Toyota Lot Manager

Walser Automotive Group; BLOOMINGTON (MN); On-site; USD 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Career growth and advancement

Comprehensive health benefits

Life insurance and 401(k) with company

Job summary

Walser Toyota in Bloomington, MN is seeking a hands-on Lot & Vehicle Operations Lead to manage an outdoor lot with over a thousand vehicles and to maintain accurate inventory records and damage reporting. You will lead a team that moves, stages, and merchandises vehicles, adapting quickly to daily shifts and weather changes.

The role requires experience in a fast-paced, high-volume setting; automotive background is not required, though retail or distribution experience helps.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Valid driver's license with acceptable driving record.
• Experience in fast-paced, high-volume environment (retail, grocery, restaurant, warehouse, or distribution).
• Ability to lead a team during peak periods.
• Comfort with shifting priorities mid-day and making decisions without perfect information.

Responsibilities

• Keep the dealership lot organized, presentable, and accurately merchandised at high inventory volume.
• Inspect new vehicles arriving on transport for damage; report transport and lot damage and arrange repairs.
• Maintain detail supplies inventory.
• Coordinate vehicle movement and staging so sales and service teams can find what they need, when they need it.
• Adjust staging and priorities as inventory, weather, and sales demand shift.

Skills

Retail experience

Team leadership

Decision making

Adaptability

Tools

DMS familiarity

Job description

For more than 70 years, Walser Automotive Group has put people first: our customers, our employees, and our communities. As a family-owned, family-run company, we've grown to 29 dealerships representing 26 brands across Minnesota, Kansas, and Illinois.

Walser Toyota has served the Twin Cities for more than 60 years and is the #1 volume Toyota dealership in the Upper Midwest — a ten-state region — three years running. With over a thousand new and pre‑owned vehicles on the ground at any given time, the lot isn't a side function here. It's the operation.

A portion of every vehicle sold and serviced supports the Walser Foundation, investing in schools, nonprofits, and workforce programs in our communities.

The Role

You own the lot. More than a thousand vehicles, arriving, moving, staging, and leaving — and a team that makes it happen. This is a hands‑on management job: you'll be outside with your team, and you'll also be the person accountable for accurate inventory records, clean transport damage reporting, and a department that shows up and performs.

The pace here is the job. Trucks arrive when they arrive. Sales needs a vehicle that's buried three rows back. A snow event rearranges your whole morning. We're looking for someone who has worked in that kind of environment before and is steady in it.

Retail background welcome — automotive background not required. If you've run a floor, a shift, or a back‑of‑house in high‑volume retail, grocery, restaurant, or distribution, you already have the instincts this job needs. The dealership piece is teachable. The ability to keep a team moving when the plan changes at 10 AM is not.

Compensation: $20-23/hr depending on experience!

What You'll Do

Lot & Vehicle Operations

• Keep the dealership lot organized, presentable, and accurately merchandised at high inventory volume
• Inspect new vehicles arriving on transport for damage; report transport and lot damage and arrange repairs
• Maintain detail supplies inventory
• Coordinate vehicle movement and staging so sales and service teams can find what they need, when they need it
• Adjust staging and priorities as inventory, weather, and sales demand shift

Leading Your Team

• Interview and hire in partnership with the Recruiting Department
• Train staff on company policy and Walser service processes, and hold the standard
• Manage schedules, pay rates, hours, and time off
• Coach and monitor performance; deliver annual reviews with real, useful feedback
• Handle disciplinary action and PIPs when needed; complete terminations with HR approval
• Appraise productivity and recommend promotions and status changes
• Address employee relations issues and elevate to HR when appropriate
• Support your team's career development, lead by example, and advocate for your people
• Communicate company news and support compliance and company initiatives

Uphold Walser's Core Values: Do The Right Thing, Lead By Example, Display Positive Energy, Be Open Minded.

What You Bring

• At least 18 years of age
• Valid driver's license and an acceptable driving record
• Experience in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment — retail, grocery, restaurant, warehouse, or distribution
• Comfortable shifting priorities mid‑day and making decisions without perfect information
• Ability to keep a team organized and steady through peak periods
• Manual dexterity and eye/hand coordination to operate equipment

Helpful, not required: prior supervisory or keyholder experience, or exposure to dealership operations and DMS systems.

What the Job Is Actually Like

This is primarily outdoor work, year‑round, in Minnesota weather. Expect walking, standing, bending, and moving vehicles for most of your shift. Volume is high and the day rarely goes exactly as planned. Safety eyewear is required at all times in dealership service departments.

What's In It For You

• Paid Time Off (PTO) — time to relax, spend with family, or take personal time away
• Career growth and advancement — we promote from within, with clear career paths and mentorship
• Comprehensive health benefits — Blue Cross Blue Shield medical, dental, and vision, plus HSA and FSA options and additional wellness benefits
• Life insurance and 401(k) with employer match — company-paid life insurance and a matched retirement program
• Fertility and adoption assistance — up to $10,000 in financial assistance
• Employee discounts across products and services
• Employee Resource Groups — Women of Walser, Drive with Pride, Asian Hmong Alliance, and Veterans at Walser
• Community involvement — volunteer through the Walser Foundation
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) — support for personal and professional challenges
• Referral Program — earn bonuses for referring talented candidates

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Walser Automotive Group is an EOE/Veterans/Disabled/LGBTQ+ employer.