Senior Inventory Readiness Specialist

Description

Turn heavy-duty assets into high-value auction-ready listings. Purple Wave is looking for a Senior Inventory Readiness Specialist to lead the make-ready process for medium and heavy-duty equipment, deciding when to prep and list, sell as-is, or recommend another path to maximize recovery. In this senior role, you’ll own readiness decisions, budgets, vendor coordination, and the results that move assets from intake to market with confidence, speed, and value.

The Senior Inventory Readiness Specialist is the senior expert responsible for moving medium and heavy-duty assets through the readiness pipeline — internally referred to as the make-ready process — to listing on Purple Wave at the strongest possible recovery. The role owns the readiness call on these units — prep and list, list as-is, or recommend an alternative channel — along with the readiness budget, vendor relationships, and recovery results that follow.

The position sits within Operations and is responsible for the cost, quality, and cycle time of preparing assets for sale.

The asset mix spans three segments, and the role demands working knowledge of all three:

• Fleet (primary): Class 6, 7, and 8 trucks — box trucks, dump trucks, vocational trucks, day cabs, sleepers — plus trailers (dry van, reefer, flatbed, equipment, dump).
• Construction: dozers, excavators, skid steers, telehandlers, loaders, off-road dump trucks, and attachments.
• Agriculture: tractors, combines, planters, sprayers, hay equipment, and implements.
  
  

Most units across these segments are repossession, high-value fleet-rotation, end-of-lease, or off-lease assets that need light prep — battery, decal removal, wash, fluid top-off, minor service — before listing. A smaller share needs more substantial work, and a smaller share still are best listed as-is.

This is a principal-level individual contributor role with material financial authority. The person in this seat owns the readiness call on asset, sets the readiness budget per unit, negotiates and enforces vendor rate sheets, and is accountable for recovery vs. forecast on the P&L. Decisions made in this seat directly drive margin.

