Dealer group leadership positions
7 positions, each with what the role does, when a store needs it, what it pays and one flat fee per hire.
Dealer group leaders run many stores through their general managers. These are executive searches, and we price them at a flat fee that starts well below what executive search firms charge.
How to pick the right level
- A director of operations oversees several stores' general managers.
- Area and regional vice presidents lead platforms or regions in large groups.
- A COO or president runs the group for its owners; a director of corporate development finds acquisitions.
Every level, what it pays and the fee
Area Vice President
$15,000 per hireLeads a region or platform of stores within a large dealer group.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $145,600 to $463,060 a year.
Director of Corporate Development
$15,000 per hireFinds, values and closes dealership acquisitions for a growing group.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $151,760 to $300,640 a year.
Director of Operations
$15,000 per hireOversees several stores' general managers and holds them to the group's standards and budgets.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $219,560 to $401,890 a year.
Regional Vice President
From $25,000 per hireSenior executive over a large region of a national or regional dealer group.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $284,000 to $940,680 a year.
Starting fee. Additional charges may apply after the intake call, based on your needs.
Dealer Operator
From $25,000 per hireAn operating partner who runs a store and often holds equity in it.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $284,000 to $940,680 a year.
Starting fee. Additional charges may apply after the intake call, based on your needs.
Chief Operating Officer
From $25,000 per hireRuns day-to-day operations for a dealer group across every store and department.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $463,060 to $940,680 a year.
Starting fee. Additional charges may apply after the intake call, based on your needs.
President
From $25,000 per hireLeads a dealer group for the owners: strategy, growth, manufacturer relations and leadership.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $463,060 to $940,680 a year.
Starting fee. Additional charges may apply after the intake call, based on your needs.
About store size and pay
Store size guidance reflects how dealerships typically staff as they grow, drawn from our 25 years inside dealerships and recruiting for them since 2012. Every store is different, so we confirm the right level on your intake call.
- Every store: Any franchised or independent dealership
- Mid-size stores: About 100 or more new and used retail units a month, or 50 or more employees
- Large stores: About 250 or more units a month, or 150 or more employees
- Dealer groups: About 3 to 10 rooftops
- Large dealer groups: 10 or more rooftops
- Stores with a body shop, stores with in-house financing and specialty dealers: roles that depend on the business, not its size
Pay bands are what people in each role earn at automobile dealers, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), including commissions and bonuses. Most bands run from the 25th to the 75th percentile; senior levels use the upper range of the same occupation. A band marked * uses all-industry figures because BLS does not report that role for auto dealers.