Manager, Consumer & Market Insights
This role also owns the Reputation.com program end-to-end, ensuring strong adoption, reporting, and operational follow-through at every rooftop/location. You will partner closely with Marketing, Store Leadership (GMs), Customer Experience, Analytics/BI, and Communications to prioritize what matters most to shoppers and owners—and drive measurable improvement.
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Key Responsibilities
1) Automotive Market Research & Competitive Intelligence
• Lead market research to understand shopper demand and decision drivers, including:
o Purchase intent, affordability, and financing/lease sensitivity
o New vs. used demand shifts, trade-in expectations, and pricing transparency concerns
• Maintain competitive benchmarking by market (reputation, experience differentiators, key themes, share of attention).
• Partner with Analytics/BI to monitor digital demand signals (search trends, site behavior, lead quality).
• Deliver “why we’re winning/losing” insights tied to consumer drivers and local competition.
• Plan and run research studies (as needed), including brand health, journey/shopper insights, message testing, segmentation, and CX driver analysis (NPS/CSAT).
• Manage research vendors and budgets; ensure research quality and usable outputs.
• Present insights and recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
2) Consumer Outlook (Forward-Looking Trends)
• Publish monthly/quarterly outlook reporting on macro and seasonal factors impacting auto retail (e.g., model-year changeover, tax season, holidays).
• Translate outlook into practical actions for Marketing and Operations (messaging, staffing, training, and process focus).
3) Reputation.com Program Ownership (Primary Accountability)
• Own Reputation.com strategy, configuration, integrations, governance, and adoption across all locations.
• Manage dashboards/scorecards for:
o Star rating, review volume, response rate/time, sentiment trends, top topics
o Competitive benchmarking by market
o Exception alerts and escalation triggers
• Train and enable GMs, Sales/Service leaders, and Advisors to drive consistent execution.
• Partner with Legal/Compliance and PR/Comms on escalations, sensitive issues, and resolution protocols.
• Monitor sentiment across reviews, surveys, social, and support channels; summarize key themes and actions.
• Produce & Execute Sentiment Performance improvement plans for low performing stores
• Produce Sentiment Performance Reporting to Regional & Marketing Strategy teams to improve customer experience and marketing messaging
• Turn sentiment insights into clear recommendations that improve experience and performance.
4) Leadership & Management
• Oversee day-to-day management of team associates
• Ensure they are proficient and roles & responsibilities
• Ensure they are in continuous status of professional growth & development
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Success Measures
• Reputation: Higher Rep score/average rating, increased review volume, faster responses, fewer recurring negative themes.
• Marketing impact: Stronger go-to-market decisions, more efficient spend, improved cost per outcome (e.g., CPO).
• Customer outcomes: Improved NPS/CSAT and/or OEM CSI/SSI (where applicable), improved service retention.
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Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree (Marketing, Business, Analytics, Research, or related), or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in consumer insights, market research, VoC/CX analytics, or reputation management (auto retail or multi-location preferred).
• Strong analytical + storytelling skills (turn quant + qual into priorities and actions).
• Proficiency in Excel and BI tools (Power BI/Tableau); comfort with operational metrics and large datasets.
• Strong communication and project management skills; ability to influence cross-functional and field teams.
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Preferred Qualifications
• Familiarity with OEM survey programs and dealership operating rhythms.
• Experience with CX strategy, and/or AI-driven sentiment tools.
• SQL or Python for analysis (plus).
• Strong program management (governance, training, adoption across many locations).
• Sound judgment for escalations and sensitive reputation issues.
• Proven experience owning and scaling a reputation/reviews program (Reputation.com strongly preferred).
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Tools & Systems
• Reputation.com + review integrations (Google Business Profiles, DealerRater, Yelp, Facebook)
• Survey tools (Qualtrics/Medallia/SurveyMonkey) and/or OEM survey reporting
• Power BI/Tableau, Excel; SQL (nice-to-have)
• CRM/BDC tools, web analytics, and social listening platforms (as applicable)
Exciting Benefits and Perks Await You:
Competitive compensation and 401k matching
Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with insurance plans (health, dental, vision) and maternity benefits.
Associate purchase and discount programs for new and pre-owned vehicles, services, parts, collision, accessories, and AutoGear
Access amazing deals and discounts through YouDecide, a website with offers from top providers and retailers
Join our DRVPNK mission to raise and donate millions of dollars to cancer research and treatment, partnering with cancer charities nationwide
AutoNation is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States, offering innovative products, exceptional services, and comprehensive solutions, empowering our customers to make the best decisions for their needs. With a network of dealerships nationwide strengthened by a recognized brand, we offer a wide variety of new and used vehicles, customer financing, parts, and provide expert maintenance and repair services. Through DRV PNK, we have raised over $40 million for cancer-related causes, demonstrating our commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of our Associates, Customers, and the communities we serve.
AutoNation is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in our workplace and the services we provide. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who are passionate about making a positive impact. Even if you do not meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. Join our team and help us foster a culture of belonging while contributing to our revolutionary work in the automotive industry. We value innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world.