Manager, Vendor & Sublet Operations

About the role:

We are looking for a Manager of Vendor & Sublet Operations to serve as the functional backbone for all outsourced cosmetic and mechanical work. This is an elite, hands-on position for a disciplined operator who provides the technical and procedural drive required to ensure our external production pipeline meets our "Gold Standard" for quality, financial accuracy, and timing.

You will be responsible for supporting production initiatives while simultaneously maintaining and perfecting the mechanics of our vendor partnerships. You are a strategic partner for the frontline production staff, managing the performance of the sublet engine. You don’t manage the vendors' day-to-day internal labor; you manage their output, their accuracy, and their adherence to our budget.

Your success in this role is defined by four non-negotiable metrics:

• Timeline Management: Minimizing "Days in Sublet" to ensure total production velocity.
• Quality Excellence: Ensuring 100% of vehicles return to the facility meeting our specific quality standards the first time.
• Order Accuracy: Verifying that the work performed matches the authorized scope with zero documentation gaps.
• Budget vs. Actual: Managing financial integrity by auditing every invoice against approved pricing models.

What you’ll do:

1. Procedural Command & Performance Management

• Dispatch Control: Coordinate all sublet work across cosmetic and mechanical vendors. You assign jobs based on vendor capacity and performance data, ensuring a balanced and efficient workload.
• Timeline Oversight: Monitor vehicle status with surgical precision. You are responsible for driving vendors to meet strict deadlines and proactively reassigning work if a partner falls behind schedule.
• Accountability: You manage the vendor's performance through the lens of our SOPs. You don't accept delays or rework; you investigate the root cause and implement procedural fixes with the vendor.

2. Financial & Quality Integrity

• Budget Stewardship: Review, challenge, and approve vendor invoices. You ensure that we are only paying for authorized work at the agreed-upon rates, maintaining total control over "Budget vs. Actual" variances.
• Quality Auditing: Act as the final authority on outsourced quality. You manage rework directly with vendors and ensure that their output remains consistent with our internal standards.
• Dispute Resolution: Resolve vendor discrepancies regarding scope, pricing, or quality quickly to prevent operational bottlenecks while protecting the company's bottom line.

3. Logistics & Process Architecture

• SOP Maintenance: Ensure every vendor follows our standardized documentation and communication flows. You are the guardian of the process, ensuring that data integrity in our internal systems is 100% accurate.
• Gap Identification: Constantly analyze the sublet pipeline to find where timelines are slipping or costs are creeping. You don't just report the problem; you fix the process to prevent recurrence.
• Strategic Partner: Bring ground-truth reality to strategic meetings. You provide the data-driven insights that help us decide which vendors to grow with and which to offboard.

What you'll need:

• The Background: 6+ years of experience in automotive operations, shop coordination, or vendor management. You thrive in high-volume environments where success is built on repeatability and financial rigor.
• Process Discipline: You have a high attention to detail and a strong preference for following established procedures. You believe that "Performance Management" is synonymous with "Process Management."
• Tech-Savvy: You are a "Power User" in G-Suite. You use data to track vendor timelines, audit budgets, and ensure the sublet engine is running at peak efficiency.
• Communication: A confident, direct communicator who can push vendors to meet expectations while maintaining professional, high-level partnerships.

Requirements:

• Financial Accuracy: A "get-it-right-the-first-time" attitude regarding budgets, invoices, and scope.
• Timeline Obsession: A relentless focus on vehicle movement and minimizing downtime.
• Analytical Engine: Ability to manage a high volume of simultaneous jobs using data to prioritize your efforts.
• Legal: Legally authorized to work in Canada.

Who this is NOT for:

• Anyone who prefers "managing relationships" over "managing results and metrics."
• Anyone who views quality standards or budget caps as "flexible suggestions."
• Anyone who wants to manage via email rather than through active, direct oversight and accountability.

Why you’ll love it at Clutch:

• Autonomy & ownership – opportunity to create your own path and lead a high-performing team
• Competitive wages and benefits
• Generous time off program
• Opportunity to work for an ambitious and fast-moving startup

Employment Type:

• New, Permanent Full-Time

Compensation & Benefits:

• Salary range: $90,000 - $120,000 annually 
• Health & dental benefits
• Pay decisions reflect objective criteria: skills, performance, market benchmarking, responsibilities, and working conditions

Clutch is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all individuals have an opportunity to succeed. If you require accommodation at any stage of the interview process, please email talent@clutch.ca