate closely with data scientists and ML engineers to shape model‑informed product decisions.
• Strong UX instincts and the ability to anticipate user needs and pain points in operational and workflow software.
• Experience with agile methodology and product strategy and roadmapping.
• Familiarity with Snowflake, Sigma, Looker, or Tableau for independent data exploration.
• Experience in lean manufacturing, industrial engineering, or high‑throughput physical operations (automotive, logistics, warehousing).
• Background in parts procurement, supply chain systems, or inventory management.
• Background in automotive, e‑commerce, marketplaces, retail, or similarly complex operating environments.

What We’ll Offer In Return

• Full‑Time position with a competitive salary and Carvana stock compensation.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits.
• 401K with company match.
• A multitude of perks including student loan payments, discounts on vehicles, benefits for your pets, and much more.
• A great wellness program to keep you healthy and happy both physically and mentally.
• Access to opportunities to expand your skill set and share your knowledge with others across the organization.
• A company culture focused on high performance and bar‑raising, with vast opportunity to learn and grow.

Other Requirements

• Must be able to read, write, speak and understand English.

Of course, we’ll make any reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their jobs.

Legal stuff

Hiring is contingent on passing a complete background check. This role is eligible for visa sponsorship.

Carvana is an equal employment opportunity employer. All applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. Carvana also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories.

Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.