Responsibilities

• Readiness Strategy & Auction Value Judgment
• Make the readiness call on incoming asset — prep and list, list as-is, or recommend an alternative channel — grounded in current auction-market data and a recovery-vs-cost framework.
• Independently assess auction value across all three segments: fleet trucks and trailers, construction equipment, and ag equipment.
• Pay attention to value drivers specific to each segment — for trucks: engine make and emissions tier (pre-DPF, DPF, DEF), transmission type, mileage, axle configuration, GVWR, body and upfit; for construction: hours, undercarriage condition, hydraulic health, attachments; for ag: hours, hitch and PTO condition, implement compatibility, brand reputation in the local market.
• Build and maintain readiness decision frameworks by segment — mileage and hour thresholds, age cutoffs, prep-cost-to-value ratios — so calls are consistent, fast, and auditable.
• Document the rationale for every prep-vs-as-is decision so the call is defensible after the sale, especially when actual recovery diverges from forecast.
• Track recovery vs. forecast at the asset level; analyze variance to refine the readiness framework over time.
• Readiness Estimating & Cost Control
• On every “prep and list” decision, write the internal readiness scope and cost ceiling before vendor work is assigned.
• Verify and document mileage, engine hours, DOT inspection status (for trucks), fluid condition, brake and tire wear, body and upfit condition, and operational status.
• Build and maintain estimating templates by asset type so common scopes — battery and decal work, wash and detail, PM service, brake jobs, DPF cleaning, tire replacements, light body work — price quickly and consistently.
• Recognize that the majority of inventory across all three segments needs light prep, not heavy repair; protect cycle time on the easy units while reserving deep estimating attention for the units that warrant it.
• Reconcile vendor estimates against the internal estimate on every job; the internal estimate is the ceiling unless an exception is documented and approved.
• Own the readiness cost line on the P&L — set the budget, manage to it, and explain the variance to leadership.
• Vendor Pricing & Accountability
• Own the master rate sheet for every vendor in the stack: heavy-duty truck shops and remote mechanics, diesel and engine specialists, transmission shops, DPF/aftertreatment shops, hydraulic shops, welding and fabrication, commercial tire vendors (on-road and off-road, including radial ag), body and upfit shops, glass, paint and detail, decal/graphics removal, and equipment transport.
• Apply heightened scrutiny where line-item costs are large and variance hides easily — diesel labor hours, aftertreatment and emissions work, transmission rebuilds, hydraulic component rebuilds, commercial tire replacements, structural welding, and oversized transport.
• Approve or reject every vendor estimate and invoice; document any approved exceptions and the business reason.
• Maintain a vendor performance scorecard — price, quality, turn time, rework rate — and use it to drive work allocation and rate negotiations.
• Build and maintain the approved vendor list, segmented by capability across fleet, construction, and ag; identify and onboard new vendors when capacity, price, or quality demands it.
• Renegotiate rate sheets at least annually and rotate work across vendors to keep pricing honest.
• Pipeline & Turn Time Ownership
• Own the readiness pipeline status board for every asset; identify and resolve bottlenecks before they impact targeted auction dates.
• Set and communicate target completion dates for each asset; escalate aging units and units approaching auction cutoffs.
• Track and report KPIs to leadership weekly: turn time by segment, readiness cost per unit vs. budget, vendor cycle time, rework rate, and recovery vs. forecast.
• Drive measurable, year-over-year improvements in turn time, cost per unit, and recovery rate.
• Purple Wave & Field Coordination
• Partner with Purple Wave territory representatives and field staff to schedule on-site cataloging, photo, and video sessions.
• Because Purple Wave sells equipment where it sits, coordinate readiness work that needs to happen at the asset’s current location — wash, decal removal, battery service, mileage and hour-meter verification, fluid checks, and start-up testing for buyer inspection.
• Ensure listings accurately reflect operational condition, DOT/emissions status, mileage, hours, attachments, and known issues; under-disclosure costs more in post-sale disputes than it saves in readiness dollars.
• Coordinate buyer-pickup logistics post-sale, including weight tickets, oversized-load permits, route planning, and title transfer (including title-and-tag handling for commercial vehicles across multiple jurisdictions).
• Assist with answering item questions, inspections, and loadout on the customers behalf.
• Strategic Influence & Mentorship
• Serve as the technical and operational authority on fleet, construction, and ag asset readiness for the leadership team.
• Provide acquisition feedback up-funnel: which buys delivered margin, which didn’t, and what the readiness data says about future buying decisions and bid limits.
• Brief leadership monthly on pipeline health, vendor performance, recovery trends, and readiness framework refinements.
• Mentor junior coordinators and technicians; this role is the technical bench for the function.
• Coordinate with accounting on vendor onboarding (W-9s, COIs), invoice approval, and payment terms.
• Undertake additional assigned duties as requested.
  

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None
  
  

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 7 years in commercial-fleet, construction-equipment, or ag-equipment service, sales, or operations — with at least 3 of those years in an estimating, asset-operations, or pricing-authority role.
• Working knowledge across all three segments: fleet trucks, construction equipment, and ag equipment.
• Demonstrated track record of independent asset-readiness decisions with quantifiable results.
• Working knowledge of medium and heavy-duty truck systems.
• Working knowledge of off-road equipment systems.
• Proven ability to assess auction value independently using market data.
• Strong working knowledge of online auction platforms.
• Proven track record of negotiating vendor rate sheets and holding vendors to them.
• Working knowledge of DOT and FMCSA basics.
• Prior P&L or budget-line ownership.
• Strong Excel skills (pivots, lookups, basic modeling) and proficiency with inventory or operations systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Spanish speaking bi-lingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Candidates may be requested to complete position specific skills assessments.
• Applicants must be either a U.S. Citizen or eligible to work in the U.S.
• Requires the ability to satisfactorily complete a background check.
• Candidates must possess a valid state driver's license.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct hands-on experience as a technician, service writer, or service manager at a commercial truck dealership, construction equipment dealership, or ag dealership.
• Prior asset operations, fleet-disposal, or recon-management experience at a trucking company, leasing company, dealer group, or municipality.
• Experience mentoring or training junior staff.
  
