Director of Asset and Inventory Management

Recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work, Sasser prides itself on supporting an employee-driven, opportunity-based culture that empowers, recognizes, and rewards its employees. From highly competitive benefits to exciting employee events to organic, grassroots philanthropy and volunteerism, Sasser is an awesome place to begin and grow your career. We are a transportation asset services and management company with roots dating to 1928. Sasser's subsidiary units are leaders in providing commercial- and industrial-focused rail, automotive, and containerized shipping solutions, including asset leasing, fleet administration management, asset repair and maintenance, and innovative technology services. Sasser Family Companies includes subsidiaries Chicago Freight Car Leasing, Union Leasing, CF Rail Services, Express 4x4 Truck Rental, and Falcon Lease. To learn more about what makes Sasser special, visit www.sasser.com. The Director of Asset and Inventory Management is a key operations role that will manage a growing fleet of vehicles in a high transaction business environment. This role requires a strategic leader with a strong background in asset management and an emphasis on leveraging data-driven business analytics to optimize asset performance and operational scalability and develop and implement strategies to enhance profitability and efficiencies. This role will demonstrate exceptional expertise in asset planning, forecasting, and performance analysis, all while driving forward-looking strategies to meet both immediate and long-term business objectives. Additionally, this role will support key OEM/supplier relationships. As a Director of Asset and Inventory Management, Here's What You Will Do:DEMAND & VEHICLE PROCUREMENT: Work with key business stakeholders on a data-driven approach to annual and quarterly vehicle purchase planning, aligned with financial goals, market demand and utilization thresholds. Collaborate with sales on maintaining a rolling demand forecast, ensuring the fleet is comprised of the right mix of vehicles by staying on top of market trends and customer preferences. Work with upfit partners on supply planning; proactively use annual forecasting & planning tools to collaborate with 3rd party vendors to ensure on time delivery. Supervise the upfit process, ensure upfits are correct per Express specifications and eliminate delays, including selecting body types, manufacturer payment, and activation of upfit units. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT: Align fleet mix with business needs across verticals, locations, balancing customer demand, utilization and ROI. Partner with Sales and Operations to ensure vehicle availability supports revenue growth and service commitments. Actively manage idle unit inventory to ensure compliance; work with Remarketing team on disposal strategy, maximizing gain and optimizing proceeds. Recommend adjustments to inventory levels based on OEM deliveries, reservations, updated demand trends and sale opportunities. Identify candidate vehicles for substitution (swap) in order to maintain fleet health and optimize gain on sale. Work with Sales on planning and execution Develop tools to proactively recommend de-fleeting strategy, working with sales team to minimize customer impact, while maximizing value/gain at various disposal channels (auctions etc). Coordinate with Union Leasing on timely MSO's delivery to expedite vehicle activation. FLEET OPERATIONS: Ensure inventory supports efficient scheduling, transportation, and fleet utilization in partnership with the Director of Logistics. Proactive asset management to reduce unit idle/down time, partnering cross functionally as required. FLEET ANALYTICS: Design, track, and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) for fleet operations in partnership with Finance. Develop and implement data-driven strategies using advanced business analytics to predict trends. Use analytics to produce actionable insights and drive more efficient decision making. Inform leadership of operational performance and improvement opportunities to optimize fleet deployment, and enhance operational efficiency. BUDGET & FORECASTING: Oversee the fleet expense budget, ensuring cost-effective management of all fleet-related expenses, and continuously monitor and drive improvements. Work with Finance team on monthly and quarterly budgeting process (as required). Collaborate with Union Leasing on timely and accurate payment of invoiced units. Maintain a rolling fleet forecast aligned with optimal utilization metrics; balancing the need for efficiency with fluidity of the fleet in order to meet customer demand. VENDOR & SUPPLIER RELATIONS: Build and maintain relationships with OEM's, dealers, upfitters, and vendors focusing on quality service, cost efficiencies, sourcing additional vendors, and building strategic partnerships for long-term benefit. TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies in the fleet industry. Attend and/or join industry conferences as appropriate. Partner with IT to leverage asset tracking and telematics systems, and other technologies that provide real-time insights; recommend investments and/or enhancements as appropriate. Note: Responsibilities include the expectation to always act to support the interests of the department and organization and to perform other duties as assigned to ensure the successful achievement of departmental and company objectives. Here's What it Will Take to be Successful in This Role: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field (MBA preferred) 10+ years Fleet Management and/or strong retail Automotive Dealer experience 5+ years in a leadership role with data-driven management experience Certification in fleet management (e.g., Certified Automotive Fleet Manager - CAFM) a plus Excellent analytical skills and the ability to quickly interpret data, identify trends, and recommend multiple solutions. Strong proficiency in business analytics, with experience using data to drive operational improvements and strategic decision-making. Strong intellectual curiosity with the natural desire to go beyond data, quickly identify opportunities and clearly, and concisely, propose courses of action to senior stakeholders. A strong bias for action with excellent attention to detail and follow through. Thorough understanding of fleet unit lifecycle and associated processes within the auto/truck rental space. Experience with telematics and advanced fleet tracking systems. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal. Proven ability to build and maintain strong, effective relationships with vendors, customers, and colleagues, with strong negotiation skills. Professional demeanor, enthusiastic attitude with demonstrated customer service focus. Strong use of independent judgment to identify and anticipate business needs. Ability to work as part of a team while accomplishing departmental and company goals. Self-motivated with ability to work independently with moderate to minimal direction. Demonstrated ability to manage large-scale budgets and optimize fleet operations for cost efficiency. Exceptional leadership skills, with a proven track record of driving change and improving performance. Proficient with MS Office products - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc. Physical Requirements: This job operates in a professional environment and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, copy machines, filing cabinets, printers and fax machines. Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, approximately. Compensation The hiring range for this role is: $133,000 - $175,000 USD annually. This role is classified as exempt for purposes of all applicable wage and hour laws, which means that the individual hired is paid for the job and not by the hour, and will not be eligible for, and will not receive, overtime pay if working more than 40 hours in a workweek. This role will be paid on a semi-monthly basis. Sasser is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Pay ranges are assigned to a job based on market data according to 3rd party salary benchmarking surveys. Actual base salary is dependent upon factors such as knowledge, skill level, and experience. This role is also eligible for benefits. Sasser employees enjoy a competitive benefits program that: Includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, including HSA and FSA accounts with employer contributions toward HSA Includes a 100% Company-paid disability and life insurance plans Includes a 401K plan with company match PLUS additional end-of-year funding Provides paid vacation time (tiered based on tenure), as well as personal time, sick days and summer half days for certain roles Provides 10 paid holidays annually Provides paid parental leave for new parents, as well as a monetary gift towards a 529 education account Provides a confidential Employee Assistance Program Provides training and tuition reimbursement Provides community service opportunities, charity match opportunities, employee recognition programs, and many celebrations Note: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.