About this role
Automotive Parts Wholesale Director
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Automotive Parts Wholesale Director to lead and grow our wholesale automotive parts business. This position is responsible for developing wholesale sales strategies, managing key customer relationships, expanding the customer base, overseeing sales and distribution operations, and driving revenue and profitability.
The ideal candidate has strong knowledge of the automotive OEM programs, established relationships with repair shops, dealerships, distributors, fleets, and other wholesale customers, and a proven ability to lead sales teams and grow a parts business.
Key Responsibilities
Sales & Business Development
- Develop and execute the company’s wholesale automotive parts sales strategy.
- Drive revenue, gross profit, market share, and customer growth.
- Identify and develop new wholesale accounts, including independent repair shops, collision centers, dealerships, fleet operators, distributors, and automotive service businesses.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with high-value customers and strategic accounts.
- Develop pricing, discount, promotional, and account-management strategies.
- Monitor market trends, competitor pricing, product availability, and customer demand.
- Identify opportunities to expand product lines, territories, and customer segments.
Team Leadership
- Recruit, train, manage, and motivate wholesale sales personnel.
- Establish sales goals, KPIs, territories, and performance expectations.
- Conduct regular sales meetings and performance reviews.
- Develop sales processes and best practices to improve productivity and customer service.
- Work closely with inside sales, outside sales, purchasing, warehouse, and delivery teams.
Operations & Inventory
- Monitor inventory turnover, obsolete inventory, fill rates, and purchasing performance.
- Help ensure accurate and timely order fulfillment and delivery.
- Identify operational improvements that reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.
- Establish processes for handling returns, warranties, credits, and customer claims.
Financial Management
- Manage wholesale sales budgets and profitability targets.
- Analyze sales, margins, customer profitability, inventory performance, and operating expenses.
- Develop forecasts and provide regular sales and business performance reports to senior management.
- Control discounts and pricing to protect company margins while remaining competitive.
Customer & Vendor Relationships
- Maintain relationships with major wholesale customers and strategic vendors.
- Negotiate pricing, programs, rebates, promotions, and other commercial agreements.
- Resolve escalated customer issues and ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.
- Work with manufacturers and suppliers to identify new products and business opportunities.
Qualifications
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in automotive parts wholesale, aftermarket distribution, automotive retail, or a related industry.
- Strong knowledge of automotive replacement parts and the aftermarket distribution industry.
- Established relationships with automotive repair shops, dealerships, fleets, distributors, or other wholesale customers preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to grow sales and profitability.
- Strong negotiation, communication, and relationship-management skills.
- Experience managing sales teams and developing sales strategies.
- Strong analytical and financial-management skills.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.
- Willingness to travel as required to visit customers, vendors, and business locations.
Benefits Include:
- Salary plus annual bonus
- Health, dental, life and disability insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Flexible spending accounts
- Paid Time-Off
Environmental & Physical Requirements:
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands and fingers to feel and handle, reach with arms and hands, talk and hear.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee may incidentally be required to stoop, kneel and crouch, lift weights or exert a force up to a maximum of 25 pounds.
- A current valid driver’s license and insurability rating is required.
- This position may require some travel including overnights as needed.