Sr. Dealer Experience Manager

Kia America; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 109,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium health benefits

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Corporate campus in Irvine

Job summary

Kia America is seeking a strategic leader to manage dealer experience programs and the Kia Dealer Excellence Program (KDEP) within the U.S. market.

You will design, implement, and continuously improve dealer evaluation frameworks, KPIs, and customer experience initiatives across Sales and Service channels. This role collaborates with local teams, Kia North America, and Kia HQ, leveraging data-driven insights to strengthen dealer performance and customer satisfaction while aligning with overall

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree a plus.
• 5–10 years’ experience in the automotive industry and in project management, strategy, and/or customer experience.
• Strong knowledge of dealer experience and KPI development; data-driven approach using analytics.

Responsibilities

• Lead CX dealer experience measurement for Sales & Service, driving improvements across ownership lifecycle.
• Develop and implement dealer evaluation programs with clear KPIs and targets.
• Oversee in-dealer CX initiatives and tool implementations, partnering with multiple departments.
• Drive offline channel programs and share performance insights with stakeholders.
• Deliver insights and recommendations to improve dealer network performance.

Skills

Communication

Project management

Analytics

Customer experience

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Collaboration

Problem solving

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree a plus

Tools

PowerBI

Excel

PowerPoint

Office 365

Job description

• Bachelor’s degree required.

At Kia, we’re creating award-winning products and redefining what value means in the automotive industry. It takes a special group of individuals to do what we do, and we do it together. Our culture is fast-paced, collaborative, and innovative. Our people thrive on thinking differently and challenging the status quo. We are creating something special here, a culture of learning and opportunity, where you can help Kia achieve big things and most importantly, feel passionate and connected to your work every day.

Kia provides team members with competitive benefits including premium paid medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) plan matching of 100% up to 6% of the salary deferral, and paid time off. Kia also offers company lease and purchase programs, company-wide holiday shutdown, paid volunteer hours, and premium lifestyle amenities at our corporate campus in Irvine, California.

Status

Exempt

General Summary

This role leads dealer experience programs and initiatives, with responsibility for the design, development, implementation, communication, and ongoing management of a structured and impactful dealer evaluation program for KDEP (Kia Dealer Excellence Program) within the KUS market. The objective is to measure, strengthen, and reward the dealer network through clearly defined, actionable KPIs.

This position requires leveraging cross-functional input from local teams, strategic direction from Kia North America and Kia HQ, and deep automotive industry expertise to develop a relevant, data-driven evaluation framework. The initiatives and programs are intended to drive dealer performance improvements aligned with KUS sales and service objectives while elevating the overall customer experience.

The role supports the National Manager, Customer Satisfaction in three key areas:

• Dealer Experience Metrics & Measurement (Sales & Service)
• Dealer Evaluation Development & Implementation
• Customer Experience Strategies and Focus

These efforts are expected to improve dealer sales and service operations as well as the financial performance of both KUS and its dealer network. Success will be measured by the effective rollout and execution of dealer experience and evaluation programs; long-term success will be defined by improvements in both internal and external customer satisfaction and experience metrics.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Priority One – 25%: CX DEALER EXPERIENCE MEASUREMENT – SALES & SERVICE

• Lead Customer Satisfaction (CS) programs, tools, and scorecards to measure and improve dealer sales and service performance across the ownership lifecycle.
• Conduct department health checks, support Service Operations metrics, and partner with Sales Operations and Retail Development to implement an integrated dealer performance framework.
• Collaborate with Legal and Finance to ensure compliance and drive program enhancements.

Priority Two – 25%: DEALER EVALUATION PROGRAM (RE) DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION

• Lead the design, deployment, and annual execution of dealer evaluation programs.
• Define program requirements, KPIs, methodologies, and performance targets while aligning HQ frameworks with market needs.
• Manage reporting tools, communications, dealer audits, data validation, budgets, and award programs.
• Ensure consistent execution and measurable dealer performance improvement.

