Reconditioning Manager - San Jose

Ever Cars•San Jose, CA

18h•Onsite

About The Position

Ever is building the future of auto retail as the first AI-native auto retail platform, focusing on electric vehicles. We are expanding nationwide and seeking exceptional talent to join our mission. The NorCal hub is our next major market, and this role is ground floor. You will own reconditioning operations for the NorCal market. This means building the workflow, running the floor, developing the team, and holding the standard. This is not a manage-the-status-quo job. You are building something, and the playbook you write here becomes the template we scale.

Requirements

5+ years managing operations in automotive, recon, or lean manufacturing environments
Demonstrated ability to build processes from scratch, not just inherit them
Experience developing frontline teams; you know the difference between managing and coaching
Fluency in lean principles; you have actually run kaizen events, not just read about them
Strong analytical instincts; you use data to make decisions, not just to report on them
Valid driver's license, clean record
Ability to work a flexible schedule including weekends during launch phase
Physically able to work in an active shop environment (standing, lifting up to 40 lbs, PPE use required)

Nice To Haves

EV-specific experience (does not have to be OEM)
Background launching a new site or market from zero
Familiarity with AI-enabled ops tools or eagerness to learn

Responsibilities

Build and run day-to-day recon operations, hit throughput, quality, and cost targets consistently
Develop and hold a quality standard that reflects the Ever brand, not just good enough
Lead, coach, and grow a team of technicians and leads -- build career paths, not just headcount
Create and iterate on SOPs from the ground up; document what works, kill what doesn't
Own production planning and capacity management as volume scales
Drive continuous improvement through structured problem-solving (root cause, not whack-a-mole)
Enforce health, safety, and compliance standards without compromise
Report on key metrics and flag risks early; no surprises up the chain
Own the active work queue end-to-end -- know what every unit is waiting on at any given moment
Manage WIP limits per stage to prevent bottlenecks and avoid aging inventory
Maintain accurate handoff documentation at every pipeline stage (ingress, inspect, repair, detail, photo)
Hold hard SLA windows for vendor scheduling; Escalate stalled units proactively
Build and run a structured onboarding and certification path for technicians and service advisors
Conduct regular 1:1s, give competency-based feedback, not just performance scores
Identify skill gaps on the floor and close them with targeted coaching, not just reassignment
Create progression paths for techs so your best people have a reason to stay and grow
Train SAs on documentation standards, customer-facing communication, and handoff ownership
Recognize performance publicly and address gaps directly; build a culture of accountability without fear