Cox Automotive Inc.
Dallas–Fort Worth MetroplexOne of the world's largest automotive technology and services companies, home to Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Dealer.com, and HomeNet.
Product Operations Manager – Managed Services
May 2021 – April 2026
ResultUsed AI across the WOMS delivery cycle to absorb work that traditionally needed 3–4 dedicated roles — business analyst, product owner, QA analyst, and change management — running a leaner operation with real labor-cost savings while still driving a 25% increase in monthly Managed Services deliverable output (SEO, website creative, copywriting, and landing pages).
- With AI absorbing the analyst, product-owner, and QA execution, the role evolved beyond a traditional Product Manager toward Release Train Engineer-style coordination — orchestrating delivery across the train rather than performing each function by hand.
- Used AI to break end-user feature and enhancement requests into epics, features, and user stories, and to assign priority, ranking, and scoring across the backlog.
- Each sprint before release, used AI to parse the developer change log and generate QA test scenarios, user acceptance criteria, and release notes.
- Produced weekly AI-generated recommendation decks for stakeholders to review and provide input — a proactive, decision-ready format they specifically valued.
- Owned the full WOMS product lifecycle — vision, roadmap, discovery, requirements, release, and adoption — for a custom-built CRM serving 200 fulfillment users across multiple business units.
- Stood up the KPI framework (cycle time, rework volume, throughput) that drove roadmap prioritization and the measured gains in deliverable output.
- Led a dealer vehicle-pricing initiative within the local SEO service line: defined the requirements and re-engineered dealer inventory data exports so accurate pricing flowed from the dealer feed to the DBA platform and on to Google — surfacing live dealer vehicle pricing on Google Vehicles for Sale.
- Automated fulfillment workflows with the Power Platform (model-driven apps, Dataverse, Power Automate) and Salesforce Lightning, cutting manual effort and lifting throughput.
- Led customer discovery through user interviews, workflow analysis, and cross-business-unit sessions to validate assumptions and prioritize high-impact product opportunities.
- Translated stakeholder input into structured product requirements — epics, features, user stories, and acceptance criteria — serving as the bridge between business teams and engineering.
- Owned sprint planning, backlog refinement, and iteration structuring, maintaining a sequenced backlog aligned to roadmap milestones and release targets.
- Designed and executed QA test scenarios; led UAT cycles, coordinated tester assignments, captured defects, and validated release readiness before production deployment.
- Standardized onboarding, training, and adoption workflows across SEO, HomeNet, AMP, and Autotrader business units, driving consistent platform engagement across the organization.
- AI-Assisted Delivery
- AI for Product Ops
- Release Train Engineering
- Product Management
- Vehicle Pricing
- Inventory Feeds
- Google Vehicles for Sale
- Power Platform
- Dataverse
- Power Automate
- Salesforce Lightning
- Discovery
- KPI Frameworks
- UAT / QA
Sr. Technical Project Manager – OEM
Mar 2017 – May 2021
ResultCreated repeatable “fast-track” processes that compressed delivery timelines across 8 OEM brands, consistently landing programs ahead of schedule and under budget while controlling scope and risk.
- Delivered digital-retailing initiatives that put me squarely on the fintech side of automotive — coordinating integrations across OEM incentive feeds, DMS (dealer management systems), and banks/lenders to connect dealers, customers, and financing partners through a single platform under strict accuracy and compliance requirements.
- Led a team through OEM website platform migrations — partnering directly with dealers to review and adjust their vehicle pricing displays, wiring up DMS inventory feeds and OEM incentive feeds, and standing up digital-retailing products on the migrated sites.
- Engineered “fast-track” delivery processes that compressed cycle time and let programs ship ahead of schedule.
- Owned scope, schedule, and budget across 8 global OEM brands — Audi, Ford, Lincoln, Genesis, Hyundai, Toyota, Lexus, and Honda — building WBS, baselines, and risk strategies that kept projects under budget.
- Managed the full project lifecycle for platform upgrades, rebranding, product add-ons, and workflow automation.
- Forecasted implementation output, team capacity, and KPI performance to support portfolio-level planning.
- Delivered consistent stakeholder communication through work performance reports, stand-ups, portfolio reviews, and automated reporting.
- Hardened PMO governance with standardized processes, templates, and lessons-learned that lowered the cost of future programs.
- Digital Retailing
- Fintech (Automotive)
- Lender / Financing Integrations
- OEM Incentive Feeds
- DMS Integration
- Vehicle Pricing
- Compliance
- Program Management
- OEM Platforms
- Scope / Schedule / Budget
- WBS & Baselines
- Risk Management
- PMO Governance
