Operations Lead — Premium Car Wash & Guest Experience

Harper Volkswagen; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 37,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401(k) Plan

Employer‑Paid Life Insurance

Paid Holidays

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Time

Opportunities for Advancement

Healthy Work/Life Balance

Job summary

Harper Auto Wash in Knoxville is seeking a hands‑on Assistant Manager to lead people, elevate operations, and grow membership at our Bearden location. You will manage daily tunnel and Finish Lane tasks, coach a frontline team, and drive profitability while maintaining a premium guest experience.

The role requires strong leadership, operations discipline, and a safety‑first mindset in a fast‑paced retail car wash environment. Competitive benefits and growth opportunities are offered.

Qualifications

• Experience leading front-line teams in retail, car wash, automotive, or service operations.
• A coaching mindset: consistent feedback, fair discipline, and a track record of growing people into leaders.
• Operational discipline and a safety‑first approach; standards, checklists, and clean, guest‑ready facilities.
• Sales energy with integrity; confidence guiding guests to the right plan and modeling premium service.
• Comfortable with tools/ladders and basic mechanical troubleshooting (we’ll train on the specifics).
• Clear communication, strong judgment, and follow‑through in a fast‑moving environment.

Responsibilities

• Run a tight ship: keep the tunnel, vacuums, grounds, lounge, restrooms, and exterior spotless and guest‑ready all day; ensure pay stations and systems run smoothly.
• Own results: Hit labor‑efficiency targets (cars-per-labor-hour; CPLH), schedule smartly, and keep labor, chemical, utilities, and repair costs on plan.
• Grow the top line: Increase car count, drive Unlimited Pass sales, and execute promos.
• Protect the brand: Reduce re‑cleans and prevent damage with strong QC and loading procedures; maintain a 4.5+ Google rating through proactive feedback follow‑up and recovery.
• Lead & develop a team: Coach, cross‑train, and motivate Customer Experience (CX) Champions; foster a positive, accountable, safety‑first culture.
• Keep us running: Troubleshoot equipment, execute daily/weekly/monthly PM, and coordinate vendor/tech support to maximize up‑time.
• Admin that matters: Build people‑first schedules aligned to CPLH and P&L goals, approve time‑cards/breaks, submit payroll, complete checklists, and file daily/weekly reports on time.
• Model operational mastery (Tunnel & Finish Lane): Vehicle handling & safety, interior cleaning flow, time‑to‑clean targets.

Job description

Harper Auto Wash in Knoxville is seeking a hands‑on Assistant Manager to lead people, elevate operations, and grow membership at our Bearden location. You will manage daily tunnel and Finish Lane tasks, coach a frontline team, and drive profitability while maintaining a premium guest experience.

The role requires strong leadership, operations discipline, and a safety‑first mindset in a fast‑paced retail car wash environment. Competitive benefits and growth opportunities are offered.