Account Director - Automotive

Safe-Guard Products International•Atlanta, GA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Account Director, National Vehicle Retailers (NVR), manages Safe-Guard’s existing partnerships with national vehicle retailers. The role is responsible for delivering strong service across each dealership and department while growing Safe-Guard’s share of each partner’s finance and insurance (F&I) business. The Account Director works with dealer principals, group executives, general managers, F&I leaders, sales leaders, and fixed operations leaders. The position combines executive-level relationship management with hands-on operational problem-solving, including observing F&I and service operations, identifying root causes, resolving obstacles, and proposing plans to expand partnerships. Success during the first 12 months is measured through partner retention and renewals, share of wallet, product and store growth, store coverage, and partner program profitability. The Account Director develops annual account plans, assesses partner business and product gaps, uses penetration, loss, and claims data to make recommendations, and brings partner feedback and industry trends into Safe-Guard’s product, program, and technology planning. The role coordinates Safe-Guard teams—including claims, contract processing, training, data analytics, accounting, and technology—to provide partner service and deliver solutions. It aligns with internal teams on portfolio retention and performance, establishes performance and ROI metrics, provides forecasts, jointly leads quarterly business reviews and loss analyses with Risk Management, handles partner escalations through resolution, and leads partner launches and initiatives. The Account Director also represents Safe-Guard at partner events and industry conferences. Travel may be up to 50% of the time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
At least 5 years of automotive Finance and Insurance experience as an F&I third-party administrator, in Automotive OEM Financial Services, or in Retail F&I.
At least 7 years of account management experience with high-producing accounts, including growing penetration and share of wallet within an existing book.
A record of retaining and growing relationships with multi-store dealer groups through F&I, OEM financial services, lending, dealer technology, or dealership leadership.
Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives and launches without direct authority.
At least 3 years of data analytics experience.
Firm understanding of dealership P&L and operations, including F&I, sales, and fixed operations.
Ability to engage effectively with all levels of a dealer group, from the C-suite to the F&I office and service department.
Strong negotiation skills and a customer-focused approach to building strategic, high-value relationships.
Analytical problem-solving skills, including working hands-on to identify root causes.
Ability to translate partner needs into clear requirements for technical teams.
Sound judgment and decision-making in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Strong organization, prioritization, and attention to detail.
Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking skills.
Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.
Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Must successfully pass a background check and drug screen.

Nice To Haves

Automotive OEM experience.

Responsibilities

Jointly build and execute annual account plans for assigned partners, with goals by store and product.
Map each partner’s F&I business, identifying current offerings, Safe-Guard products in use, and gaps by store and department.
Use penetration, loss, and claims data to develop actionable recommendations for partner executives.
Monitor industry trends and partner feedback and bring product, program, and technology ideas to Safe-Guard.
Meet regularly with dealer principals, group executives, general managers, F&I directors and managers, sales leaders, and fixed operations leaders.
Coordinate service from Safe-Guard functions including claims, contract processing, training, data analytics, accounting, and technology.
Grow Safe-Guard’s share of partners’ F&I business by deepening product penetration, introducing additional products, and extending programs to more stores.
Develop strategies with partners to improve productivity and increase sales of Safe-Guard products and services.
Align with NSD and Acquisition teams on retention and performance of the assigned NVR portfolio.
Establish partner and company performance, progress, and ROI metrics and provide accurate forecasts to senior leadership.
Jointly lead quarterly business reviews and loss analyses with Risk Management.
Maintain accurate records of partner interactions and activity.
Serve as the primary contact for partner escalations and take ownership of issues through resolution.
Identify recurring operational issues and drive permanent fixes with appropriate internal owners.
Lead partner launches and initiatives, assigning work, following up in person, and ensuring issues are closed out.
Coordinate internal resources to deliver technology solutions, reporting and analytics, and accounting services to partner leadership.
Represent Safe-Guard at partner events, industry conferences, task forces, and committees.