Head of Buying Operations

Department: Buying

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Carma HQ

Reporting To: Peter Willis

Compensation: $180,000 - $220,000 / year

Description

What you'll be doing:

• Lead and develop our Buying Operations teams across Customer Buying, Buying Customer Experience (BCX) and Inspections, creating a high-performing, customer-first culture.
• Coach and support Team Leads and Managers through regular performance conversations, development plans and strong operational rhythms.
• Translate ambitious buying targets into achievable team goals, ensuring performance stays on track across every stage of the buying funnel.
• Monitor daily and weekly operational performance, identifying bottlenecks and implementing improvements before they impact results.
• Own and optimise the end-to-end Sell to Carma customer journey, improving conversion rates, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
• Dive deep into frontline processes to understand how work gets done, then identify opportunities to simplify, automate and scale.
• Partner with People on workforce planning, hiring and organisational design to ensure the team stays ahead of business growth.
• Support the launch of new Sell to Carma sites through effective capacity planning, resourcing and operational readiness.
• Build strong relationships across Buying, Strategy & Business Operations, Compliance, Valuations and Onboarding to deliver business-wide improvements.
• Stay connected to frontline operations by attending inspections, visiting sites and spending time with the team to maintain quality and identify improvement opportunities.
• Use data and reporting to identify trends, solve operational challenges and make informed commercial decisions.
• Please note this position is based in our Alexandria Head Office and will require regular travel across our Sydney inspection sites.

Okay, let's talk about you:

• You have significant experience leading large customer-facing operations in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• You've successfully built and scaled operational teams, ideally across contact centres, field operations or multi-site businesses.
• You're an experienced people leader who knows how to develop leaders, build strong cultures and confidently manage performance.
• You enjoy balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution and aren't afraid to jump into the detail to understand how things really work.
• You're highly commercial and comfortable working towards ambitious operational and customer targets.
• You're naturally curious and always looking for ways to improve processes, customer experience and team performance.
• You build strong relationships and influence stakeholders across multiple teams and levels of the business.
• You're highly data-driven and use insights to make decisions, prioritise work and drive continuous improvement.
• You're confident using CRM platforms, reporting tools and operational systems.
• You have a growth mindset, thrive in ambiguity and enjoy building structure as businesses scale.
• A valid driver's licence is essential.

What's in it for you?

• Join a high-growth business where you'll play a key role in shaping one of Carma's most important operational functions.
• Work with an ambitious, collaborative team that's passionate about changing the way Australians buy and sell cars.
• Make a genuine impact with the autonomy to improve processes, build teams and influence business outcomes.
• We love social events—from parties and go-karting to bake sales, there's something for everyone.
• Enjoy discounts on Carma cars, parts and NRMA cover.