Production Manager

Lithia Motors; Wexford (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Plans

Paid Holidays & PTO

Short and Long-Term Disability

Paid Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Lithia Learning Center

Vehicle Purchase Discounts

Wellness Programs

Job summary

Lithia Motors is seeking a Production Leader in our collision repair network to drive the daily production cycle from blueprint to delivery, coordinating repairs and ensuring quality at every stage.

You will partner with estimators and technicians, uphold OEM procedures, mentor staff, and use metrics to improve cycle time, productivity, and on-time delivery. This role demands strong organizational and safety compliance.

Qualifications

• Extensive collision repair experience across the full repair cycle, from blueprint to delivery.
• Working knowledge of OEM repair procedures, repair planning, and quality control.
• Ability to organize workflow, prioritize competing demands, and coach technicians.
• Proficient with estimating, production-management, and reporting systems.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to safety and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily production process from blueprint through final quality control and delivery.
• Monitor vehicle progress, identify bottlenecks, and remove obstacles affecting production.
• Coordinate repair sequencing and technician assignments based on skill, capacity, parts availability, and promised completion dates.
• Drive improvement in cycle time, touch time, productivity, efficiency, throughput, and on-time delivery.
• Lead daily production discussions and maintain clear accountability for the next step on every active repair.
• Partner with estimators and technicians to build complete repair plans before production begins.
• Perform in-process quality-control checks at critical stages of the repair, including before paint and before delivery.
• Coach technicians and support onboarding and ongoing training; maintain required certifications.

Skills

Collision repair experience

OEM repair procedures

Repair planning

Coaching technicians

Estimating & reporting systems

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Tools

Estimating software

Production-management systems

Job description

What You'll Do

Production Leadership & Workflow

• lead the daily production process from blueprint through final quality control and delivery.
• Monitor vehicle progress throughout the day, identify bottlenecks early, and remove obstacles affecting production.
• Coordinate repair sequencing and technician assignments based on skill, capacity, parts availability, and promised completion dates.
• Drive improvement in cycle time, touch time, productivity, efficiency, throughput, and on-time delivery.
• Lead daily production discussions and maintain clear accountability for the next step on every active repair.

Repair Planning & Estimator

• Partner with estimators and technicians to build complete repair plans before production begins.
• Help identify missed damage and required repair operations, support supplement development, and reduce unnecessary work stoppages.
• Verify required OEM repair procedures and supporting documentation are identified and incorporated into repair plans.
• Help maintain a consistent blueprinting process that improves repair-plan accuracy and reduces supplements and downstream delays.

Quality Control & OEM Compliance

• Perform in-process quality-control checks at critical stages of the repair, including before paint and before delivery.
• Verify repairs are completed according to documented OEM procedures, manufacturer requirements, and shop standards.
• Hold work when safety, quality, documentation, or OEM compliance is in question and ensure concerns are corrected before the vehicle advances.
• Promote a culture where quality is built into the repair process rather than inspected only at the end.

Technician Development & Accountability

• Train, coach, and mentor technicians while identifying skill gaps and development opportunities.
• Support onboarding and ongoing technical training and help maintain required shop, OEM, and industry certifications.
• Monitor technician hours, productivity, efficiency, quality, and work in process; communicate expectations and measurable goals consistently.
• Provide routine coaching and partner with the Body Shop Manager on formal performance management when needed.
• Promote teamwork, professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the shop.

Labor, Capacity & Shop Performance

• Review technician labor and flag-hour information for accuracy and identify discrepancies before payroll is finalized.
• Match available labor capacity to incoming and active work to keep production balanced and prevent avoidable bottlenecks.
• Use shop-management data and KPIs to identify trends, improve processes, and support production and financial goals.
• Work closely with estimating, parts, paint, detail, and leadership so each department is aligned around the repair plan and delivery commitment.

Equipment, Safety & Operational Support

• Help maintain a safe, clean, organized, and professional production environment in accordance with company and applicable safety requirements.
• Identify tooling, equipment, training, and supply needs and recommend improvements that support safety, quality, efficiency, or capacity.
• Support certification requirements, audit readiness, training records, and ongoing operational compliance.
• Contribute production, labor, quality, training, and operational insight to reporting and improvement planning.

What You'll Bring

• Collision repair experience with a strong understanding of the complete repair process from blueprint through delivery.
• Working knowledge of OEM repair procedures, repair planning, quality control, and modern collision-center production processes.
• Demonstrated ability to organize workflow, prioritize competing demands, and keep multiple repairs moving simultaneously.
• Ability to coach technicians, communicate clear expectations, solve problems, and maintain professional accountability.
• Comfort using estimating, production-management, and reporting systems to make data-informed decisions.
• Strong attention to detail, urgency, follow-through, and communication.
• Commitment to safe, documented, high-quality repairs and continuous improvement.
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record as required for the position.

Total Rewards

• Competitive pay
• Medical, Dental and Vision Plans
• Paid Holidays & PTO
• Short and Long-Term Disability
• Paid Life Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Lithia Learning Center
• Vehicle Purchase Discounts
• Wellness Programs

About Us

At Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD) our success is fueled by our high performing teams delivering Auto Done Easy for our customers.

We create simple, transparent, and convenient customer experiences throughout the vehicle-ownership lifecycle by leveraging our hundreds of store locations and our key adjacencies - Driveway, DFC, and GreenCars.

We've built a retail model that champions entrepreneurial leadership, Growth Powered by People, and a strategy that creates possibilities and pushes us to reach our potential.

High School graduate or equivalent, 18 years or older required.

We are a drug-free workplace.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity (regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status). We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

At Lithia & Driveway, we stand by our mission of Growth Powered by People, as we build a workplace that ignites ideas and opportunities to Earn Customers for Life. Our focus is on making the customer experience better; as we aim to meet our customers’ needs whether in person, online or a combination of both.

Lithia & Driveway is the largest automotive retailer in North America and listed on the Fortune 500 (NYSE: LAD). Drive your career forward with roles in Sales, Finance, Service, Technology and Corporate. With thousands of vehicles and hundreds of locations, the career possibilities are endless. Join us as we accelerate towards growth in automotive and beyond!