Lead Parts Specialist

For Internal Applicants

Position Summary

The Lead Parts Specialist is responsible for being an effective leader for their team by providing support, training, and direction. Additionally, they are accountable for holding their team to the highest standards of performance, ensuring that each member meets their responsibilities in parts sourcing, ordering, and inventory management. The Lead Parts Specialist plays a crucial role: aligning efficient and accurate parts sourcing and orders with our customers' need to deliver excellence safely. This position is highly collaborative, internally facing and requires a high level of leadership, experience, and understanding of universal system functions.

About Equipment Experts

Equipment Experts, Inc. is proud to have been named one of Seattle Business Magazine's 2023 and 2024 Best Companies to Work For! 

Our company operates most of its service work around the Puget Sound area and has performed service work in neighboring states including Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. Our mission is to drive our customers' ability to deliver excellence safely, impacting people through the power of production. We work on a wide variety of equipment from diesel trucks, forklifts, heavy equipment, aerial equipment, air compressors, and generators. Our core values are the backbone of our business and guide our hiring process: we operate with Safety, Integrity, Communication, Alignment, Accountability, and are Results oriented.

Performance Objectives

• Provide day-to-day leadership for the parts team, ensuring clear communication, offering support, and coaching on best practices for parts sourcing, ordering, and inventory management.
• Hold team members accountable for their responsibilities by setting clear expectations, reviewing performance regularly, and providing constructive feedback to meet goals.
• Locate, price, and order parts for service orders and estimates.
• Maintain work in progress (WIP) daily and communicate parts status with dispatch and technicians via email/phone.
• Manage credit returns & requests.
• Ensure profitable estimates are sent within 24 hours.
• Keep the team updated daily on parts order status via email or phone. Proactively communicate delays and work to resolve issues before they escalate.
• Target a parts margin of 50% to 55% each month; review vendor relationships and sourcing strategies for margin optimization.
• Aim for an inventory sell percentage of 60% to 70% each month, and adjust inventory sourcing strategies as needed.
• Maintain inventory turnover approaching 3 times annually.
• Develop and regularly review an efficient, daily schedule for parts runner routes, optimizing time, service demand, and fuel efficiency.
• Identify areas for improvement in the parts department, collaborate with the leads team to find solutions, and implement changes to improve efficiency and performance.
• Review parts estimates, invoices, and credits to ensure all parts are correctly charged or credited.
• Conduct regular safety audits within the team to ensure compliance with OSHA and company standards, and address any safety concerns promptly.

Scope of Work

• Heavy duty trucks
• Forklifts
• Heavy Equipment
• Aerial Equipment
• Minor fleet automotive work

Requirements

Capabilities and Key Competencies

• Knowledge of vendors, including when to order from the dealer vs. aftermarket.
• Ability to prioritize speed, price, and availability per service order.
• Ability to make quick, accurate decisions.
• Willingness to work as a team
• Willingness to learn about different equipment.
• Positive communication and maintaining a constructive attitude with team members.
• Ability to resolve conflicts effectively with customers, vendors, or internal teams.
• Dependable and timely member of the team.
• Ability to hold team members accountable and collaborate with other leads to ensure team goals are met.
• Provide regular training on new sourcing methods, technology, and safety protocols, and encourage tracking of team progress.
• Ability to identify and cultivate potential in team members.

Education & Experience

• Experience in ordering parts and/or writing service in a dealership or repair facility
• Industry knowledge of equipment and common services and repairs
• High school diploma/GED
• 4+ years of experience in a dealership, repair facility, or part