Operations Enablement Specialist

Cars.com; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

Home Office Stipend

Generous PTO

Paid Holidays

Volunteer Day

Recharge Day

Job summary

Cars Commerce is seeking an Operations Enablement Specialist to design, integrate, and optimize processes across the Operations organization. You will link strategy to execution and partner with product, IT, and operations to operationalize new features and initiatives.

A growing part of the role is AI enablement; you will serve as the resource for AI project intake, coordination, and cross-functional guidance, helping teams identify use cases and adopt tools responsibly.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years in operations, process improvement, or related role.
• Experience designing business processes across cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on familiarity with AI tools and generative AI.
• Strong PM skills; manage multiple initiatives with minimal supervision.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities; translate concepts clearly.
• Experience with Salesforce; workflow automation knowledge a plus.
• Collaborative by nature; builds relationships to move work forward across teams.

Responsibilities

• AI project intake and cross-functional guidance across the organization.
• Develop and maintain AI intake processes, evaluation frameworks, and documentation.
• Track status and impact of active AI initiatives across Operations.
• Create AI enablement resources like playbooks and training materials.
• Design and implement new operational processes to improve efficiency.
• Integrate workflows across products, teams, and systems.
• Communicate process changes and project updates to stakeholders at all levels.
• Test processes prior to rollout and address gaps before they affect customers.

Skills

Operations management

Process improvement

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Clear communication

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Be Essential At Cars Commerce At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, our reputation-based digital wholesale auction marketplace, Dealerclub, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

Be Essential At Cars Commerce At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, our reputation-based digital wholesale auction marketplace, Dealerclub, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it’s built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together – putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challenge and Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it’s hard. It’s our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don't take our word for it. We are proud to be named one of Built In's 2026 Best Places to Work in Chicago and across the U.S. Ready to make your mark? Join a team that's driving real change in the automotive industry.

The Operations Enablement Specialist is a cross-functional contributor on the Operations Enablement team responsible for designing, integrating, and optimizing the processes and workflows that keep the Operations organization running efficiently. This role connects strategy to execution, partnering with teams across the business to ensure new products, initiatives, and tools are operationalized effectively and consistently.

The Operations Enablement Specialist is a cross-functional contributor on the Operations Enablement team responsible for designing, integrating, and optimizing the processes and workflows that keep the Operations organization running efficiently. This role connects strategy to execution, partnering with teams across the business to ensure new products, initiatives, and tools are operationalized effectively and consistently.

The Operations Enablement Specialist is a cross-functional contributor on the Operations Enablement team responsible for designing, integrating, and optimizing the processes and workflows that keep the Operations organization running efficiently. This role connects strategy to execution, partnering with teams across the business to ensure new products, initiatives, and tools are operationalized effectively and consistently. A growing and central part of this role is AI enablement. The Operations Enablement Specialist serves as an organizational resource for AI project intake, coordination, and cross-functional guidance, helping teams across Cars Commerce identify AI use cases, navigate implementation, and adopt tools in a structured and responsible way. This role reports to the Senior Manager, Operations Enablement and operates with a high degree of independence on project-level work.

Essential Job Functions

AI Project Intake & Cross-Functional Guidance

• Serve as the intake point for AI project requests across the organization, evaluating use cases, assessing feasibility, and coordinating prioritization with the Senior Manager, Operations Enablement
• Provide cross-functional guidance to teams exploring AI tools and automation, helping them structure their use cases, identify the right solutions, and implement in a way that is consistent with Cars Commerce’s AI governance standards
• Partner with the Senior Manager to develop and maintain AI intake processes, evaluation frameworks, and documentation that give the broader organization a clear path for bringing AI ideas forward
• Track the status and outcomes of active AI initiatives across Operations, maintaining visibility into what is in flight, what has launched, and what impact has been measured
• Contribute to the development and delivery of AI enablement resources, including playbooks, training materials, and internal guidance documents that help teams adopt generative AI tools with confidence
• Stay current on emerging AI tools, capabilities, and best practices; bring relevant recommendations to the Senior Manager on where to invest attention next

Process Development & Integration

• Design and implement new operational processes that improve efficiency, reduce friction, and support consistent execution across the Operations organization
• Integrate workflows across products, teams, and systems to ensure continuity as the business evolves, with particular attention to newly launched or recently changed products
• Partner with Product, IT, and Operations teams to ensure that new features, product launches, and system changes have documented, tested, and operationally sound processes in place before they reach teams
• Analyze existing workflows to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and breakdowns; develop and execute improvement plans in collaboration with the relevant teams
• Test both technical and operational processes prior to rollout, documenting findings and driving resolution on gaps before they affect the customer or dealer experience
• Work with third-party partners to establish, update, and govern processes that cross organizational boundaries
• Serve on the initial team executing new processes in customer-facing or cross-functional contexts, maintaining feedback loops that inform iteration and improvement
• Communicate process changes, AI guidance, and project updates clearly to stakeholders at all levels, from individual contributors to senior leadership

Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in operations, process improvement, project management, or a related role
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing business processes across cross-functional teams
• Hands-on familiarity with AI and generative AI tools, with an ability to evaluate use cases practically and help others adopt new tools effectively
• Strong project management skills; able to manage multiple concurrent initiatives, track progress, and deliver on time without close supervision
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; comfortable assessing process gaps and structuring solutions with limited ambiguity
• Clear and effective communicator across functions and levels; able to translate technical or process concepts for non-technical audiences
• Experience working with Salesforce; familiarity with workflow and process automation tools a plus
• Collaborative by nature; builds relationships quickly and knows how to move work forward across teams without relying on authority

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI project governance, intake coordination, or internal AI enablement programs
• Familiarity with prompt engineering, generative AI workflow design, or AI tool evaluation frameworks
• Background in automotive, marketplace, or dealer technology industries
• Experience in a role that required working directly with customers or external partners during process rollouts

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position. In addition to base salary, some roles are eligible for our bonus and/or equity programs, depending on level and role. Regular full-time positions are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package. If you are hired at Cars Commerce, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills and/or experience. If the salary range is close to what you're seeking, then we encourage you to apply and learn more about the total compensation package for this position.

Salary Range

$64,600.00-79,150.00

Our Comprehensive Benefits Package Includes

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans
• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up
• Generous PTO
• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day

Learn more about our Benefits, Perks, & Culture on our LinkedIn Life Pages!

For US-based Positions

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Please note that we are unable to sponsor employment visas at this time.

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