Innovation and Technology Manager

**Innovation & Technology Manager** **Suntrup Automotive Group** Suntrup Automotive Group is hiring an Innovation & Technology Manager to take on a broad role with real ownership across three areas. You’ll work alongside department heads to identify operational pain points and design solutions, whether that means a homegrown software product, an outside vendor tool, or a smarter process. You’ll play a key role in managing the company’s data infrastructure — the data lake, the analytics, and the reporting that leadership uses to run the business. You’ll also lead the development team building our internal software, acting as the product manager who sets priorities, shapes the roadmap, and delivers working software. We are an industry-leading, forward-thinking dealer group at the forefront of innovation—challenging the status quo and reshaping the automotive experience through technology, data, and smarter operations. This is an opportunity to be part of a team redefining how dealerships operate and how customers experience the buying and ownership journey. **What You’ll Do** - Partner with department heads across the organization to identify pain points and process inefficiencies, then design solutions — whether that means building in-house tools, integrating an external vendor, or redesigning a process - Lead the design, development, and rollout of proprietary software products across Suntrup Automotive Group - Build and maintain Suntrup’s data lake — the collection of databases that house our enterprise data — including writing analytical SQL, ingesting new data sources, and developing Power BI reports that drive business decisions - Manage our distributed software development team as the Product Manager, owning the backlog, priorities, and release cadence - Work with leadership to build and maintain roadmaps for future software and product development - Support the implementation of new systems across sales, service, marketing, and operations - Train end users, gather their feedback, and incorporate it into future product iterations - Help manage and prioritize multiple innovation projects simultaneously - Document processes, build SOPs, and ensure scalability of new initiatives - Monitor performance and effectiveness of implemented technologies **What We’re Looking For** - Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to do user research — sitting with people in their day-to-day work, asking good questions, and translating their ideas into tangible solutions - Genuine curiosity about the car business; no automotive experience is required, but you need a desire to learn it deeply - Solid data analysis skills and comfort working with data to find answers and make decisions - Naturally curious and obsessed with technology, AI, and innovation - Ability to learn new tools and systems extremely fast (and enjoy doing it) - Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills - Highly organized with strong follow-through and attention to detail - Excellent communication skills — able to simplify complex ideas for non-technical audiences - Self-starter who thinks in systems, efficiency, and scale - Energized by a fast pace and comfortable being pushed and challenged **Technical & Preferred Skills** - Exposure to AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) and a habit of using them in your own work - Basic understanding of coding concepts (Python, JavaScript, APIs) - Basic understanding of version control tools like GitHub - Working knowledge of databases and SQL - Some experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Experience analyzing data and turning it into actionable insights - Experience working with software development teams to build or support technology products **Why This Role Matters** This position plays a key role in shaping the future of Suntrup Automotive Group. You won’t just support innovation—you’ll help build it. If you’re someone who wants to be on the front lines of AI and technology in a real-world business environment, this i…