Refurbishment Strategy & Operations Manager
Location: Sydney
Type: Full-time | On-site
Salary: Exceptional base + super + annual bonus + benefits + ESOP opportunities in future
This is not a maintenance role.
It's not about keeping the lights on or managing what already works.
It's about building — scaling — taking something good and making it exceptional.
If you're the kind of person who feels most alive when you're fixing inefficiency, driving output, and shaping how people work — this is that rare opportunity you don't scroll past.
CARS24 is a $3.3B global auto-tech business that's reimagining how Australians buy and sell cars.
Every vehicle we deliver goes through a transformation — a refurbishment process that's part precision engineering, part art form.
Now, we need someone to own that process. To make it faster, leaner, smarter, and better.
A note from the leadership team
We're not looking for someone to "manage a workshop."
We're looking for someone who wants to own every outcome.
Someone who notices when productivity dips.
Someone who asks why costs look off.
Someone who takes pride in quality, safety, and people — and wants to leave an operation even better than they found it.
Someone who is constantly challenging the norms of operations, not only at Cars24 but in our entire industry.
If you're looking for a corporate seat behind dashboards, this isn't it.
If you want to build and scale one of the most advanced refurbishment networks in Australia, it's time to get excited and keep reading.
How this role will grow
You won't be handed a perfect playbook — you'll help write it.
In your first month, you'll get deep in the day-to-day: learning the workflow, understanding where we lose time or quality, and partnering with our Lead Technician to sharpen our refurb operation.
As you prove yourself, you'll step up to design and implement process improvements, own performance metrics, and shape the national refurbishment strategy.
This role is designed for someone who wants ownership that actually matters — responsibility that scales as capability proves itself.
What this role really feels like
You'll sit right at the operational heart of the business.
You'll see everything —
where systems work,
where they break,
where standards need protecting,
and where growth is being held back by inefficiency.
Some days you'll be on the floor with mechanics and detailers.
Other days you'll be in leadership reviews, presenting how to reduce turnaround time, rework, or cost per vehicle.
This isn't a job for someone who avoids getting their hands dirty.
It's for someone who finds energy in progress.
What you'll actually be doing
* Oversee end-to-end refurbishment operations, managing a team of 10+, from diagnostics and mechanical servicing to detailing and quality control.
* Drive productivity and efficiency through smarter processes, technology, and workshop planning.
* Work closely with the State Head and COO, to maintain the highest standards of safety, repair quality, and compliance.
* Track output, rework rates, cost per car, and technician utilisation to improve P&L performance.
* Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Delivery, Finance, and Procurement to ensure smooth supply and demand alignment.
* Lead and mentor a diverse team of technicians, detailers, and operations staff — creating a culture of pride and accountability.
* Support future site planning, tooling investment, and scaling of refurb capacity as we expand nationally.
This role is for you if
* You've led operational teams in automotive, manufacturing, refurbishment, or FMCG environments.
* You understand P&L ownership, cost control, and continuous improvement principles.
* You care about efficiency and people — balancing output with culture.
* You think in systems and data, not anecdotes.
* You're comfortable splitting time between the workshop floor and strategic planning.
* Have 4-5+ years of automotive experience or industry knowledge (preferred, but not mandatory).
It might not be for you if
You're looking for a slow-moving, structured corporate environment.
You prefer analysing over acting.
You shy away from tough conversations or hands-on leadership.
Why join CARS24?
CARS24 is not ordinary automotive startup.
You'll be joining a $3.3B global unicorn, an AutoTech mammoth across UAE, India and Australia, and a scale-up which is rewriting how people buy and sell cars — faster, simpler, and more digital than ever.
Here's what you'll get:
* The chance to lead the engine room of a $3.3B business.
* A competitive salary + super + annual bonus.
* Monthly phone and yearly wellness allowance.
* Work with high-performing peers and global leaders who push boundaries.
* Real influence — you'll see your ideas take shape in the business every week.
* Fast track your career with direct exposure to multi-national founders and CEO's
This is your chance to build something that matters.
To create order from complexity.
To make a tangible impact — every day.
* If that sounds like you, apply now and help CARS24 deliver cars (and excellence) at scale.
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