Automotive Operations Director Jobs in Ridgewood, NY

Link to apply listed at the bottom of this Job Description. Only applications submitted through this link will be considered.

WHO WE ARE

Co-op City Tire & Auto is a Bronx landmark. We operate an 8,800 square foot facility with 11 service bays on a corridor that carries roughly 35,000 vehicles past our door every day. We have built a reputation over decades as the shop this neighborhood trusts with its cars, and we now have the infrastructure, the location, and the demand to become something considerably larger than a neighborhood tire shop.

Our mission: To provide superior customer service every driver in the Bronx, giving each customer dealership-quality service without the dealership runaround.")

Our Mission: To provide superior customer service to every driver in the Bronx, giving each customer dealership-quality service without the dealership runaround.

Our Core Values:

• Honesty: Tell the story as it needs to be told. Straight answers. We tell customers what their car actually needs, and what it does not.

• Respect and Integrity: Doing the right thing and what's best for our customers, and treating their vehicle like it's our own.

• Transparency: Communicating openly and honestly with our customers.

If our culture and mission does not resonate with you, please do not bother applying.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Co-op City Tire & Auto team is looking for a results-driven and systems-minded Director of Operations with a proven track record in automotive service, fleet, or multi-bay shop operations. The application code word is EMPOWER. The Director of Operations owns the day-to-day execution of the business and builds the infrastructure that lets a busy shop run like a well-managed dealership rather than a series of reactions to whoever walks through the door.

The Director of Operations is a highly skilled strategic thinker who anticipates and solves problems in a self-directed way. They empower and build a team around them to move fast while holding quality and culture steady.

This role leads Co-op City Tire & Auto through a chapter of significant growth. You will work in close partnership with the owner to take a business that has already earned its demand and give it the systems, the reporting, and the accountability structure to capture that demand at scale.

This is a full-time, on-site W2 position. Because this is a critical role within the business, candidates go through a rigorous four-part application process.

WHAT MAKES THIS ROLE UNIQUE

You are stepping into a business with a rare combination: proven local demand, physical capacity that is not yet fully utilized, and an owner who genuinely wants to hand over the operating seat. The owner brings a Fortune 100 corporate accounting background and a clear growth thesis, and he is currently spending his days on manual accounts payable, vendor statements, and walk-in service advising rather than on the strategy that grows the company.

Your success will be measured by one ultimate outcome: the owner steps out of daily operations, and the shop runs on documented systems and visible numbers instead of on his availability.

That work is concrete. Our shop management platform and our accounting system do not currently talk to each other, which means the same information gets entered twice and the financial picture lags reality. Our digital vehicle inspection program is built but not consistently used, which means we are recommending less preventative work than our customers actually need. Our parts return window is not tracked systematically, so capital that should come back to us sometimes does not. None of these are mysteries. They are unfinished projects waiting for an operator who closes things out.

You will also be the person who brings structure to how the front office and the service floor work together, establishing clear divisions of responsibility, consistent standards, and a working rhythm the whole team can rely on.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Systems & Financial Infrastructure

• Build a seamless data flow between the shop management platform and the accounting system, eliminating duplicate manual entry

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for our external accounting partner, driving reconciliation and accurate monthly financials

• Establish reporting and dashboards that give leadership real visibility into revenue, margin, and bay productivity

• Build inventory and parts controls, including systematic tracking of the parts return window so no capital is lost

Service Execution & Revenue Growth

• Drive full adoption of our digital vehicle inspection program across all 11 bays

• Design and roll out standardized service packages that move the shop from reactive repair toward scheduled preventative maintenance

• Build the workflow and automation that raise average repair order without pressuring customers

• Implement equipment and process changes that expand what we can profitably deliver per bay

Team Leadership & Accountability

• Establish clear front office and service floor structures with defined roles, ownership, and standards

• Recruit, train, promote, and retain a stable service team

• Hold the team accountable to outcomes through visible scorecards rather than supervision

• Have the direct conversations that keep standards high, including performance and expectation conversations

• Build trust quickly with a team that includes people who have been here a very long time

Owner Partnership

• Work closely with the owner to translate growth goals into an operating plan with clear initiatives and milestones

