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West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Onsite
Position Summary
CDK Global is seeking an Associate Product Manager to support OEM and Enterprise initiatives focused on improving the automotive ownership and service experience for dealers and consumers. This role is ideal for an early-career product professional who is passionate about learning the automotive ecosystem, building strong stakeholder relationships, and developing exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
The Associate Product Manager will work closely with OEM partners, Product Managers, Program Managers, Engineering teams, UX teams, and business stakeholders to understand OEM objectives, dealer operational challenges, and customer experience opportunities. A key responsibility will be developing expertise in OEM programs and understanding how they influence dealer performance, customer satisfaction, retention, and long-term loyalty.
This role will support initiatives that help OEMs achieve key success metrics, including customer satisfaction and loyalty measures often reflected in industry benchmarking programs such as J.D. Power studies and OEM-specific satisfaction programs. The Associate Product Manager will help translate OEM requirements into product enhancements that improve both digital and in-store customer experiences across the service journey.
As the automotive service industry evolves, this role will contribute to product strategies that extend beyond online appointment scheduling to support a broader Fixed Operations ecosystem, including service lane experiences, scheduled maintenance programs, OEM parts and tire sales, marketing and customer retention capabilities, service recommendations, digital engagement solutions, and emerging payment options such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL).
Key Responsibilities
OEM Program Knowledge & Product Support
Develop a deep understanding of OEM service programs, customer experience initiatives, and dealer operational processes.
Learn how OEM objectives translate into dealer workflows, customer outcomes, and product requirements.
Support Product Managers in evaluating OEM requests, enhancements, and strategic opportunities.
Research competitive offerings, market trends, and industry best practices.
Build domain expertise across Fixed Operations, Service, Customer Retention, and Digital Retailing solutions.
Customer & Dealer Experience Focus
Develop an understanding of the dealer service journey from online scheduling through in-store service experiences.
Support initiatives focused on:
Online service appointment scheduling
In-store service advisor experiences
Scheduled maintenance programs
OEM parts and tire sales
Recall and service campaigns
Customer communications and marketing
Vehicle health and maintenance recommendations
BNPL and flexible payment options
Service retention and loyalty programs
Assist in gathering feedback from dealers, OEM stakeholders, and internal teams to identify enhancement opportunities.
Product Execution & Coordination
Support the definition and documentation of product requirements, user stories, and business objectives.
Participate in backlog grooming, sprint planning, and release planning activities.
Coordinate with Engineering, UX, and Quality Assurance teams throughout the product development lifecycle.
Track feature progress and help ensure alignment with business and customer objectives.
Assist with launch activities, adoption planning, and post-release analysis.
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
Deliver clear, professional, and effective written and verbal communications.
Create presentations, requirements documents, executive summaries, meeting notes, and status updates.
Facilitate discussions between Product, Engineering, OEM stakeholders, and business teams.
Translate complex business or technical concepts into clear, actionable information for various audiences.
Maintain product documentation and communicate decisions, priorities, and next steps.
Data & Performance Analysis
Monitor and analyze product performance metrics and customer feedback.
Develop an understanding of key OEM success measures, including:
Customer satisfaction scores
Service retention metrics
Dealer engagement and adoption metrics
Loyalty and repeat visit indicators
J.D. Power-related performance drivers
OEM program participation and effectiveness
Learning & Product Development
Demonstrate a strong desire to learn the automotive industry, OEM strategies, dealer operations, and customer experience best practices.
Continuously build knowledge of Fixed Operations processes and emerging service technologies.
Participate in OEM discussions, and internal strategy sessions.
Develop product management fundamentals including requirements gathering, prioritization, roadmap planning, and product discovery.
Qualifications
Preferred:
Education/Experience
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
At CDK, we believe inclusion and diversity are essential in inspiring meaningful connections among our people. We foster an open and inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, enabling everyone to bring their authentic selves to work and make a meaningful impact.
CDK is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees and applicants are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, caste, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, nationality, ethnic origin, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.
Non-Discrimination and Reasonable Accommodation
Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of their role satisfactorily. CDK is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities or other protected needs in accordance with applicable laws, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the organization. CDK retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position as needed.
