Overview

Motability Operations are currently recruiting for a Manufacturer and Network Partnerships Director to join our team based in London, Bristol or Edinburgh on a full-time, permanent basis. Leading a team of c.20 OEM and dealer partnership managers, this role forms an integral part of the Commercial senior leadership team and the wider business strategic leadership team.

The role will be responsible for the ongoing OEM relationships driving the strategy associated with acquisition, delivery, and distribution of vehicles through the UK’s franchise dealer network. In addition, this role will be responsible for the long-term strategic direction of Motability Operations sourcing and distribution approach, including OEM commercial management, network development, performance, and future modelling of industry approach. Importantly, the customer needs to remain front and centre and you’ll need to work closely with our Customer Services team to balance commercial vehicle acquisition with the primary requirement to understand and meet customer needs.

To be successful in this role you will need to develop a close working relationship with OEMs and dealership groups at UK board level. Be able to influence key stakeholders internally and externally and deliver a compelling vision of how Motability Operations can lead in an increasingly complex automotive landscape.

Principal Accountabilities

• Strategic Planning – Lead strategic planning for OEM and dealer partnerships with reference to the current market challenges surrounding agency model, supply constraints, new market entrants and EV transition.
• Market Leadership – Manage and lead relationships with board level leaders at key OEMs and dealer groups. Drive thought leadership in OEM and dealer development within Motability Operations.
• Leadership – Lead, develop and motivate the OEM and Dealer account management teams. Drive a culture of continuous innovation and improvement. Challenge processes at every level. Propose clear recommendations to drive performance and manage delivery to completion.
• Commercial Acumen – Focus on long term commercial improvement in relationships with key stakeholders. Demonstrate innovative commercial thinking focused on delivering great customer outcomes whilst maintaining robust long-term partner engagement.
• Operational Management – Actively utilise KPI reporting to support OEM and dealer operations, be prepared to shape the operational requirements and develop and implement new KPIs where appropriate.

About You

• Able to operate and influence across different business types at C-suite level
• Highly motivated individual with experience of working to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Strong personal maturity, have demonstrable ability to both prioritise and delegate
• Strong all-round ability with sharp intellect, well-developed emotional intelligence and the desire to develop and evolve the team
• Demonstrable work ethic, drive, ambition, resilience and infectious energy, naturally works at pace
• Agility; the ability to operate seamlessly between immediate commercial requirements and the long-term strategic priorities of the business
• Strong influencing and relationship building skills, capable of getting buy-in in different ways and with different personalities, right across the organisation

Minimum criteria

• Considerable experience of working at Board level with OEMs and dealership groups
• Proven networker and relationship builder
• Strong operator with proven experience of delivery within a demanding environment
• Strong commercially and financial acumen

About The Company

Motability Operations is a unique organisation, virtually one of a kind. We combine a strong sense of purpose with a real commercial edge to ensure we provide the best possible worry-free mobility solutions to over 700,000 customers and their families across the UK. Customers exchange their higher rate mobility allowance to lease a range of affordable vehicles (cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters, and powered wheelchairs) with insurance, maintenance and breakdown assistance included. We are the largest car fleet operator in the UK (purchasing around 10% of all the new cars sold in the UK) and work with a network of around 5,000 car dealers and all the major manufacturers. We pride ourselves on delivering outstanding customer service, achieving an independently verified customer satisfaction rating of 9.8 out of 10.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. They represent ambition, and we look for our people to live and breathe them every day:

• We find solutions
• We drive change
• We care

We operate hybrid working across the organisation where we split our time between working on-site at our offices, and at home, remotely within the UK. We believe hybrid working achieves a good work/life balance for our colleagues, allowing us to connect with each other, collaborate on important work, and perform together to deliver for our customers. It allows us to have the flexibility to work remotely up to 2-days per week whilst also using the great office spaces we have available.

Benefits and Working Arrangements

As a Motability Operations team member, you can expect:

• An annual discretionary bonus
• 15% non-contributory pension (9% non-contributory pension during probation period)
• Life assurance at 4 times your basic salary to give you peace of mind that your loved ones will receive some financial help
• Employee Discount Scheme with a huge number of retailers and an app to save on the go
• Discounted Electric/Hybrid Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme (we have showers, changing rooms and secure bike sheds on site)

As well as financial benefits, our staff\'s health and well-being are very important to us, so we also offer:

• 28 days annual leave with option to purchase and sell days
• Funded Private Medical Insurance cover
• Critical illness insurance
• Free access to healthcare apps, such as Peppy, Unmind, Aviva Digital GP
• Funded health screening for over 50s
• 1 day per year to volunteer – Staff can support a local charity or do a sponsored event whilst being paid for it
• Access to our fully accessible company allotment – Where we grow our own produce for local charitable organisations
• Access to Prayer room and quiet spaces whilst working in the office

We also understand that not everyone is the same so offer several voluntary benefits that you can select outside the core package, these include;

• Dental Insurance
• Health and cancer screenings for you and your partner
• Discounted gym memberships
• Charitable giving

At Motability Operations, we believe in building a diverse workforce, where our people are empowered to attend work as their true selves, and we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. We want to sustain a culture that nurtures, where employees are free to flourish and where they’re rewarded equally, regardless of race, nationality or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or gender.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer and as such, all our offices provide first rate disability access. With our hybrid working environment, we do our best to accommodate part-time and flexible working requests where possible, building on our culture of trust, empowerment, and flexibility.

Please note, Motability Operations reserves the right to bring forward the closing date of any of its job vacancies if we receive a suitable number of quality applications from which to make a shortlist. Therefore, we recommend that you apply as soon as possible rather than wait until the published closing date.