• Take administrative and low-value work off the owner's plate permanently, not temporarily

• Provide clear, concise reporting so the owner can lead the business through numbers rather than through interruptions

• Push back constructively when a request would pull the business off its strategic priorities

REQUIREMENTS

Experience Requirements (Non-Negotiable)

• Proven track record running operations in automotive service, dealership fixed operations, fleet maintenance, or a comparable multi-bay service environment

• Hands-on experience with shop management software and accounting integration work. Direct experience with Protractor and QuickBooks is strongly preferred

• Demonstrated ownership of financial workflow, including accounts payable, reconciliation, inventory, and vendor management

• Experience leading a service team through meaningful process change, with results you can describe in numbers

• Track record of implementing digital vehicle inspections or a comparable service-recommendation process and driving adoption

Core Competencies

• Systems integration ability. You can map how information should move between platforms and get the integration finished

• Financial stewardship. You read a profit and loss statement, find what does not belong, and fix it at the source

• Process design that survives contact with a busy floor

• Data and KPI management across service, labor, and inventory

• Outcome-based management philosophy rather than input tracking or hours policing

Critical Soft Skills (Deal-Breakers)

• High emotional intelligence paired with high standards. You are genuinely good to people and completely unwilling to lower the bar

• Comfort holding your position with experienced tradespeople who have done things one way for a long time

• Exceptionally clear and direct communication, up to the owner and across to the floor

• Resilience. You are a steadying presence in a high-volume, high-interruption environment

• Trust builder who earns credibility through competence and follow-through rather than title

Technical Requirements

• Strong proficiency with shop management systems, accounting software, and spreadsheet-based analysis

• Exceptional attention to detail, time management, and organizational skills

• Self-starter who manages priorities and deadlines without direct supervision

• Data-driven decision maker

• On-site presence in the Bronx, New York. This is a boots-on-the-ground role

Mindset & Cultural Fit

• You see an under-optimized shop with real traffic as an opportunity rather than a problem

• You hold yourself accountable to the highest standards and stay resilient when things get loud

• You are comfortable in a legacy environment and can drive modern standards without dismissing the people who built the place

• You want ownership of outcomes, not a list of tasks

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

First 30 Days: You understand the full operation. You have mapped the data flow between shop management and accounting, audited inventory and parts return practices, met every member of the team, and delivered a prioritized plan to the owner.

First 60 Days: Financial reconciliation is underway with our external accounting partner. Digital vehicle inspection standards are documented and rolling out. Front office and service floor roles are clearly defined and communicated.

First 90 Days: Manual double entry between systems is eliminated. Our unreconciled accounting balance is cleared and we have a clean financial baseline. The front office is stable. Service floor responsibilities are fully re-seated around technical work and quality control.

First 180 Days: Digital vehicle inspection compliance is at 100% across all 11 bays. Average repair order has moved meaningfully upward through preventative service packages. Parts return slippage is at zero. A monthly financial review cadence is running with the owner and our accounting partner.

12 Months: The business is running on documented systems and visible numbers. The owner is working on growth rather than in daily operations, and we are on a credible path toward doubling revenue.

BENEFITS

• Compensation: $80,000 to $100,000 base, plus performance bonus (estimated total compensation up to $125,000)

• Role Type: W2, with health benefits available

• Paid Time Off: 3 weeks PTO

• Holidays: All major paid holidays, plus Juneteenth

• Professional Development: Supported by an external Ops program that includes mentorship, community, and live coaching

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in this position, please submit an application below

Our team will review your application and get back to you shortly. We look forward to hearing from you!

DISCLAIMER:

Spyglass Ops is an authorized representative of Co-op City Tire & Auto. We are an Operations Hiring Agency, working on behalf of startup businesses to find and hire Operations Positions. All of our roles are full-time, salaried, leadership positions within growing business. We also filter the businesses we work with, to ensure they provide long-term positions, growth opportunities, and a strong working environment / culture. Our company qualifies and interviews candidates, then connects finalists with our clients for final interviews and job offers. Our highest priority is creating win-win matches for both our candidates and clients.