Lead product vision and execution for DMS accounting workflows (GL, AP, AR, period close). Translate dealer accounting processes into deliverable features, run discovery and pilots with dealers, align Engineering/UX/Architecture, define success metrics, and drive migration from legacy DMS to a cloud-native platform.
Intro
The DealerOps team at Cox Automotive is leading the modernization of the dealer management system experience - reimagining how dealerships run their financial operations on a cloud-native platform built for the way dealers work today. This is foundational platform work, and the accounting domain sits at the center of it.
As a Lead Product Manager for DMS Accounting, you will own the product vision and execution for core accounting workflows - including Cash Receipts & Payment Application, Deal Posting Integrity, and Accounts Payable automation - that serve dealership controllers, office managers, and CFOs across some of the largest dealer groups in the country. You'll operate at the intersection of deep accounting domain expertise and modern software delivery, partnering daily with engineering, architecture, and UX to build a DMS accounting experience that sets a new standard for the industry.
What You'll Do
Who You Are
Cox Automotive uses a framework to define how our product practitioners operate. Candidates for this role are expected to demonstrate proficiency across its six practice areas.
Preferred
Domain & Industry Experience
Technical & Integration Fluency
AI Capability
What's In It For You
Here's a sneak peek of the benefits at your disposal as a Cox employee:
USD 111,500.00 - 185,900.00 per year
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $111,500.00 - $185,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
EOE, including disability/vets
The DealerOps team at Cox Automotive is leading the modernization of the dealer management system experience - reimagining how dealerships run their financial operations on a cloud-native platform built for the way dealers work today. This is foundational platform work, and the accounting domain sits at the center of it.
As a Lead Product Manager for DMS Accounting, you will own the product vision and execution for core accounting workflows - including Cash Receipts & Payment Application, Deal Posting Integrity, and Accounts Payable automation - that serve dealership controllers, office managers, and CFOs across some of the largest dealer groups in the country. You'll operate at the intersection of deep accounting domain expertise and modern software delivery, partnering daily with engineering, architecture, and UX to build a DMS accounting experience that sets a new standard for the industry.
What You'll Do
- Own the end-to-end product strategy for DMS Accounting workflows, driving prioritization and delivery across GL, AP, AR, and period close domains as part of a broader platform modernization effort.
- Translate complex dealership accounting workflows - from deal posting integrity to intercompany transfers - into implementation-ready features and epics that engineering teams can execute with confidence.
- Partner directly with dealership controllers and accounting staff through discovery, pilot programs, and go-lives to validate assumptions, surface friction, and continuously improve the product experience.
- Lead cross-functional alignment across Engineering, Architecture, UX, and Operations to navigate the technical complexity of migrating dealers from legacy systems to a modern, cloud-native platform.
- Identify and size strategic opportunities in adjacent accounting workflows - including AP automation, partner integrations, and multi-store accounting - and build compelling investment cases for leadership.
- Define and track success metrics that connect product decisions to measurable dealer outcomes, including period close cycle time, deal posting error rates, and user adoption across pilot cohorts.
- Serve as the internal subject matter expert on dealership accounting operations, the competitive DMS landscape, and evolving dealer expectations - informing roadmap decisions at both the team and executive level.
Who You Are
Cox Automotive uses a framework to define how our product practitioners operate. Candidates for this role are expected to demonstrate proficiency across its six practice areas.
- For Market & Client Research, you independently plan and execute market research, conduct dealer site visits and interviews on a recurring cadence, synthesize discovery work into epics, and can identify problems and opportunities across established and emerging product areas.
- For Product Strategy, you create product vision and roadmaps for existing products with input from data and customer research, lead cross-functional discovery teams through ideation and solution selection, and can assess go/no-go decisions and prioritization recommendations.
- For Product Development, you independently create and maintain well-structured backlogs across Epic, Feature, and Story altitudes, facilitate effective refinement sessions, manage stakeholder expectations across multiple groups, and deliver high-quality release notes and launch readiness inputs.
