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Senior Program Manager

CarMax Auto Finance, Kennesaw, GA

Role Anchor: Owns complex, ambiguous, cross-functional business and technology initiatives by framing problems, shaping practical solution paths, aligning business and Technology partners, and driving work through implementation and adoption.

About This Job

The Senior Program Manager at CarMax Auto Finance is responsible for leading complex, cross-functional business and technology initiatives that require strong problem-solving, operational understanding, and technology fluency. This role partners with business leaders, Product, Technology, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Risk, Learning, Communications, and other stakeholders to understand business problems, evaluate solution options, and drive work from discovery through implementation.

This role goes beyond coordinating work or managing project plans. The Senior Program Manager takes ownership of ambiguous problems, asks effective questions, examines how processes and systems work together, and helps teams identify practical paths forward. The role evaluates whether a need may be addressed through process redesign, automation, reporting or data improvements, AI-enabled capabilities, technology enhancements, or a combination of solutions.

The Senior Program Manager develops a strong understanding of CAF processes, systems, data flows, integrations, controls, and operational workflows. While not responsible for detailed requirements or technical design, this role brings enough business and technical fluency to shape solution options, evaluate tradeoffs, recognize cross-functional impacts, and connect business needs with Technology capabilities.

What You Will Do – Essential Responsibilities

Own complex, ambiguous cross-functional initiatives by clarifying the business problem, intended outcomes, customer and associate impacts, operational context, and key constraints. Lead early problem-framing and solution-shaping by gathering facts, asking thoughtful questions, challenging assumptions, and engaging the right business, Product, Technology, and analytical partners. Develop a working understanding of current processes, systems, data flows, integrations, controls, and handoffs to identify gaps, risks, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement. Evaluate practical solution options across process redesign, workflow automation, reporting and data improvements, configurable technology, integrations, AI-enabled capabilities, and broader operational change. Facilitate decision-making across stakeholders by clarifying tradeoffs, operational impacts, risks, dependencies, resource needs, and recommendations needed to move work forward. Connect work across multiple functions, products, systems, and Technology teams to ensure decisions, sequencing, dependencies, and implementation plans support a cohesive end-to-end solution. Lead implementation and operational readiness by coordinating communications, training, controls, documentation, adoption, support, transition needs, and early post-launch issue resolution. Create clear executive-level materials and governance updates including decision summaries, solution recommendations, roadmaps, risks, status updates, and measurable success outcomes.

Purpose of the Role

The Senior Program Manager helps CAF solve complex business problems that require coordination and solution shaping across business and Technology teams. This role ensures the problem is sufficiently understood, the appropriate partners are engaged, practical solution options are evaluated, and work progresses from ambiguity to implementation and adoption.

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, outcome-oriented, and comfortable operating with limited direction. They understand how processes, people, systems, data, integrations, and controls work together and can connect business needs with technology-enabled opportunities. They use structured thinking, operational knowledge, and technical fluency to identify options, surface tradeoffs, and guide teams toward practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions.

The Senior Program Manager typically leads work involving:

• Multiple business functions, products, or Technology platforms
• High ambiguity or material organizational impact
• Significant regulatory, financial, customer, operational, or reputational risk
• Complex sequencing and resource conflicts
• Multiple senior-level decision makers
• CAF-wide or enterprise impact
• Executive governance and visibility
• Limited precedent or an undefined delivery path
• A need to establish the program structure and governance model

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in business, program management, technology, operations, finance, analytics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience leading complex cross-functional programs, business initiatives, technology-enabled change, process improvement, or transformation efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of ambiguous problems, establish clarity, evaluate alternatives, synthesize complex information, and move work forward with limited direction.
• Experience facilitating discovery, solution-shaping, and decision-making discussions across business, Product, Technology, Operations, and control partners.
• Strong understanding of business processes, operational workflows, systems, data flows, integrations, controls, technology constraints, and the operational effects of technology changes.
• Ability to evaluate solution options involving process redesign, automation, reporting, data, integrations, configurable platforms, AI-enabled capabilities, or technology enhancements while identifying risks, dependencies, cross-functional impacts, and implementation considerations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, align stakeholders across functions and organizational levels, manage competing priorities, and facilitate decisions involving business value, feasibility, risk, resources, and timing.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing executive summaries, decision materials, solution recommendations, roadmaps, stakeholder communications, and implementation/adoption materials.
• Preferred experience with Agile, Waterfall, hybrid delivery approaches, or technology-delivery practices; consumer finance, auto finance, financial services, operations, technology, analytics, risk, or process-improvement environments.

About CarMax

CarMax disrupted the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent, and high-integrity experience customers want and deserve. This innovative thinking around the way cars are bought and sold has helped us become the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, with over 250 locations nationwide.

Our amazing team of more than 30,000 associates works together to deliver iconic experiences for internal and external customers. Along the way, we help every associate grow their career and achieve their best at work and in their community. We are recognized for our commitment to training and diversity and are one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®.

CarMax is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The annual salary for this position is:

May be eligible for bonus and equity.

Benefits:

Except as otherwise required by state law, CarMax Associates are entitled to the following paid sick, vacation, and holiday time.

Associates that are considered full-time hourly or commission/incentive eligible:

• To earn up to 48 hours of sick time per year accrued on a per pay period basis and between 80 hours and 200 hours per year of vacation time after a 90 day waiting period depending on years of continuous service with the Company. 
• For 8 hours of pay for each of a total of 6 paid scheduled holidays per year plus 1 floating holiday.  If such an Associate does work on a scheduled holiday due to business need, they are eligible for Holiday Premium Pay. 

Associates considered full-time salaried are entitled to paid time away with no specified limit as needed for sick, vacation, bereavement, jury duty, holidays, floating holiday, etc. subject to manager approval. 

For more details about benefits, please visit our CarMax Benefits website.

Upon an applicant's request, CarMax will consider reasonable accommodation to complete the CarMax Job Application.