  

Working Settings

• Full-time Salaried Exempt, not eligible for overtime.
• Office hours are 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday, Central Time zone, additional hours may be required depending on priorities.
• Hybrid eligible, Based in the Purple Wave headquarters in Manhattan, KS.
• Potential for 25% travel, should the need arise.
• Please note that this position can be physically demanding and may require regular climbing, lifting, and physical exertion. The Senior Asset Operations Specialist may be required to climb on, over, and under heavy equipment and vehicles, and lift and move equipment and parts weighing up to 50 pounds.
  
  

Compensation

• The salary varies based on experience and qualifications, but typically ranges from $90,000 to $100,000 per year.
• Monthly Bonus Program - determined by the Company’s monthly revenue result and are paid on a “percent to plan” payout formula. (90% = $300, 100% = $600, 110% = $900, 120% = $1,200).
• This position includes company-provided cell phone and computer equipment.
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with an employer match up to 4% starting the first day of employment.
• Company-paid Life Insurance with options for supplemental coverage.
• Fully paid Short-Term Disability provided by the Company.
• 3 Weeks of PTO annually (details shared during onboarding).
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP) - Eligible to purchase company stock at a discount after 90 days of employment, with enrollment opportunities each May and November.
  
  
  
  

About Purple Wave

Visit us at: PurpleWave.com

Purple Wave Auction is a leader in the equipment auction industry focusing on construction, ag, fleet, and government equipment. We are a data-driven, quickly changing and evolving, growing organization. Our focus is on marketing the assets we sell for our customers to find the highest quality bidders for the best recoveries for our sellers. We strive to make this transaction Straight, Simple, and Sold. We live daily by our core values of trust, team, care, and passion to be the place people want to work and our customers want to return to for their equipment buying and selling needs for their businesses.

Purple Wave Auction is the largest no-reserve Internet auction company in the Midwest.

• We have over 300 employees, nearly doubling in size in the last three years.
• We have a robust tech team and continue to invest in progressive techniques to enhance our services.
• While working at Purple Wave, you will have the opportunity to help our mission of being the easiest, most straightforward place to buy and sell used equipment.
• Purple Wave empowers its employees to solve problems effectively in a family-run business culture.
• We provide opportunities for continued education as you grow your career with tuition reimbursement. We have a generous benefits package in one of the fastest-growing companies in the area.
  
  

Purple Wave is looking for an enthusiastic person to join our growing team to support our customers as we bring our values of Trust, Team, Care and Passion to them.

Purple Wave Auction Core Values

• TRUST: We are trustworthy…Our business depends upon our integrity and our customer’s ability to trust Purple Wave and its people: to enforce a fair, transparent unreserved auction marketplace; to safeguard their bidding information; to give a full effort on behalf of their asset(s); We are transparent, accountable and fair.
• TEAM: WE ARE A TEAM…We respect, support, appreciate and inspire each other; We communicate and follow-through; We need each other. We do our best work when we work together.
• CARE: WE CARE…We care for our customers. We look out for their best interests. We work hard for them. We “go the extra mile”.
• PASSION: WE ARE PASSIONATE…We are positive, we are enthusiastic, we take pride in our work, we own our responsibilities and we deliver; When we see problems, we fix them. We learn from our mistakes. We improve ourselves and Purple Wave every day; We believe Purple Wave can be the best marketplace for used equipment and we are committed to make it happen.
  
  

Equal Opportunity Employer

Equal Opportunity is a Purple Wave, Inc. policy. It is our practice to select the best-qualified candidate for each position in the organization. No employee of the Company will discriminate against an applicant for employment or a fellow employee because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, or other physical or mental disability, military or veteran status.

Notice of Background Check

As a condition of your employment, you will be required to sign the Company’s Authorization for Background Check, and to provide the Company with documents establishing your identity and right to work in the United States.

Additional Information

• Seniority LevelAssociate
• Promotion Tag