Honda Franchise Director

Vertu Motors plc; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive retailer is seeking a Honda Cars Franchise Director to oversee 16 dealerships across England. This role involves strategic leadership, operational management, and performance monitoring. The successful candidate will have proven experience in senior leadership roles within the motor retail sector, with a strong customer focus and exceptional leadership skills, aiming to enhance dealership operations and customer satisfaction. An attractive benefits package is offered including a 10% employer pension contribution and comprehensive medical insurance.

Benefits

10% Employer Contribution Pension Scheme

Partnership Share Scheme

25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays

Company car

Comprehensive private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role within the motor retail sector.
• Strong understanding of franchise dealership operations and management.
• Excellent strategic planning and execution skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic plans to achieve sales targets.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of 16 Honda franchise dealerships.
• Monitor dealership performance metrics and identify areas for improvement.

Skills

Strategic planning

Financial management

Leadership

Customer focus

Relationship management

Problem-solving

Education

Experience in senior leadership role in motor retail

Knowledge of FCA regulations

Job description

Honda Cars Franchise Director (England)

We are looking to appoint a Honda Franchise Director to join our senior leadership team to oversee our Vertu Honda car dealerships throughout England. Reporting to our Group Operations Director for our Honda, Kia, and Toyota, you will be responsible for a portfolio of 16 dealerships from Truro in the South West through the midlands up to the North East of England, ensuring operational excellence, and fostering strong relationships with Honda to support our long-term growth strategy. You will lead a team of General Managers to deliver our Vision, Values and objectives and set the tone for our team. You will have a dedicated divisional team around you to support you in delivering in the role providing you with expert aftersales, finance and HR advice and support.

The role focusses on ensuring the excellent and consistent execution of the Group’s sales, after sales, marketing, and people strategy at the operational level. This starts with ensuring that the people in our dealerships understand our culture, systems and process and have the tools, resources, and support to be able to deliver it. Equally important is that our colleagues ensure customer experience is at the very centre of what they do. You will take the lead in creating this environment which will deliver financial results alongside customer experience whilst ensuring compliance with the regulatory framework surrounding vehicle and regulated product sales.

Your role will involve setting the monthly and quarterly agenda for your management teams and working at a tactical level to help them deliver the results. You will have responsibility for the P\&L performance of the Honda Cars division and will be the primary individual driving performance. This will include holding operational reviews, best-practice workshops and individual meetings with General Managers and Line Managers.

You will lead the implementation of new systems, processes and change programmes and support your team to ensure that they understand these and are able implement them successfully.

You will lead the talent and development of your management team to enhance their skill levels and performance creating succession plans for the Division. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate their ability to grow talent in a structured and effective manner. Accordingly, the role will entail travel throughout the dealership network to ensure that you are close to the business, understand its nuances and are able to personally influence managers to help them succeed.

A proven record of successfully managing and implementing change is essential as the sector is moving through a period of significant technological transformation. The increasing complexity of the sales process, vehicles options, electrification and innovation in customer buying channels has contributed to an increase in the pace of change. Your job will be to understand the Group’s approach and to simplify the messages to your team to allow them to deliver results whilst also embedding these new technologies and ways of working.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership within the Honda Franchise: Develop and implement strategic plans to achieve business objectives, including sales and after sales targets, profitability, and market share growth.
• Operational Management: Oversee the day-to-day operations of the 16 Honda franchise dealerships, ensuring compliance with company policies, procedures, and standards.
• Performance Monitoring: Monitor and analyse dealership performance metrics, identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with Honda and affiliate partners, and other key stakeholders.
• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop dealership General Managers to ensure high levels of performance and engagement.
• Customer Experience: Ensure a consistent and exceptional customer experience across all franchise dealerships.
• Financial Management: Manage business plans, financial performance, and cost control measures to achieve financial targets.
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, including health and safety, environmental, and employment laws.
• Innovation and Change Management: Drive innovation and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance dealership operations and customer satisfaction including delivering those launched by the wider Vertu Group.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role within the motor retail sector – ideally in the Honda franchise.
• Strong understanding of franchise dealership operations and management.
• Excellent strategic planning and execution skills.
• Strong financial acumen and experience in managing budgets and financial performance and interpreting management accounts to manage costs and identify opportunities for growth and performance improvement.
• Exceptional leadership and team management skills including the ability to develop talent.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including knowledge of how to successfully manage a long-term relationship with our franchise partner.
• Strong customer focus with a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and clear track record of having done so in the past.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Knowledge of relevant FCA regulations, health and safety regulations and other motor sector compliance requirements.
• Experience of delivering digital or process transformations programmes into operational dealerships teams the motor retail sector.
• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Benefits:

• An industry leading 10% Employer Contribution Pension Scheme
• Membership of our Partnership Share Scheme – our long term incentive programme for senior managers.
• 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (rising with length of service to 29 days)
• A company car
• Comprehensive private medical insurance.
• Access to the all-colleague Share Incentive Plan
• On-going leadership development
• An annual health check
• Enhanced maternity scheme (90% of pay for six months)
• Access to our Vertu Rewards platform with a range of other benefits

For our successful applicant, to protect our customers and our reputation you will be expected to undertake a DBS check to determine your suitability for the role and will also undertake regular fit and proper person assessments. Please be aware that we will also request references from your previous employer(s).