Director, Portfolio Management - NextGear (Chicago Market)

Company: Cox Automotive
Location: Chicago
Posted on: January 6, 2026

Job Description:

The Director of Portfolio Management for the Chicago market is an operational leader responsible for fostering a strong team culture and individual team member performance and accountability, empowering team members, leading with influence, providing impactful feedback, giving clear and consistent direction, and investing in the development of their team members. The Director of Portfolio Management is responsible for ensuring the Portfolio Managers are properly trained and informed and deliver best-in-class service to their clients. Critical to the success of this role is the ability to set clear direction, provide support, and motivate the team to achieve all goals while providing outstanding client experience. This person will also be required to embrace and manage change effectively and provide feedback to senior leadership. This employee must permanently reside in Chicago, Chicagoland or Northwest Indiana (Central Time Zone). Essential Duties and Responsibilities - Recruit, develop, and lead a team of 10 - 15 Portfolio Managers who oversee and manage an assigned portfolio of clients within NextGear Capital's core dealer segment whose lines of credit range from $50k - $2.4M. - Achieve all goals and performance targets set by the company by leading and performance managing their team of Portfolio Managers to achieve all success measures as directed and set by the company. - Cultivate and champion a culture of accountability and collaboration with various internal and external clients and partners to drive revenue and profitability through controlled growth and risk mitigation. - Ensure each member of their team of Portfolio Managers maintains up to date knowledge of and compliance with all company policies and procedures and operational guidelines. - Coach and performance manage their team of Portfolio Managers in account management and risk mitigation consistent with company values, policies and procedures and operational guidelines. - Serve as a fiduciary for the company including identifying and reporting to the company any material client or internal non-compliance with company policies, attempted or actual fraud upon the company or any other circumstance that may require identification and reporting to protect the company. - Cultivate Cox Automotive cross business unit relationships and opportunities. - Serve as ambassador for Cox Automotive through industry involvement and support of brand equity initiatives. - Participate and support other projects and initiatives as required. - Perform all other duties as assigned. Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: - Knowledge of the automotive industry (various sectors). - Knowledge of the finance industry (various sectors). - Strong financial acumen with working knowledge of key financial tools and terminology. - Strong presentation, verbal and written communication skills. - Strong interpersonal skills with ability to interact with clients, collaborate with internal team members. and external partners at various levels within the organization. - Strong time management skills with ability to manage deadlines. - Strong negotiation and collection skills. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. - Ability to work independently and in a remote environment. - Ability to maintain a high level of safety awareness and take necessary safety precautions. - Proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and Salesforce. Education and Experience: - BA/BS or equivalent experience required along with 10 years of experience in finance, business development, territory management, and account management. Candidate can also have some combination of MS degree and 8 years of experience, PHD and 5 years of experience, or 14 years of experience in lieu of a degree. - 5 years in a leadership role. - Automotive and/or floorplan industry background preferred. Physical Demands: - Travel: Greater than 50%, with some overnight travel required. - Ability to travel, fly, drive. - Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time. - A valid driver's license is required for this position. USD 134,900.00 - 224,900.00 per year Compensation: Compensation includes a base salary of $134,900.00 - $224,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program. Benefits: The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave. Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.

Keywords: Cox Automotive, Palatine , Director, Portfolio Management - NextGear (Chicago Market), Accounting, Auditing , Chicago, Illinois