Used Vehicle Buyer

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Group Used Vehicle Buyer to oversee the sourcing, acquisition, and lifecycle management of pre-owned inventory across six dealerships. This role is responsible for building and maintaining a profitable, fast-turning inventory portfolio through disciplined purchasing, market-based pricing, and aggressive aged-inventory management.

This is not a single-store buyer role. You will manage inventory as a capital investment across multiple rooftops, ensuring optimal turn, margin, and risk control.

Key Responsibilities

Sourcing & Acquisition

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  Source inventory through auctions (Manheim, ADESA, OVE, etc.), direct dealer purchases, wholesalers, and off-lane opportunities.

  
  


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  Develop relationships with auction reps, dealer groups, wholesalers, and fleet/portfolio sellers to secure consistent deal flow.

  
  


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  Evaluate vehicles using market data (MMR, vAuto, JD Power, Black Book, retail comps) to establish disciplined buy limits.

  
  


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  Purchase vehicles with defined exit strategies, recon expectations, and target gross.

  
  

Multi-Store Inventory Strategy

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  Build and balance inventory across six rooftops based on market demand, pricing segments, and store-specific performance.

  
  


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  Coordinate inventory transfers between stores to maximize turn and minimize over-buying.

  
  


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  Maintain optimal inventory mix by price point, vehicle type, age, and market velocity.

  
  

Aged Inventory Management

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  Monitor aging daily and proactively execute markdowns, transfers, or wholesale exits.

  
  


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  Establish and enforce clear disposal thresholds for non-performing inventory.

  
  


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  Minimize wholesale losses through disciplined exit strategies and timely remarketing.

  
  

Reconditioning & Cost Control

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  Work with service and recon teams to control reconditioning expense and time to front line.

  
  


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  Determine when vehicles should be retail-reconditioned versus wholesaled based on ROI.

  
  


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  Prevent over-recon and protect margin.

  
  

Financial Performance & Reporting

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  Manage inventory with a focus on turn, return on capital, and front-end gross.

  
  


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  Track and report on:

  
  
  
  
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    Purchases by segment and source

    
    
  
  
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    Average days-to-turn

    
    
  
  
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    Aged inventory levels

    
    
  
  
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    Gross performance vs. projections

    
    
  
  
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    Wholesale results and losses

    
    
  
  
  
  


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  Provide weekly performance updates to executive leadership.

  
  

Risk Management & Compliance

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  Ensure compliance with title standards, disclosures, arbitration rules, and internal policies.

  
  


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  Identify and avoid high-risk inventory (structural damage, title brands, buybacks, etc.).

  
  


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  Protect the organization from inventory write-downs and floorplan exposure.

  
  

Qualifications & Requirements

Experience

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  Minimum 5+ years of hands-on used vehicle buying experience.

  
  


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  Demonstrated success purchasing at scale through auctions and direct sourcing.

  
  


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  Experience managing inventory across multiple rooftops or large-volume operations strongly preferred.

  
  

Technical & Analytical Skills

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  Expert proficiency with vAuto, JD Power, Black Book, Manheim MMR, and retail market analysis.

  
  


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  Strong financial acumen: understands inventory turn, ROI, aging curves, and capital risk.

  
  


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  Ability to evaluate recon cost vs. retail and wholesale value quickly and accurately.

  
  

Operational Strength

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  Proven ability to manage inventory lifecycle: acquisition → recon → retail → wholesale exit.

  
  


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  Comfortable enforcing disciplined buying standards and aged-inventory policies.

  
  


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  Strong organizational and reporting skills with attention to detail.

  
  

Professional Traits

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  Data-driven, disciplined, and emotionally detached from inventory decisions.

  
  


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  Confident communicator who can push back on sales managers when needed.

  
  


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  Highly accountable, with a consistent record of improving turn and reducing aged inventory.

  
  

Preferred Experience (Not Required but Strongly Valued)

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  Group-level or multi-store inventory management

  
  


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  Bulk or portfolio purchasing

  
  


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  Off-lane and dealer-direct sourcing networks

  
  


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  Deep understanding of recon operations and service department workflows

  
  

Compensation

Compensation will be competitive and performance-based, aligned with:

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  Inventory turn

  
  


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  Aged inventory reduction

  
  


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  Gross performance

  
  


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  Wholesale exposure control

  
  

(Details discussed with qualified candidates.)