Lead Product Manager, Inventory

Carvana • Carmel, IN

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Carvana is a rapidly growing, technology-driven automotive retailer. This role is for a Lead Product Manager to lead multiple product managers within Carvana's Inventory and ADESA product teams. These teams own the systems and processes for efficiently turning acquired vehicles into sale-ready inventory across Carvana's network of Inspection Centers and ADESA auctions. The team's scope includes reconditioning workflow, labor forecasting, vehicle quality standards, inventory management, and lot operations. The long-term goal is to automate the reconditioning process using AI and machine learning. This position requires a data-centric product leader to lead and develop product managers accountable for product roadmaps. The role involves working closely with various departments including General Managers, Operations, Continuous Improvement, Quality, Procurement, Engineering, and Decision Support Sciences (DSS). It is a hands-on, floor-facing role requiring meaningful time spent in Inspection Centers and ADESA Auctions to understand operator needs and shape software and processes. The ideal candidate will have empathy for operators, be comfortable in a lean manufacturing environment, and be energized by data-heavy problems related to labor, cycle time reduction, and quality across multiple locations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, or similar field from an accredited undergraduate institution required.
• Domain experience in supply chain, operations, manufacturing, or industrial engineering, particularly in environments where throughput, labor efficiency, and quality are core business problems.
• Six or more years of product, product analytics, or related experience for mid-level consideration; four or more years for senior-level consideration.
• Analytical thinking, including fluency in SQL and comfort with BI tools such as Tableau, Looker, or Sigma.
• Capable of sizing opportunities, evaluating tradeoffs, and designing and interpreting experiments.
• An AI-first approach to product work, with hands-on experience using AI tools for research, analysis, prototyping, and day-to-day productivity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, organizational, and project management skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to learn and absorb technical concepts and communicate them effectively to non-technical audiences.
• Deep product experience at one or more highly successful and ideally high-growth companies.
• Strong opinions about internal and operational products, with product taste calibrated to the needs of technicians, shop managers, lot operations crews, and operations teams.
• A willingness to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes for the sake of the team and our customers.
• Self-motivated with a sense of humor and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambitious environment.
• Must be able to read, write, speak and understand English.

Nice To Haves

• A genuine passion for AI and its potential to transform product experiences.
• Demonstrated ability in designing, building, and deploying enterprise software solutions, with particular experience in areas such as industrial plant design, process management platforms, and automotive or supply chain manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience building or iterating on AI-driven or ML-informed products, including features powered by machine learning, LLMs, RAG, tool-calling, or agent frameworks.
• Knowledge of data science best practices and the ability to collaborate closely with data scientists and ML engineers to shape model-informed product decisions.
• Strong UX instincts and the ability to anticipate user needs and pain points in operational and workflow software.
• Experience with agile methodology and product strategy and roadmapping.
• Familiarity with Snowflake, Sigma, Looker, or Tableau for independent data exploration.
• Experience in lean manufacturing, industrial engineering, or high-throughput physical operations (automotive, logistics, warehousing).
• Background in parts procurement, supply chain systems, or inventory management.
• Background in automotive, e-commerce, marketplaces, retail, or similarly complex operating environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple product managers in the development and execution of product roadmaps to scale and optimize Carvana's reconditioning network.
• Coach and develop the product management team to drive business through launching and improving scalable products.
• Write consumable, actionable narratives to highlight business insights and new product requirements.
• Regularly update senior leadership with results and strategic recommendations.
• Actively participate in site-level activities to understand the needs and pain points of field-based partners.
• Gain a deep understanding of the wants and needs of key stakeholders and user groups.
• Source and analyze data within product databases and SQL tables to provide business insights.
• Create requirements for data visualizations in Tableau or other platforms.
• Drive the product roadmap and lead end-to-end product development informed by operator research, analytics, and business needs.
• Partner cross-functionally with Engineering, Design, Data Science, Analytics, and business stakeholders to scope, prioritize, and ship high-impact initiatives.
• Partner with DSS and ML Engineering to design and iterate on AI and machine learning solutions for vehicle routing, labor demand forecasting, and automated quality detection.
• Own experimentation and measurement, interpreting results and translating insights into continuous product improvements.
• Apply AI tools as a core part of the work to accelerate research, synthesis, prototyping, and execution.
• Write clear requirements, project briefs, and documentation to align stakeholders and enable effective engineering execution.
• Use data to size opportunities, evaluate tradeoffs, and make decisions.
• Take full ownership of the product area and be accountable for long-term business outcomes such as sales, gross profit, and cost per unit.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and Carvana stock compensation.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits.
• 401K with company match.
• Student loan payments.
• Discounts on vehicles.
• Benefits for your pets.
• A great wellness program to keep you healthy and happy both physically and mentally.
• Access to opportunities to expand your skill set and share your knowledge with others across the organization.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level