Priority Three – 25%: IN-DEALER CX STRATEGIES AND EXPERIENCES

• Lead initiatives, tools, and technologies that enhance the in-dealer customer experience across sales and service.
• Develop implementation, communication, and training strategies while serving as the SME for dealer experience programs.
• Partner with Sales Operations, Service Operations, and Kia University to drive adoption and results.

Priority Four – 15%: OFFLINE CHANNEL PROGRAMS

• Drive dealer focus on SSI/CSI performance goals through reporting, performance insights, stakeholder communication, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Represent the team in internal and external forums.

Priority Five – 10%: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOCUS

• Analyze industry trends and dealer benchmarks to identify best practices and improvement opportunities.
• Deliver performance insights and recommendations to support dealer and customer experience initiatives.
• Communicating program updates and progress to key stakeholders
• Delivering reporting, insights, and recommendations to support continuous improvement across the dealer network

Personally Performed Duties

• Analyze automotive industry trends and dealer benchmarks to identify best practices and drive continuous improvement across the dealer network.
• Develop dealer experience strategies, establish performance evaluation frameworks, and communicate key insights, issues, and recommendations to leadership and stakeholders.

Qualifications/Education

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Master’s degree a plus

Job Requirement

• Minimum 5-10 years’ experience in the automotive industry
• Minimum 5-10 years’ experience in project management, strategy, and/or customer experience.
• In depth knowledge of the automotive business in the United States at both the dealer level and the OEM level, particularly in terms of the dealership experience.
• Experience developing and operating a successful dealer evaluation program.
• Extensive experience selecting and managing vendors, designing and building operational tools, and gaining consensus among various teams/groups.
• Strong understanding of automotive dealer facilities, business operations, and branding with experience in dealer evaluations, customer experience, and business management.
• Strong background in automotive franchise laws and knowledge of legal limitations.
• Experience developing, implementing, and setting KPI’s, creating business plans, and developing procedures for providing effective and efficient results.
• Excellent knowledge and recognition of industry benchmarks
• Demonstrated success in a fast paced, high workload environment.
• Demonstrated skills in collaboration, strategic thinking, analytics, written and verbal communications, organization, attention to detail, planning and innovation.

Specialized Skills And Knowledge Required

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Excellent Analytical and research skills
• Strong focus on customer experience.
• Innovation and creativity to design network strategies that improve customer journey.
• Ability to lead groups and be decisive
• Proven skills in developing consensus with internal and external stakeholders via focused communication.
• Collaborative skills to accept and incorporate ideas into strategies
• Strong innovative thinking, strategic planning & leadership development skills
• Ability to maintain the utmost confidentiality on all matters.
• Strong PC Skills: Microsoft Office Tools: Word, Excel, Power Point, PowerBI and Office 365.
• This position will need an extremely high level of independent judgment as they will be providing both local and global recommendations on behalf of Kia America to Kia NA and Kia HQ on key issues relating to the dealer network.

Other Requirements

• Physical Requirements: Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and perform routine office tasks.
• 5-10% of (domestic and/or international) travel.
• Job demands may include reading (documents), detailed work, confidentiality, problem solving, language, reasoning skills, oral communication, written communication, customer contact, ability to effectively present information in one‑on‑one and small group situations to customers, vendors, and other employees, multiple concurrent tasks, ability to work with constant interruptions, etc.
• Must be able to maintain focus and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to analyze information and make sound decisions under time constraints.
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently
• Must be able to respond to challenges with poise and agility.
• Ability to handle competing priorities effectively and with composure.
• Other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Care for People
• Chase Excellence Every Day
• Dare to Push Boundaries
• Empower People to Act
• Move Further Together

Pay Range

$108,698.72 - $146,708.73

Pay will be based on several variables that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to, job-related skills, experience, relevant education or training, etc.

Equal Employment Opportunities

KUS provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, including pregnancy and childbirth and related medical conditions, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, legally protected physical disability or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, protected veteran or military status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. KUS complies with applicable law governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which KUS has offices. The KUS EEO policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

Disclaimer: The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification and for this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.