Retail Development Manager

OUR MISSION

To become the car-changing destination of choice. By combining technology, media and deep automotive expertise, we've turned how people buy, sell, advertise and lease cars on its head.

What started as a simple reviews site is now one of the largest online car-changing destinations in Europe. Last year alone we grew over 50% with nearly £3bn worth of cars bought on site, while £1.8bn of cars were listed for sale through our Sell My Car service.

In 2024 we went big and acquired Autovia - creators of AutoExpress and Evo magazines - doubling our audience overnight. Together we now have one of the biggest YouTube channels in the world with almost 10m subscribers and over 1.1 billion annual views, while we sell 1.2 million print copies of our magazines and have an annual web content reach over 350million.

And we’re a long way from done!

OEM & MEDIA TEAM @ CARWOW

This role is directly accountable for driving retailer participation across manufacturer-led initiatives, defining the execution strategy to exceed performance KPIs. This is a chance to join an entrepreneurial environment where you are empowered to strategise, develop and execute strategies across OEM & retail networks. You will sit within the OEM team, working alongside Partnership and Operations Managers to act as the vital bridge between OEM commercial strategy and retailer engagement.

YOUR MISSION

Our mission is to accelerate OEM growth by bridging the gap between manufacturer strategy and retailer execution. Through data-driven strategy and operational excellence, you will deliver high-impact initiatives and technical integrations that redefine partner performance. You’ll act as a trusted advisor to the world’s leading automotive brands, supporting partnership activities to deliver measurable ROI and long-term commercial value. You’ll work cross-functionally to drive joint measurable KPIs, and play a pivotal role in shaping retailer strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own OEM Retail Network Strategy: Provide insight and deliver strategic actions to drive partner participation and engagement. Using data driven insights to grow retail networks, and improve partner KPIs.

• Project Delivery: Take full accountability for OEM led retail campaigns, collaborating across internal departments to exceed agreed KPIs while proactively identifying new avenues for commercial growth and campaign optimization.

• Strategic Relationship Management: Cultivate high-level advocacy with key OEM stakeholders to deepen OEM integration. You will act as a trusted advisor, driving engagement and securing long-term commitment to the partnership objectives.

• Webinar Delivery: Drive retailer engagement and education by designing and leading high-impact webinars.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely across multiple business units requiring strong communication to co-ordinate across multiple stakeholders.

• Operational Delivery: Manage pricing, feeds, merchandising, and all operations for OEMs under a direct-to-consumer model, supporting project management for upcoming operational transformations.

• Process Ownership: Establishing robust KPIs to monitor retail development milestones while maintaining full ownership of the invoicing lifecycle

• Integrations & Enablement: Partner with product and dealer teams to improve technical integrations, including offer feeds, CRM connectivity, and brand-level sales-matching.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Operational & Project Management: High organisational demands with a need for strong project management skills to manage complex retailer-dependent programmes and OEM marketing initiatives.

• Stakeholder Management: Experience working with senior stakeholders at large enterprises with the ability to engage new partners or users through data story-telling.

• Data Analysis: Ability to leverage Carwow’s extensive datasets to deliver data-driven strategies, transforming complex market insights into actionable growth plans for our partners.

• Presentation Skills & Storytelling: Ability to build a cohesive story & strategy for our clients using Carwow’s vast reserves of data.

• Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment where priorities shift frequently.

• International Mindset: Opportunity to apply learnings and best practices across multiple markets, including the UK, Germany, and Spain.

WHY THESE ROLES MATTERS

This role is the vital bridge between OEM strategy and retailer execution, ensuring large-scale campaigns are backed by real-world supply. By owning the operational delivery of D2C models and co-fund programmes, you directly unlock new revenue streams and improve ROI for the world's biggest automotive brands. You provide the specialist expertise needed to scale our most complex partnerships, giving OEMs the confidence to invest deeply in the Carwow platform.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

• 30-minute virtual Introductory call with our Talent team

• 45-minute virtual Hiring Manager Interview

• Take-home exercise, followed by a roughly 1.5-hour onsite Technical skills Interview

• Virtual Values Interview with key senior stakeholders

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU

• Competitive comp package.

• 28 days' holiday plus bank holidays, increasing to 35 with length of service, plus extras for house moves, weddings and more!

• Employee-friendly share options.

• Pension scheme via Royal London - up to 5% matched company contribution.

• Vitality private healthcare insurance.

• Life Assurance - 4x annual salary.

• Monthly coaching sessions with Spill - our mental wellbeing partner.

• Inclusive parental, partner and shared parental leave, including up to 20 weeks' full pay maternity and shared parental leave, and 8 weeks' full partner pay, as well as fertility treatment and pregnancy loss policies.

• Bubble childcare support and discounted nanny fees for little ones.

• 'Work from abroad for a month' annual scheme.

• Generous learning and development budget.

• £500/€550 home office budget.

Diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our culture. We know that diverse teams are strong teams, so we welcome those with alternative identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply for this position. We make recruiting decisions based on experience, skills and potential, so all our applicants are treated fairly and equally.