Sr Lead Project / Program Manager - Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions

The Senior Manager, Program Management is a people-first delivery leader responsible for building, developing, and retaining high-performing Program Manager(s) while owning the execution of the most complex, cross-functional programs at Manheim. This role is a portfolio-level integrator and trusted thought partner to executive sponsors, shaping how the PMO delivers measurable business value.
As a direct people manager, this leader helps set team direction, owns performance and career development, and holds direct reports accountable to delivery standards and professional growth. They establish the delivery approach, embed AI-powered and responsible program management practices, and elevate the storytelling quality of the team so the right decisions get made faster.
The Senior Manager brings executive presence, deep program management craft, and the ability to influence without authority across all levels of the organization. They are sought out by senior leaders for their judgment, not just their process rigor - and they build teams that reflect that same standard.
Responsibilities
Lead, Develop & Retain the Team

• Directly manage 1-2+ Program Managers; owns hiring, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding with full accountability for their effectiveness and output quality.
• Establishes clear performance expectations and conducts regular, candid coaching conversations, addresses performance gaps early and with directness.
• Owns the stakeholder feedback loop for direct reports - proactively solicits input from program sponsors, cross-functional partners, and executive stakeholders to inform development conversations, performance calibration, and visibility for the PM team.
• Creates individualized development plans for each direct report; identifies growth opportunities aligned to their career goals and the evolving needs of the PMO.
• Cultivates a high-trust, psychologically safe team culture where candor, continuous improvement, and ownership are expected norms - not aspirational values.
• Partners with HR and leadership on compensation and promotion decisions for direct reports.
• Models the behaviors and delivery standards expected of the PMO team; leads from the front on executive communication, structured thinking, and accountability.

Prepare, Manage & Lead Programs

• Leads and manages large, complex enterprise-level programs spanning multiple teams, business units, and integration points outside normal project scope.
• Collaborates with executive stakeholders (VPs/Directors) to define program objectives, scope, deliverables, and timelines; ensures programs are tied to CAI strategic priorities.
• Ensures business cases, KPIs/OKRs, and benefits tracking models are in place and actively maintained throughout the program lifecycle.
• Develops comprehensive program plans including resource allocation, critical path, dependency management, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Establishes right-sized governance (SteerCos, risk councils, decision frameworks, escalation paths) that reduces decision latency and unblocks dependencies.
• Drives decision-making across programs; champions adoption of common metrics that link delivery outputs to financial and business outcomes.
• Leads retrospectives across programs to harvest learnings, codify playbooks, and evolve PMO templates and standards.
• Initiates and leads process improvement efforts grounded in lessons learned and current program management best practices.
• Exhibits business acumen to identify gaps where activities are needed to integrate and supplement functional work streams.
• Sought out by executives to lead or advise on high-visibility company initiatives.

Embed AI-Powered Delivery Practices

• Champions the responsible adoption of AI tools within the PMO; identifies, pilots, and scales AI-assisted workflows (e.g., meeting intelligence, status synthesis, risk pattern recognition, automated reporting) to reclaim team capacity for higher-value work.
• Governs AI-enabled programs with appropriate rigor; ensures teams can clearly articulate AI assumptions, data dependencies, limitations, and decision boundaries to executive stakeholders.
• Establishes team norms for responsible AI use aligned to Cox Automotive policy; serves as a role model for how to evaluate AI solutions critically rather than adopt uncritically.
• Stays current on emerging AI productivity tools relevant to program delivery; brings forward recommendations and builds the team's AI fluency as a durable capability.
• Where AI is proposed as a program solution or enabler, applies structured evaluation to separate signal from hype and ensure viable, governed implementation approaches.

Provide Leadership & Direction Across the Organization

• Communicates program objectives, priorities, and direction clearly and consistently to all stakeholders; calibrates message and communication style to audience, relationship, and context.
• Establishes norms for communication, interaction, coordination, and accountability across multiple threads of the organization.
• Anticipates systemic risks; conducts comprehensive risk management, designs mitigations, and negotiates trade-offs with senior leaders before issues become crises.
• Inspires cross-functional collaboration and trust; creates conditions where business outcomes are consistently prioritized above individual or departmental needs.
• Ensures regular, rigorous communication of status, issues, risks, and actions is maintained across all stakeholders at sufficient depth to sustain engagement and program success.
• Influences without authority at all levels of the organization with poise and professionalism - especially at the executive level.
• Demonstrates political acumen and tact in escalation; exercises sound judgment in how and when to surface issues.
• Actively communicates team and individual wins; ensures the work of the PM team is visible to senior leadership.
• Drives continuous improvement in PMO efficiency, delivery effectiveness, and ways of working.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 8 years or more experience in a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 6 years or more experience; a Ph.D. and up to 3 years of experience; or 12 years or experience, or more, in a related field.
• 8+ years of program management experience in leading and delivering large, complex enterprise programs and projects to successful execution.
• 2+ years of direct people management experience, including hiring, performance management, coaching, and career development; experience managing individual contributors in a matrixed environment preferred.
• Proven track record managing programs with significant budget and organizational complexity.
• Strong executive presence with demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and navigate organizational dynamics with credibility.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to translate complex program status into clear executive narratives.
• Strong presentation, facilitation, and interpersonal skills; comfortable leading SteerCo-level conversations and cross-functional workshops.
• Demonstrated data literacy; ability to define, track, and communicate metrics that connect delivery to business outcomes.
• Familiarity with AI productivity tools and a genuine curiosity for learning and adopting emerging technology to improve team performance.
• Proficiency with modern delivery and collaboration platforms (Smartsheet, Microsoft 365, Teams); experience with portfolio-level tools preferred.
• Fluency in Agile, hybrid, and traditional delivery methodologies; ability to apply the right approach based on program context.
• PMP and/or PgMP certification are a plus but not required.

USD 122,600.00 - 204,400.00 per year
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $122,600.00 - $204,400.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
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.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.