Guide · October 29, 2026 · 2 min read
Car dealership org chart: every department and who reports to whom
How a car dealership is organized: dealer principal and GM at the top, then sales, used cars, F&I, BDC, service, parts and the office.
Car dealership org chart
A franchise dealership has a dealer principal and a general manager at the top, and two halves below them: variable operations, which sell cars, and fixed operations, which service them. This is the typical structure, who reports to whom, and how it changes at small stores and dealer groups.
| Role | Reports to | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer principal / owner | The owners and the manufacturer | The business and the franchise |
| General manager | Dealer principal | The whole store, day to day |
| General sales manager | General manager | New and used sales, the desk |
| New car sales manager | General sales manager | The sales floor and salespeople |
| Used car manager | General sales manager or GM | Buying, reconditioning and pricing used cars |
| F&I manager or director | General sales manager or GM | Financing, protection products, compliance |
| BDC / internet sales manager | General sales manager | Leads, calls and appointments |
| Fixed operations director | General manager | Service, parts and body shop |
| Service manager | Fixed operations director | Service lane, advisors, technicians |
| Parts manager | Fixed operations director | Parts inventory and sales |
| Controller / office manager | General manager | Accounting, payroll, title work |
| Marketing director | General manager or group | Advertising, website, listings |
Reporting lines vary by store. Small stores combine roles; dealer groups add a layer above the GM.
Variable operations vs fixed operations
Variable operations are new cars, used cars and F&I: revenue that varies with how many cars the store sells. Fixed operations are service, parts and the body shop, which are steadier. Read what is fixed ops for that side of the chart.
At a dealer group
Above the store GMs sits a group office: a president or CEO, a COO, a CFO and often a CIO, plus group directors for fixed ops, used cars, F&I or marketing who set standards across stores. Large groups add regional or area leaders between the group office and each GM. See the largest dealer groups.
At a small store
The owner may also be the GM, the general sales manager may run used cars, sales managers may handle F&I, and one service manager may run service and parts. Check titles store by store rather than assuming every box on the chart is a different person.
Map the chart for a store before you write to it, then email the department head who owns your problem, not the top of the chart.
Every role here is a filter in DealerData. For each title’s variants, see car dealership job titles; for who buys what, see who to email at a car dealership.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the boss at a car dealership?
The dealer principal or owner, with the general manager running the store day to day and every department head reporting up to the GM.
What are the departments of a car dealership?
New car sales, used cars, F&I, the BDC or internet sales, service, parts, the body shop, and the office, plus marketing at larger stores.
What is the difference between variable and fixed operations?
Variable operations sell cars (new, used and F&I) and vary with sales volume. Fixed operations service them (service, parts and body shop) and are steadier.
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