AD Operations Specialist

At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, our reputation-based digital wholesale auction marketplace, Dealerclub, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it’s built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together – putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challenge and Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it’s hard. It’s our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don't take our word for it. We are proud to be named one of Built In's 2026 Best Places to Work in Chicago and across the U.S. Ready to make your mark? Join a team that's driving real change in the automotive industry.

The Creative Operations Specialist II supports the optimization and coordination of design processes, workflows, and collaboration across the creative marketing organization. This role helps maintain efficient operations that enable designers to produce high-quality work while meeting business needs and timelines. This is an intermediate-level position that applies practical experience and conceptual knowledge to solve increasingly complex problems using established procedures and guidelines. The Specialist II works independently with moderate supervision, contributes to projects of medium complexity, and continues building knowledge of the organization, tools, and stakeholders. They may provide guidance to less-experienced team members and support design leadership in operational improvements.

Responsibilities

Assist in maintaining and refining design processes, workflows, and best practices to support consistency and quality

Identify improvement opportunities and recommend solutions using standard frameworks and tools

Help document processes and maintain operational resources

Support end-to-end workflow coordination from intake to delivery

Monitor timelines, task progress, and resource allocation

Ensure work is routed correctly and follows established processes

Collaborate with designers, copywriters, compliance, and cross-functional partners to ensure alignment

Communicate project updates, timelines, and requirements clearly

Help resolve workflow questions and elevate risks when needed

Track basic performance metrics and assist in compiling reports

Participate in retrospectives and help identify patterns or improvement areas

Share insights with leadership to inform decisions

Support onboarding and process training for team members

Maintain documentation and knowledge-sharing resources

Reinforce established best practices and brand compliance standards

Assist with quality checks using pre-flight checklists and established standards

Flag issues and partner with leads to resolve them; participate in design critiques to support continuous learning

Contribute ideas to improve workflows and efficiency

Support implementation of new tools or process updates; embrace agile ways of working and iterative improvements

Requirements & Qualifications

Experience working on brand, product, or creative teams with exposure to how creative processes and operations intersect

Working understanding of creative development and production processes

Experience supporting creative or marketing operations projects from intake through delivery

Interest in contributing to a positive and collaborative creative culture

Foundational understanding of design principles and workflows

Basic understanding of production processes across creative, content, and marketing to support timelines and resources

Highly organized and detail-oriented

Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey timelines, priorities, and updates to peers and stakeholders

Collaborative mindset with willingness to support cross-functional partners

Resourceful problem-solver who can navigate established processes and guidelines

Requirements

2–5+ years of experience in creative marketing, marketing operations, project coordination, or design operations

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field required

Working knowledge of creative workflows and production processes

Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and XD

Proficiency in Microsoft 365 or equivalent office suites, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint

Experience using workflow or project management tools such as Wrike or similar platforms

Ability to support design processes and projects with an understanding of print and digital production-ready file setup and delivery

Demonstrates strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Effective communicator who can collaborate across teams

Fast learner who can work both collaboratively and independently with moderate supervision; able to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment within established timeframes

Curious, collaborative problem-solver with a focus on continuous improvement

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position. In addition to base salary, some roles are eligible for our bonus and/or equity programs, depending on level and role. Regular full-time positions are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package. If you are hired at Cars Commerce, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills and/or experience. If the salary range is close to what you're seeking, then we encourage you to apply and learn more about the total compensation package for this position.

Salary Range

$73,000.00-89,450.00

Benefits

Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans

New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up

Generous PTO

Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day

Learn more about our Benefits, Perks, & Culture on our LinkedIn Life Pages!

For US-based Positions: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Please note that we are unable to sponsor employment visas at this time.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Applicants: Click here to review our Privacy Policy for Applicants. For current employees, please click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Employees.

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