Service Manager

Description
Palo Alto, CA | Mercedes-Benz | Luxury European brand | Service manager | Fixed ops | CSI | Absorption | Technician development | Service management experience required | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley | Veterans encouraged to apply | $80,000 - $180,000+/yr
IS THIS YOU?

You're a proven Service Manager with 3+ years of full fixed ops ownership -- CSI, absorption, advisor performance, technician development -- and a department culture that reflects your leadership, not your presence
You're ready for a Silicon Valley Mercedes-Benz store where the ownership community is analytically sharp, high-expectation, and notices the difference between a well-run department and one that isn't
WHO WE ARE

Mercedes-Benz of Palo Alto is part of Swickard Auto Group, a hospitality company in the retail automotive space built on one idea -- be the favorite of our guests, our employees, and our manufacturing partners. We operate 40+ dealerships across the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii, and whether you're in Palo Alto or Anchorage, the standard is the same. Do right by people, every time.
The Palo Alto store serves a high-net-worth Silicon Valley ownership community -- informed, unhurried, and deeply attentive to how they're treated. The Service Manager who builds a consistently excellent department here earns a guest base that compounds over time.
WHAT YOU'LL DO

Lead the full service department -- managing advisors, technicians, and support staff to deliver consistent quality, efficiency, and guest satisfaction across every interaction
Own key fixed ops metrics -- CSI, absorption, effective labor rate, technician efficiency, hours per RO, warranty compliance, and comeback rate -- and drive continuous improvement across all of them
Develop and coach the service advisor team -- setting performance expectations, reviewing repair orders, and ensuring every advisor communicates with the clarity and follow-through that a Silicon Valley MB ownership community expects
Drive technician productivity and development -- partnering with shop leadership to manage workflow, improve efficiency, support certification advancement, and reduce technician turnover
Manage service department financial performance -- monitoring revenue, expenses, and absorption targets and translating results into clear, actionable direction for the team
Partner with parts to ensure inventory alignment supports service throughput without guest-impacting delays
Maintain Mercedes-Benz OEM certification compliance, warranty administration standards, and manufacturer relationship requirements
Manage staffing, scheduling, and onboarding -- recruiting and retaining the advisor and technician talent that defines the department's performance ceiling
Handle guest escalations with composure and a solution-first approach -- a Palo Alto MB guest who brings a concern deserves a resolution, not a process
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

3+ years of Service Manager experience at a franchised dealership -- required
Mercedes-Benz or luxury European brand service management experience strongly preferred -- familiarity with MB's service processes, MBUSA programs, and the brand's high-expectation ownership profile is a meaningful operational advantage in this market
Demonstrated CSI and absorption performance that reflects a disciplined, guest-first service culture -- not just numbers, but the process discipline behind them
A coaching-first leadership approach -- you develop your advisors and technicians rather than managing around them, and your team's performance reflects it
Strong operational instincts -- able to manage drive flow, technician productivity, advisor workload, and guest escalations simultaneously without losing composure or standard
Prior DMS experience required -- familiarity with platforms such as CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds, DealerSocket, Tekion, or equivalent
Valid driver's license with a clean driving record
WHAT WE OFFER

$80,000 - $180,000+/yr
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Life insurance and supplemental coverage options
Paid time off and paid holidays
Career growth -- strong Service Managers at Swickard grow into fixed ops director and multi-store operational leadership roles
Employee vehicle purchase and service discounts
WHY MERCEDES-BENZ OF PALO ALTO

Silicon Valley's MB ownership community is among the most loyal and referral-active in the Bay Area -- the Service Manager who builds a consistently excellent department here earns a guest base that returns on schedule, refers their colleagues, and makes the department's performance self-sustaining over time
A high-net-worth, analytically engaged ownership profile means guests who notice quality, remember how they were treated, and have networks worth earning -- the Service Manager who earns their trust earns their referrals into one of the most professionally connected communities in the country
Full department ownership from day one -- advisors, technicians, financials, and guest experience all sit with you, and the results reflect your leadership directly
Swickard is one of the fastest-growing dealer groups in the country -- ranked Top 5 in North America for reputation in the automotive industry
Our HEART values -- Honor, Engage, Anticipate, Respond, Thank -- are the operational standard for the service department, not just a poster on the wall
If you're a proven Service Manager ready to own the full fixed ops operation at a Silicon Valley Mercedes-Benz store -- developing your team, holding the guest experience standard, and building a department that a high-expectation ownership community trusts and returns to -- apply.

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