General Manager

Manheim Auctions is a core part of the Cox Automotive business. With 13 Auction Centres across the UK, we provide a physical and online auction facility to buyers and vendors handling a variety of different types of vehicles.

Manheim Auctions Bristol site is the largest physical auction operation in the South-West, offering vehicles on behalf of OEMs, corporate and dealer customers. Its multi-lane capabilities operate a weekly sales program of 4 auctions and has a team of over 70 members. The successful candidate will be responsible for the leadership and commercial success of the business.

Scope of Role:

The General Manager is responsible for the strategy, development, and direction of the auction site to ensure that the company’s business objectives are consistently achieved.

The successful candidate will be accountable for ensuring the operational team is provided with the leadership, support, and resources required to successfully deliver, whilst ensuring services meet and exceed performance and high-quality standards for its customers.

This responsibility extends to managing the financial efficiency of the auction site from both a business and customer perspective.

Objectives for Role:

Customer

• Take responsibility for developing relationships with clients, identifying opportunities to build new business for the site and wider business.
• Identify and develop innovative methods to continually improve performance, demonstrating continuous improvement in all areas of site business to enhance the customer experience.
• Ensure service delivery to clients meets all contractual & quality KPIs within the service level agreements, and where necessary, take timely and appropriate action where measures are not met.
• Work with the support functions to ensure a joined-up approach to customer experience (internal and external) is achieved.

People

• Lead by example the business values, behaviours, and culture.
• Effectively communicate with the auction centre Senior Management Team and team members on all relevant business briefing information.
• Using business tools, knowledge, and support available, ensure that effective management and development of talent and succession takes place, including effective management of both underperformers and high performers.
• Play an active part in identifying and developing the wider talent pool to support the wholesale business.
• Ensure effective recruitment and induction practices are established and embedded as part of the site culture.
• Ensure all team members are treated fairly and consistently in line with relevant HR Processes, company policy, and employment law.
• Build and instil within your team a culture that cares, that is consistent with the Cox Automotive values, behaviours, and principles, driving reward and recognition, high performance, and customer excellence at all times.

Performance

• Deliver the financial targets for the centre, maximising efficiencies and effectively controlling overheads and resource costs.
• Regularly report accurate MI on operational and financial performance of the site against targets to the team, creating action plans for any departmental area where performance levels are behind target/plan.
• Deliver Operational Inspection Excellence, ensuring accuracy & productivity targets are achieved, with the focus on optimising the vehicle’s value.
• Ensure effective and robust losses management processes are followed in line with policy, with appropriate reporting and root cause analysis to establish accountability, responsibility, and corrective actions.

Industry Leadership

• Support the business in developing an understanding of client’s needs and wants and work with support teams to provide innovative and industry-leading solutions that meet the changing needs of the auction business.
• Continually develop networking opportunities and professional relationships with key buyers and vendors.
• Create site business plans and proposals to assist the organisation in determining and meeting its long- and short-term goals.

Products and Services

• Lead business improvement projects across the site and where appropriate across the Cox Automotive business as identified and when requested.
• Champion and embrace the use of multichannel sales platforms, ensuring that all areas of the Auction Centre understand the importance and impact of our online selling channels.
• Ensure that product targets and service levels are driven, and functional area owners are held to account, rectifying issues and putting into place robust remedies to ensure improvement.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• You will have extensive experience and a proven track record at a senior management level within a large-scale auction, automotive, or manufacturing environment.
• You will have a strong focus on achievement and delivery with a creative and pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• In addition, you will have excellent leadership skills, the ability to motivate, engage, and develop a diverse team in a complex environment.
• Excellent knowledge of Health and Safety practices and procedures.
• Highly familiar with quality management and quality assurance procedures and processes.
• Proven leadership skills and track records of success in managing both direct reports and teams.
• Effective communication skills: oral, written, presentation, influencing, and negotiations.
• Good organisational skills including the ability to prioritise work to meet deadlines and to work on several projects at the same time.
• Deliver appropriate process & system changes, ensuring relevant KPIs are delivered relating to improve productivity and efficiency.
• Reliable and accountable, with an agile approach to work, that ensures deliverables are met within defined timescales.
• Review performance of all direct reports whilst coaching and developing skills.

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