Operations Enablement Specialist-3

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) with company match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Unlimited Flex Time Off

Paid parental and caregiver leave

Home office stipend

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Cars.com is modernizing its operations and seeks an Operations Enablement Specialist to design, integrate, and optimize processes across the organization. This role emphasizes AI enablement, intake governance, and cross-functional guidance to ensure new tools and initiatives are operationalized effectively.

The position reports to the Senior Manager, Operations Enablement and collaborates with Product, IT, and Operations teams to maintain documented, tested processes before rollout.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years in operations, process improvement, or related role.
• Experience designing and implementing cross-functional processes.
• Hands-on familiarity with AI and generative AI tools.
• Strong project management and ability to juggle multiple initiatives.
• Analytical, problem-solving mindset with clear communication.
• Experience working with Salesforce is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as intake point for AI projects and coordinate prioritization.
• Guide cross-functional teams on AI tools and implementation.
• Develop AI intake processes, evaluation frameworks, and docs.
• Design and implement new operational processes for efficiency.
• Test processes prior to rollout and document findings.
• Collaborate with Product, IT and Ops to ensure operational soundness.

Skills

3-5 years experience

Process improvement

AI familiarity

Project management

Analytical skills

Communication

Salesforce

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Power confident decisions at Cars.com Cars.com is the marketplace millions of people trust to buy and sell cars with confidence.

More than 25 years ago, we started as a simple idea, connect buyers and sellers, and today we do a lot more: trusted reviews, transparent pricing, and real-time, proprietary data that cut through the noise of one of life's biggest purchases. Our scaled marketplace, paired with interconnected technology, data, and media, gives dealers and OEMs everything they need to sell more cars.

At Cars.com, we debate openly, decide fast, and deliver what we say we will. We solve real problems for car shoppers and dealers, simplify for speed, and focus on what matters most. We win together or not at all. Here, your work counts, your ideas can help shape what’s next, and you’ll build alongside people who have your back.

We’re in the middle of a real transformation, modernizing the company and investing in AI and data to move faster. You're joining the No. 1 brand people think of first when shopping for a car, at the exact moment it's being rebuilt for what's next. You help decide what that becomes. That kind of influence is rare, and it's exactly why this is a place worth building your career.

Don't just take our word for it, we're proud to be named one of Built In's 2026 Best Places to Work in Chicago and across the U.S.

Ready to help build the most trusted place to buy and sell a car? Join us.

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

Compensation

We share compensation up front so you have the information you need to make a confident decision. This range reflects target base compensation. Where you land depends on skills and experience. If this range works for you, we encourage you to apply.

Salary Range: $64,600.00-79,150.00

Benefits

Confidence, built in. The same confidence we build for car buyers and sellers, we build into how we treat our own:

• Medical, dental & vision from day one - no waiting period
• 401(k) with company match, immediate vesting
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan - buy Cars.com stock at a discount
• Unlimited Flex Time Off, 11 paid holidays, 1 volunteer day
• Paid parental and caregiver leave
• $350 one-time home office stipend + $70/month for virtual-first work
• Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
• ...and more - see our full Benefits, Perks & Culture here

Legal

For US-based positions: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. We're unable to sponsor employment visas at this time.

Cars.com is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Applicants: click here to review our Privacy Policy for Applicants.

Current employees: click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Employees.