- For In-Market Product Performance Management, you leverage product metrics and user data to support product decisions and have working experience with product lifecycle management.
- For Professional Essentials, you communicate product vision and strategy across multiple stakeholder groups, adapt your style by audience, demonstrate an enterprise thinking lens, and bring a consistent ownership mindset to product challenges beyond your immediate scope.
- For Technology Savvy, you demonstrate working knowledge of technical concepts, participate meaningfully in engineering discussions, and can translate between business and technical language.
- Additionally, you have 5 or more years of product management experience with at least 2 years owning a B2B or enterprise software product, experience delivering software in Agile or SAFe environments using tools such as Rally or Jira, and a Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Computer Science, or a related field - or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred
Domain & Industry Experience
- Direct experience in automotive retail, dealership operations, or DMS software (CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds, Tekion, or equivalent).
- Familiarity with dealership accounting structures including chart of accounts, multi-store hierarchies, and intercompany transaction flows.
- Experience managing product through a platform migration or modernization program such as a legacy-to-cloud or phased architecture transition.
Technical & Integration Fluency
- Exposure to AP automation platforms such as Yooz, Stampli, or Tipalti.
- Experience working within a scaled product organization with shared platform and infrastructure dependencies.
AI Capability
- Demonstrated proficiency in Context Engineering - the ability to design, structure, and iterate on AI prompts and context inputs to produce reliable, high-quality outputs at scale.
- Demonstrated proficiency in AI-Native Product Building - the ability to design and ship products that leverage AI as a core capability, not a bolt-on feature, and to evaluate where AI creates genuine product value versus where it introduces risk.
What's In It For You
Here's a sneak peek of the benefits at your disposal as a Cox employee:
- A competitive salary and top-notch bonus/incentive plans.
- Exceptional work-life balance, flexible time-off policies and accommodating work schedules.
- Comprehensive healthcare, with multiple options for individuals and families.
- Generous 401(k) retirement plans with up to 8% company match.
- Mental health support, including counseling and access to virtual wellness resources such as CALM.
- Access to Care.com, with up to 10 days of subsidized care for children, seniors and pets.
USD 111,500.00 - 185,900.00 per year
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $111,500.00 - $185,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
EOE, including disability/vets
Similar Jobs at Cox Enterprises
Artificial Intelligence • Automotive • Greentech • Information Technology • Machine Learning • Software • Cybersecurity
Lead strategy and execution for the Customer Experience Platform (CRM, customer data, marketing, AI-driven engagement). Define portfolio vision, build business cases, prioritize initiatives, drive go-to-market and commercial plans, and influence cross-functional stakeholders to realize near-term and long-term value.
Top Skills:
AICRMCustomer Data PlatformsMarketing Technology
Artificial Intelligence • Automotive • Greentech • Information Technology • Machine Learning • Software • Cybersecurity
Lead GTM strategy, positioning, and execution for a defined product portfolio. Drive revenue-focused marketing plans, build messaging and sales enablement, own competitive intelligence, coordinate cross-functional execution, and partner with leadership to measure and optimize performance and industry presence.
Artificial Intelligence • Automotive • Greentech • Information Technology • Machine Learning • Software • Cybersecurity
Design, develop, test, and maintain secure software and cloud infrastructure. Contribute to UI and backend work using TypeScript and Java, support deployments on AWS or other clouds, implement unit and systems tests, troubleshoot, document processes, and communicate status to stakeholders while following agile practices.
Top Skills:
AWSAzureCi/CdContainersGCPJavaServerlessTypescript
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
With vibrant neighborhoods, great food and more affordable housing than either coast, Chicago might be the most liveable major tech hub. It is the birthplace of modern commodities and futures trading, a national hub for logistics and commerce, and home to the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. This diverse blend of industry influences has helped Chicago emerge as a major player in verticals like fintech, biotechnology, legal tech, e-commerce and logistics technology. It’s also a major hiring center for tech companies on both coasts.
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

