AVP, Product & Engineering - NextGear Capital

AVP, Engineering / Product Development

The Associate Vice President, Product and Software Engineering will offer a deep understanding of business and technology, combined with the leadership experience needed to build a high-performing product development organization. This role is responsible for the overall direction, strength, profile and excellence of the engineering and product teams responsible for NextGear Capital capabilities and systems. This role has a level of interdependencies and is responsible for establishing collaboration and interactions across Product, UX, Architecture, Engineering, and the broader Cox Automotive enterprise. The Associate Vice President, Product and Software Engineering NextGear Capital will help the company achieve its growth targets through the delivery of leading products that are innovative, timely, well-planned, cost-effective, and based on sound product and software development practices. This leader will be invested in continuous improvement for understanding of client and team member needs, and the factors that drive their behavior. The AVP leader will focus on developing team members into strategic product and engineering leaders of the future along with serving as a key member of the NextGear Capital leadership team. This job will lead a combined organization of Product, Engineering, and matrixed team members for a Delivery Stream, making significant contributions to the overall strategy and business.

PRIMARY DUTIES/KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead a team of Engineering and Product team members, partnered with UX, architecture, security and other business and operational functions
• Deliver on objectives that enable the NextGear to achieve its goals and long-term strategy
• Manage and optimize the systems and tools that team members rely on to effectively operate the business
• Responsible for the management, development, and increasing efficacy of the products and applications supporting NextGear Capital
• Responsible for the management of technical debt, compliance with corporate standards, operational stability/uptime, resilience and security of NextGear applications, systems and tools
• Maintain personal technical foundation, staying current within technology concepts, paying close attention to industry trends, going outside of Cox Automotive and our industry to stay abreast of new technologies and trends
• Collaborate with cross-functional peers on overall planning, execution, and success of the software development lifecycle for the product lines
• Hire, attract, and retain high-caliber talent utilizing a mixed talent model of onshore and offshore resources to manage capacity and meet the needs of the business
• Mentor and coach subordinate management staff to both improve overall department performance, develop succession planning, and ensure leadership throughout the organization
• Continuously improve processes, specifically product engineering methodology, to reduce cycle times, improve deliverable quality, and establish a world-class team and performance
• Partner with the Business to refine the vision and strategy for our products and deliver on business expectations while anticipating future growth needs and work with the teams to address issues
• Track and report on the key performance indicators related to maintenance, product development, platform performance, and platform stability; perform analysis and take action toward continuous improvement
• Perform strategic system planning and set the direction for the department through consistent leadership, motivation, and direction.
• Oversee budgeting of teams including infrastructure to support projects, staffing, facilities, and tools for software development
• Drive a collaborative operating model that ensures agile product delivery teams have the clarity and support they need to maximize product value and overall return on investment
• Partner and collaborate closely with leaders, P&L Owners, Technology, Marketing, Client Success, Sales, and Operations Support partners and other CAPG leaders to ensure successful product strategy, design, delivery, and implementation efforts
• Ensure the team is delivering on targeted financial, strategic, and operational commitments
• Oversee long-term workforce and staffing plans and ensure the availability of human capital necessary to accomplish planned business results
• Maintain an understanding of competitive position, target market, and overall industry landscape that supports the work to define and create products
• Leverage in-depth understanding of our product capabilities and product offerings as well as marketplace trends to inform and help guide our overall product strategy in a rapidly changing digital landscape
• Use influence and contribute to Cox Automotive Product thought leadership through participation in cross-division work groups
• Foster effective business relationships with all internal and external partners, vendors, and stakeholders
• Actively develop talent within the product organization and create bench strength for all product teams including immediate succession
• Lead and resolve business issues or problems that have business-wide impact

Required Education, Experience, Knowledge and skills

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 14 years' experience in a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 12 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 9 years' experience in a related field; or 18 years' experience in a related field
• 7+ years' experience in a management or leadership role
• 14+ years of relevant work experience, with at least 7 years successfully managing product and engineering teams (or equivalent experience), preferably with an automotive focus.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well in a team
• Strong customer focus, ownership, urgency and drive
• Demonstrated capability to provide depth and breadth technical leadership to agile teams
• Strong record of customer engagement
• MBA and/or MS strongly preferred
• Candidate must live in Carmel, IN

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you'll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells or simply uses cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual's age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship. Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.