Car Sales Manager Job Description
Lead the showroom sales team to hit targets, grow margins and deliver excellent customer experiences.
What does a Car Sales Manager professional do?
A Car Sales Manager leads a dealership sales team, drives revenue and margin through people management, stock and process control, and customer-centred selling.
Car Sales Manager job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Car Sales Manager
About the role
We are looking for an experienced Car Sales Manager to lead the sales team at our [Dealership/Showroom] in [Location]. You will set targets, coach and motivate sales executives, manage vehicle stock and online listings, and take responsibility for customer experience, compliance and commercial performance. This role includes regular reporting to the Dealer Principal and working closely with aftersales and finance to maximise margins.
Key responsibilities
- Set clear sales targets and KPIs for new and used vehicle teams and monitor performance against objectives.
- Recruit, onboard and coach sales executives; run regular one‑to‑ones, training and performance reviews.
- Manage showroom operations including vehicle merchandising, online listings, valuations and stock rotation to protect margin.
- Drive lead handling, conversion and upsell activity; ensure timely follow up and consistent customer experience across touchpoints.
- Oversee finance & insurance processes in partnership with F&I advisers to ensure compliant and profitable transactions.
- Compile and present regular commercial reports (sales, margin, unit movement, pipeline) to senior management.
- Ensure regulatory and manufacturer standards are met, including documentation, sales processes and complaint handling.
- Work with marketing to promote stock, promotions and local campaigns; support digital and social listings.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience managing a car sales team or equivalent retail sales leadership role in automotive retail.
- Full UK driving licence and ability to travel between sites or to auctions as required.
- Strong track record of meeting sales and margin targets with demonstrable commercial awareness.
- Experience using a CRM or dealer management system to track leads and performance.
- Good people management skills: coaching, performance management and recruitment.
Desirable
- Experience working with an automotive manufacturer/franchised dealer network.
- Knowledge of vehicle remarketing, part‑exchange and trade processes.
- Familiarity with finance & insurance products and compliance requirements in vehicle sales.
- Experience managing online vehicle advertising and digital retailing tools.
- Sales management qualification or formal training in coaching/leadership.
What we offer
- Competitive basic salary plus commission/bonus (details to be agreed)
- Company car or car allowance (where applicable)
- Pension scheme
- Staff vehicle purchase discount
- Paid annual leave
- Sales and leadership training and development
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Car Sales Manager role?
A Car Sales Manager runs the sales function within a dealership or multi‑site group. The role combines people leadership, commercial management and operational control: setting and tracking sales targets, coaching the sales team, managing stock and online presence, ensuring compliant transactions and liaising with finance, aftersales and manufacturers to protect margin and customer satisfaction.
Targets & Performance
Set sales and margin targets, monitor KPIs and drive activity to convert leads into profitable sales.
Team Leadership
Recruit, coach and manage sales staff to improve skills, conversion rates and customer service.
Stock & Merchandising
Manage vehicle inventory, valuations and online listings to control days‑to‑sell and margins.
Typical Car Sales Manager responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Set clear sales targets
Set clear sales targets and KPIs for new and used vehicle teams and monitor performance against objectives.
Recruit
Recruit, onboard and coach sales executives; run regular one‑to‑ones, training and performance reviews.
Manage showroom operations including vehicle
Manage showroom operations including vehicle merchandising, online listings, valuations and stock rotation to protect margin.
Drive lead handling
Drive lead handling, conversion and upsell activity; ensure timely follow up and consistent customer experience across touchpoints.
Oversee finance & insurance processes
Oversee finance & insurance processes in partnership with F&I advisers to ensure compliant and profitable transactions.
Compile
Compile and present regular commercial reports (sales, margin, unit movement, pipeline) to senior management.
Ensure regulatory
Ensure regulatory and manufacturer standards are met, including documentation, sales processes and complaint handling.
Work with marketing
Work with marketing to promote stock, promotions and local campaigns; support digital and social listings.
Car Sales Manager skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience managing a car sales team or equivalent retail sales leadership role in automotive retail.
- Full UK driving licence and ability to travel between sites or to auctions as required.
- Strong track record of meeting sales and margin targets with demonstrable commercial awareness.
- Experience using a CRM or dealer management system to track leads and performance.
- Good people management skills: coaching, performance management and recruitment.
Useful where relevant
- Experience working with an automotive manufacturer/franchised dealer network.
- Knowledge of vehicle remarketing, part‑exchange and trade processes.
- Familiarity with finance & insurance products and compliance requirements in vehicle sales.
- Experience managing online vehicle advertising and digital retailing tools.
- Sales management qualification or formal training in coaching/leadership.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Car Sales Manager job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about scope
State the size of the team, types of stock (new, used, leasing, fleet) and reporting line so candidates can assess fit.
Clarify pay mix
Explain whether remuneration is salary plus commission, bonus potential and how commission is calculated—candidates expect transparency.
List key KPIs
Include the principal measures you will use (units/month, gross margin per vehicle, conversion rate, lead response time) to attract results‑focused managers.
Highlight development
Note opportunities for progression, manufacturer training or management support to appeal to ambitious candidates.
Car Sales Manager salary considerations
Salaries for Car Sales Managers vary with dealership size, location, manufacturer status and the role’s profit responsibility. Rather than a single national figure, pay is determined by multiple commercial and local factors.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Car Sales Manager candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
How is the pay structured?
Experienced managers need to know basic salary versus commission/bonus split, how commission is calculated, and typical monthly/annual earnings ranges.
What are the typical working hours and shift patterns?
Clarify showroom opening hours, weekend requirements, late nights for events and any expectation of out‑of‑hours customer contact or auctions.
Is a company car or car allowance provided?
State whether a company vehicle, allowance or enhanced salary is offered to reflect travel and demonstration requirements.
What is the team structure and size?
Candidates will want to know how many sales executives, business managers and support staff they will manage and who they report to.
What training and development is available?
Explain access to manufacturer training, sales coaching, leadership development and any support for professional qualifications.
Where to post a Car Sales Manager job
This role suits general UK job boards and specialist automotive sites as well as regional recruitment channels. Use dealer and manufacturer networks, LinkedIn and sector forums to reach experienced sales managers, and local advertising or partnerships with recruitment agencies to attract candidates familiar with the local market and auction/remarketing networks.
Car Sales Manager job description FAQs
Do Car Sales Managers legally need a driving licence?
While not a statutory legal requirement, a full UK driving licence is standard and normally essential because the role commonly requires driving test vehicles, visiting auctions and moving between sites.
Should the manager be from a franchised dealer or independent background?
Both backgrounds are acceptable but make your preference clear. Franchised dealer experience is valuable for manufacturer processes and targets; independents may bring stronger used‑car margin skills and remarketing experience.
How much emphasis should be placed on finance & insurance knowledge?
F&I awareness is important since it affects deal profitability and compliance. For senior roles, experience working with F&I advisers or managing F&I processes is highly desirable.
Is experience with online retailing and digital listings necessary?
Yes — online stock presentation and digital lead management are core to modern vehicle sales. Indicate the level of digital competence expected and any specific systems used if relevant.
Ready to hire a Car Sales Manager?
Use this template to create a tailored advert, list clear KPIs and include commission details to attract experienced candidates who can deliver sales and margin growth.
