Head of Automotive (12 Month Contract)

Are you ready to be a big part of something big? 

At carsales, we’re all about making buying and selling a great experience. For 29 years we’ve been evolving with the new economy to help people choose how they move today and tomorrow.

When it comes to your career, we want to provide big opportunities to help you make a big impact. But for this to be possible, we strive to feel small. Small enough to quickly change tack, small enough to learn from different departments and small enough to connect authentically with leadership. 

With a vision to be the global leader in online vehicle marketplaces. We transform how people buy and sell across the globe. We discover new ideas and make them happen. We continue to grow, and we continue to evolve – and we aren’t afraid to make big bets.

We’re looking for an experienced commercial leader to run our national automotive business for 12 months while our Head of Automotive is on parental leave. The strategy and plan are already in place and working. Your job is to keep that momentum going, deliver the budget, and hand back a business that’s even stronger.

Reporting to the General Manager – SaaS, you’ll lead five State Managers and our National Advertising Manager. You’ll also be the senior contact for our largest dealer groups and OEMs.

What’s on offer: 

• A place where you can move your career forward, where you’ll be continuously backed to make new ideas happen, and the chance to do work that makes real, significant impact in the world. 
• We’re proud to be recognised as one of Australia’s Best Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work®, a Family Friendly Workplace and a WORK180 endorsed employer for women.
• The support of a highly engaged, high-performing team including a leadership team that you’ll actually have face time with. 
• 24 weeks paid parental leave for primary caregivers, four weeks paid secondary caregivers leave and paid family & fertility planning leave.

What you’ll do

• Deliver the strategy: Drive the current national automotive strategy, annual plan and budget. Keep state and advertising priorities on track, and adjust tactics when the market shifts.
• Grow revenue: Deliver year-on-year growth across media, Promote and SaaS subscriptions and products. Work with Finance on forecasting, pricing and commercial terms for major deals.
• Lead the team: Lead five State Managers and the National Advertising Manager, and through them a national team covering Customer Success, Account Management and Advertising. Provide stability and clear direction through the leadership change, and complete recruitment for open roles.
• Own key client relationships: Be the senior contact for our largest dealer groups and OEMs, leading executive business reviews, negotiations and escalations. Represent the carsales automotive business at industry events and client forums.
• Increase retention and adoption: Reduce churn, lift renewal rates and help clients adopt more of our product suite. Partner with Product and Marketing on go-to-market plans for new products.
• Plan ahead: Lead input into the next annual planning and budget cycle, in line with the established strategy.

What we are looking for

• 10+ years in sales, account management or commercial leadership, including 5+ years leading teams through managers
• A strong record of delivering revenue growth across a national or multi-state business
• Experience selling SaaS, media/advertising or a mix of both
• Credibility with C-suite and dealer principals, plus strong commercial and financial skills
• The ability to step into an established strategy and make an impact quickly
• Automotive, automotive retail or digital marketplace experience is highly regarded
• Willingness to travel interstate regularly

A few other things we want you to know...

• As an equal opportunity employer, carsales welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, abilities, and life experiences. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported.
• If you have a disability or require adjustments to participate fully in the recruitment process, please let us know we’re here to support you.
• We understand the importance of work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements, including part-time options. If you’d like to explore this, just ask during the process.
• We’re also a proud Circle Back Initiative employer, which means we commit to responding to every applicant.
• Successful candidates joining the iMotor & carsales team will need to complete a National Police Record check and must have full-time Australian working rights.

So come and join our team - because every role is a big role in our plans to go big.