Manager, Service Retention & Loyalty

Kia Corporation•Tustin, CA

5d•$139,566 - $195,490•Onsite

About The Position

The National Manager, Service Loyalty & Retention is responsible for leading Kia America's service customer retention, loyalty, ownership experience, and dealership profitability initiative. This position develops and executes national strategies that improve customer satisfaction, increase service retention, strengthen brand loyalty, and drive long-term fixed operations growth. This role influences cross-functional business decisions across Corporate, Regional, Field, and Dealer organizations to create differentiated ownership experience and maximize customer lifetime value. The position partners closely with stakeholders throughout Kia America to improve customer engagement across the entire ownership lifecycle, including sales-to-service transitions, digital ownership platforms, and emerging customer experience technologies. The role supports the Director, Service Operations, in driving business performance in five key areas: 1) Service Loyalty and Retention; 2) Customer Experience and Ownership Journey; 3) Aftersales Business Development; 4) Operational Excellence and Dealer Performance; 5) Customer Analytics and Insights. The National Manager is responsible for developing strategic initiatives, driving execution, measuring results, and ensuring sustainable adoption throughout the Kia dealer network. The role provides strategic leadership to corporate staff, regional teams, dealers, and vendor partners to ensure consistent execution of customer experience, loyalty, and business development programs nationwide. The position has overall responsibility for program development, business case creation, Executive Approval Decks (EADs), implementation, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives supporting Service Operations objectives. Success is measured through key business metrics including customer satisfaction (NPS), service retention, service lane utilization, loyalty performance, dealership profitability, customer engagement, and ownership experience outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
6-8 years’ experience in the automotive industry, retail and/or corporate required.
6+ years’ experience in field service management and/or dealer contact experience with an OEM preferred.
Overall knowledge of manufacturer, field, and dealership operations required.
Project Management experience in a wholesale automotive environment required.
Strong understanding and experience with new and emerging products and processes that lead to the growth in service customer retention, and the ability to recognize the importance of consistent and durable integration into normal dealership operations processes.
6+ years of successful corporate fixed operations management experience required.
6+ years of regional automotive field experience preferred.
Direct management of field activities preferred.
5+ years’ experience in retail dealership service operations is desirable.
Experience in Customer Care and/or Customer Experience Management preferred.
Must have a deep understanding of retail aftersales operations, owner satisfaction, and key drivers of change.
Knowledge and understanding of both wholesale and retail automotive operations regarding all areas of Service & Parts Operations.
Deep understanding of retail automotive fixed operations and customer retention drivers.
Strong knowledge of customer experience management, customer journey mapping, and loyalty strategies.
Advanced analytical and business intelligence capabilities, including performance measurement and KPI management.
Exceptional written, verbal, and executive presentation skills.
Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management abilities.
Strategic planning and business case development expertise.
Project and program management experience in complex organizational environments.
Financial acumen with the ability to evaluate program effectiveness and return on investment.
Change management and organizational influence skills.
Ability to lead through influence across Corporate, Regional, Field, and Dealer organizations.
Experience with digital ownership platforms, connected vehicle services, and emerging customer engagement technologies.
Ability to champion the adoption and effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies across Corporate, Field, and Dealer operations, fostering innovation, improving decision-making, enhancing productivity, and driving measurable business outcomes.
Strong vendor management, contract negotiation, and partnership development skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and data analysis tools.
Frequent sitting, vision, hearing, and talking up to 90% of the time.
Occasional domestic and international travel may be required up to 10%.
Job demands may include reading (documents), detailed work, confidentiality, problem solving, language, reasoning skills, oral communication, written communication, customer contact, ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, vendors, and other employees, multiple concurrent tasks, ability to work with constant interruptions, etc.
Must be able to maintain focus and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to analyze information and make sound decisions under time constraints.
Problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently
Must be able to respond to challenges with poise and agility.
Ability to handle competing priorities effectively and with composure.
May be required to work additional hours outside normal business hours, including weekends and holidays, as business needs dictate.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Business or relevant field a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute national service retention and loyalty strategies that increase customer lifetime value, improve ownership experiences, and strengthen long-term relationships between Kia customers and retailers.
Develop business cases, executive approval documents, and strategic recommendations supporting department objectives.
Drive alignment between Corporate, Field, and Dealer organizations to achieve retention and loyalty goals.
Lead the development and execution of customer experience strategies that support a Tier-1 ownership experience throughout the customer lifecycle.
Identify opportunities to improve customer touchpoints across the ownership journey, including sales-to-service transitions, service scheduling, dealership interactions, Kia Connect, Owner's Portal, and emerging digital customer platforms.
Lead initiatives supporting ownership experiences for Kia's expanding electrified vehicle portfolio.
Lead the successful design, implementation, execution, and sustainment of aftersales business development programs that improve dealer profitability and operational performance.
Oversee initiatives including Service Elite, Service Lane Technology, Express Service, Prepaid Maintenance, service capacity expansion, and future business growth opportunities.
Manage vendor relationships and program partners to ensure effective delivery of business objectives.
Partner with Sales, Marketing, Customer Satisfaction, Parts, Kia University, Customer Care, and other stakeholders to drive program success.
Lead the analysis of customer, dealer, and operational performance data to identify opportunities and drive business results.
Work closely with Regional and District teams to improve underperforming markets, districts, and dealers.
Benchmark Kia performance against industry competitors and emerging best practices.
Provide leadership, coaching, and resource management to achieve annual business objectives and foster organizational excellence.
Manage departmental budgets, vendor contracts, and resources to ensure efficient utilization and achievement of business objectives.
Support succession planning and development of future leaders within the department.