Collision Center Director

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Mike Calvert Ford is proud to be the newest addition to the Vaughan Automotive Group family. As our newest acquired dealership, we're entering an exciting new chapter, bringing fresh energy, new opportunities, and renewed investment in our people and our customers. We're looking for an experienced Collision Center Director to own the strategic direction and overall performance of our collision and body shop, setting department goals, managing manufacturer and insurance relationships, and overseeing the Collision Center Manager and team. This is a senior leadership role focused on department-wide profitability and growth, not daily shop operations.

Responsibilities

• Own the collision center's full profit and loss, including labor, parts, paint and materials, and sublet revenue and expenses
• Build and manage the annual and monthly collision center budget, including staffing, equipment, and facility costs
• Set pricing and labor rate strategy in partnership with dealership management
• Forecast collision center revenue and staffing needs based on volume trends and insurance and Direct Repair Program relationships
• Analyze department-level metrics, including cycle time, touch time, gross profit, and customer satisfaction, and set strategy to improve them
• Maintain the collision center's I-CAR Gold Class and manufacturer certification standards
• Manage relationships with insurance companies and Direct Repair Program partners to maintain and grow referral volume
• Ensure the collision center meets all manufacturer certification and equipment requirements
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, and other state and federal safety and environmental regulations specific to collision repair, including paint booths and hazardous waste disposal
• Hire, develop, and evaluate the Collision Center Manager and other collision center leadership
• Set staffing plans, technician certification targets, and headcount based on shop capacity and demand
• Build training and certification development paths for technicians, estimators, and painters
• Conduct performance reviews and set goals for collision center leadership
• Oversee facility layout, equipment, and tooling investments, including frame machines, paint booths, and measuring systems, needed to support growth and efficiency
• Partner with the Parts department to align parts fulfillment with collision center demand
• Represent the collision center in dealership-wide leadership meetings and budget reviews
• Serve as an escalation point for significant customer or insurance concerns requiring director-level resolution

Requirements

• Proven experience in a senior collision center leadership role, such as Collision Center Director or Body Shop Director
• Strong financial acumen, including experience building budgets and owning a collision center's profit and loss
• Experience managing collision center managers or leads, not just individual technicians or estimators
• Deep understanding of insurance Direct Repair Program relationships, manufacturer certification requirements, and collision center economics
• Strong understanding of OSHA, EPA, and collision-specific safety and compliance requirements
• Strong communication, negotiation, and cross-departmental collaboration skills

Preferred Qualifications

• I-CAR certification and experience maintaining Gold Class shop status
• Prior experience as a Collision Center Director at a Ford dealership or certified collision facility
• Experience managing multiple insurance Direct Repair Program relationships
• Track record of improving collision center profitability and cycle time
• Experience with facility or equipment capital planning projects