Job Title : Director, Warranty Operations & Technical Assistance
Location : Irvine, CA
Company : Kia America, Inc.
Salary :
Open Date : 2023-01-01
Close Date : 2023-05-01

At Kia, we’re creating award-winning products and redefining what value means in the automotive industry. It takes a special group of individuals to do what we do, and we do it together. Our culture is fast-paced, collaborative, and innovative. Our people thrive on thinking differently and challenging the status quo. We are creating something special here, a culture of learning and opportunity, where you can help Kia achieve big things and most importantly, feel passionate and connected to your work every day.

Kia provides team members with competitive benefits including premium paid medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) plan matching of 100% up to 6% of the salary deferral, and time off starting at 14 days per year. Kia also offers company lease and purchase programs, company-wide holiday shutdown, paid volunteer hours, and premium lifestyle amenities at our corporate campus in Irvine, California.

Status Exempt Summary

This position provides strategic planning and oversight for all aspects of Kia America (KUS) Warranty Operations, Technical Assistance and Prior Warranty Authorization (PWA) through Techline, as well as KUS Service Garage operations and is intended to be the subject matter expert and lead representative for Warranty Operations within KUS.

Primary responsibilities include (a) collaboration with Kia’s North American Safety Office, Warranty Operations and Product Quality teams to develop the most effective policies, procedures and systems necessary to facilitate Kia warranty/ campaign repairs for customers via the Kia Dealer network, (b) ensuring timely and accurate Dealer payment and factory and vendor recovery per established warranty agreements, (c) compliance with all state and federal laws, (d) development of strategies for and oversight of dealer policy compliance through use of systems, analysis, and audits, (e) maximizing effectiveness of Techline and Service Garage in support of customers, product quality and execution of Kia vehicle warranties,(f) the continuous development of warranty and technical support operations that support a positive brand image and dealer relations.

Major Responsibilities

1st Priority - 20%

Warranty Operations- Provide strategic direction to the warranty team for warranty policy development and implementation in coordination with Kia HQ, KUS Legal and Product Quality. Represent KUS warranty policies and implementation to KUS field and dealers.

2nd Priority - 20%

Warranty Assurance- Provide strategic direction, oversight and corrective action plans for dealer warranty compliance activities. This includes utilizing available warranty data to develop KPIs and audit protocols for maintaining proper compliance and expense control.

3rd Priority - 20%

Techline- Provide strategic direction and oversight for Dealer troubleshooting and repair support hotline, both web portal CRM and phone, develop effective PWA processes, consult with Product Quality and Parts regarding emerging issues and service information deficiencies, support development of technical instruction through Kia University, liaise with Field Technical Specialists for on-site dealer technical support, review techline effectiveness and develop plans for improvement to meet the needs of the dealer network.

4th Priority - 15%

Warranty Systems- Provide strategic direction for warranty administration and compliance by establishing and maintaining guidelines for effective utilization of warranty systems. This will maximize systemization and uniformity of compliance efforts while reducing manual monitoring or approvals.

5th Priority - 15%

Warranty Planning and Recovery- Thoroughly review and analyze all aspects of department expenses and recovery from the factories and local vendors. Develop strategies and action plans and lead efforts to minimize expenses and maximize recovery where/when required.

6th Priority - 10%

Service Garage- Operation of KUS corporate repair facility including company vehicle maintenance and repair, shop equipment maintenance, advanced troubleshooting with difficult to repair vehicles, analysis and time study of new repair procedures and special TSB repairs and off-site vehicle support for media and other company-sponsored special events.

Education/Certification

• Bachelor’s degree required, Masters Degree and Engineering background preferred

Overall Experience

• 15+ years’ experience in the automotive industry, retail and/or corporate with dealer contact experience preferred
• 10+ years of managerial experience in a wholesale automotive environment
• Overall knowledge of manufacturer, field, and dealership operations
• Demonstrated leadership skills managing large teams

Directly Related Experience

• 10+ years of successful strategic oversight in warranty operations management experience, including knowledge of administration and various state laws governing manufacturer-dealer relations
• 5+ years of technical knowledge of automotive systems and repair
• 3+ years’ experience in retail dealership service operations
• 3+ years’ experience at the OE/Distributor field level
• Regional automotive field experience preferred
• Must have deep understanding of warranty operations, warranty assurance, and warranty planning/recovery
• Knowledge and understanding of both wholesale and retail automotive operations regarding all areas of warranty operations

Skills Technical knowledge of automotive systems and repair Detail-oriented with excellent analytical and independent critical thinking skills including statistical analysis Knowledge and understanding of systems development and maintenance Planning, training, motivation, implementation and management skills Strong people management, written and oral presentation skills Excellent written and oral communication skills. MS Office proficiency (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Sharepoint is a plus Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment Competencies CHALLENGE - Solving Complex Problems COLLABORATION - Building and Supporting Teams CUSTOMER - Serving Customers GLOBALITY - Showing Community and Social Responsibility PEOPLE - Interacting with People at Different Levels

Pay Range

$142,800.00 - $207,100.00

Equal Employment Opportunities

KUS provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, including pregnancy and childbirth and related medical conditions, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, legally protected physical disability or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, protected veteran or military status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. KUS complies with applicable law governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which KUS has offices. The KUS EEO policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

Disclaimer: The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification and for this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

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