Inchcape Motors Finland is expanding its car retail operations in Finland and will open new dealerships in the capital area within the coming year.
The goal is to grow significantly in the Finnish market, increasing both brand awareness for Inchcape's represented brands, and expand the market share in Finland. The new car dealerships will serve customers in both new and used car sales and provide brand-specific maintenance services.

To succeed in this expansion, we need an experienced and driven retail leader to manage our growing operations, someone with a proven track record in leading successful retail sales in the automotive industry.
We are looking for someone who is excited about building and developing a new retail chain, who wants to take full responsibility for executing the strategy, implementing efficient processes, helping each location to succeed, while being responsible for the overall business productivity and profitability.

As Head of Retail Operations, the person will be responsible for both the chain's strategy and its operational activities, business development, collaboration with all key stakeholders – and most importantly – acting as an inspiring leader for the whole team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Leadership and Strategy
   • Develop and implement strategic plans to support business growth and achieve sales targets.
   • Lead the retail sales team with vision and ensure the alignment of operations and processes with the organization’s objectives.
   • Monitor industry trends, market dynamics, and competitors to identify opportunities and threats.
2. Operational Management
   • Oversee the daily operations of the existing retail locations and ensure that the level of service is customer-focused and top-quality.
   • Effectively utilize best practices in sales, inventory management, and customer relationships.
   • Maintain the current high level of customer satisfaction and service quality.
3. Expansion Project for New Dealerships
   • Oversee the comprehensive project management of establishing new car dealerships.
   • Develop project plans covering all aspects of the project, such as dealership locations, staff recruitment, and operational launch.
   • Collaborate with stakeholders, importers, and local authorities to ensure the success of the projects.
4. Network Management
   • In collaboration with the importer, optimize supply chains and ensure timely availability of vehicles and spare parts.
   • Build and maintain strong relationships to achieve goals.
5. Team Leadership
   • Lead the recruitment, onboarding, and training of sales teams, service staff, and support personnel.
   • Create a positive, collaborative work environment where people want to work, thrive, and develop.
   • Ensure performance evaluations and development plans are made and updated as needed.
6. Financial Management
   • Prepare and maintain budgets, ensuring that operations meet set financial goals and performance targets.
   • Monitor and analyze financial reports and key KPIs to support business decisions.
7. Supplier Relations
   • Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers.
   • Negotiate favorable contracts and ensure mutually beneficial partnerships.

Our Expectations:

We hope you have a suitable education for a position like this, and possibly an MBA. We also expect you to have several years of leadership experience in the automotive industry, particularly in retail. This role requires versatility and a comprehensive understanding of the entire retail chain. We expect you to have a strong understanding of car sales, dealership management, and market dynamics.

We also hope you have experience in the successful establishment of new car dealerships.

As a person, we hope you are driven, self-directed, and passionate about cars. We expect you to have excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Strategic thinking and the ability to make data-driven decisions are essential for success in this role.

We hope you are competitive and accustomed to setting, achieving, and exceeding targets.

Our parent company is located in the UK, so fluency in English is a requirement, as is also fluency in Finnish. We expect you to be experienced in making and delivering presentations and reporting directly to the corporate leadership team.

If you have the required qualifications and are ready to step into the shoes Inchcape is offering: leading a dynamic team, managing a diverse network, and steering car dealership expansion projects, you are the person we are looking for!

The recruitment process is managed by our HR Partner, Adiente Oy. Please submit your CV, application and salary request to Adientes CEO, Erica Flinck – Härkönen, erica.flinck@adiente.fi, or via this link as soon as possible, but no later than 15.10.2024. If you have questions regarding the position, they can be directed to Mrs Flinck-Härkönen via email or phone, +358 40 5107700.