About the role
Who we are
At CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG), our mission is to give people the power to reach their destination. We started as a small team of developers determined to bring trust and transparency to car shopping. Since then, our history of innovation and go-to-market acceleration has driven industry-leading growth. In fact, we're the largest and fastest-growing automotive marketplace, and we've been profitable for over 15 years.
What we do
The market is evolving, and we are too, moving the entire automotive journey online and guiding our customers through every step. That includes everything from the sale of an old car to the financing, purchase, and delivery of a new one. Today, tens of millions of consumers visit CarGurus.com each month, and ~30,000 dealerships use our products. But they're not the only ones who love CarGurus-our employees do, too. We have a people-first culture that fosters kindness, collaboration, and innovation, and empowers our Gurus with tools to fuel their career growth. Disrupting a trillion-dollar industry requires fresh and diverse perspectives. Come join us for the ride!
Role Overview
CarGurus is looking for a Principal Analyst to own analyses that shape Revenue leadership decisions about how we grow, monetize, and operate the business. Reporting directly to the Revenue Strategy leader, you'll work at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and business partnership. You'll advise leaders across Revenue, Product, Finance, and Operations, bringing structure, evidence, and a clear point of view to complex business questions.
The work will vary over time, from rapid-turnaround analysis supporting a board deck or leadership discussion to deeper dives into a new strategic question. The expectation is consistent: independently determine the right approach, apply rigorous quantitative analysis, and deliver a recommendation leaders can act on. You'll own work end-to-end with minimal oversight, from framing the problem through communicating the analysis and driving toward a decision.
This is a high-visibility opportunity to work with senior and executive stakeholders on a wide variety of important business problems. It's a strong fit for someone who enjoys tackling ambitious questions, advising leaders on broader business impact, and combining analytical depth with strong business judgment.
What you'll do
Frame and prioritize strategic questions across Revenue, identifying the data, assumptions, and analytical approach needed to reach a well-supported answer about topics such as marketplace balance, lead economics, retention, or the Revenue operating model.
Serve as a strategic advisor to Revenue leadership by translating complex analysis into clear implications, trade-offs, and recommendations.
Perform rigorous quantitative analysis and build financial models that inform decisions about growth, lead economics, monetization, product portfolio changes, product swaps and potential cannibalization, customer retention, and the Revenue operating model.
Independently own ambiguous, high-impact analyses from problem definition through recommendation, presentation, and decision support.
Partner with Product, Finance, Operations, and Revenue leaders to shape priorities and evaluate questions such as lead quality and volume, product adoption and cannibalization, customer churn, marketplace performance, sales process effectiveness, and organizational design.
Pull, join, validate, and interpret data from multiple sources, while improving the reliability and consistency of the metrics used in strategic discussions.
Create executive- and board-ready narratives, analyses, and presentation materials, including the supporting metrics and business context.
Build reusable analytical frameworks, models, and measurement approaches that raise the quality and consistency of decision-making across Revenue.
Help establish a stronger analytical foundation for questions that require more than anecdotal feedback, including customer and market insights derived from sources such as Gong. You'll help turn conversation and customer feedback into reliable, quantifiable insights that leaders can use with confidence.
Develop clear points of view, influence cross-functional partners without formal authority, and pressure-test assumptions to support productive decisions.
Manage several short- and longer-term projects at once, making thoughtful decisions about where to focus as priorities evolve.
What you'll bring
5-7 years of post-graduate experience in a data-intensive role such as strategy and operations, management or economics consulting, corporate strategy, FP&A, business analytics, or a related field. Experience combining quantitatively oriented consulting with hands-on analytics is especially relevant.
Advanced SQL skills, with the ability to independently pull, join, validate, and investigate data from a warehouse or other large data sources.
Strong Python skills for analysis, repeatable workflows, and work that goes beyond spreadsheets.
Strong quantitative instincts and the ability to connect detailed analysis to business and financial impact through modeling, clear assumptions, and thoughtful interpretation of results.
Demonstrated ability to independently own ambiguous, high-impact analyses from problem definition through recommendation and decision, with minimal oversight.
Strategic self-direction, sound judgment, and the confidence to determine the best approach for complex or loosely defined work.
Executive-level written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to create polished, concise slide decks and other materials for senior and board-level audiences.
The ability to advise senior leaders on broader business implications, shape priorities across functions, and influence decisions without formal authority.
The ability to build trust with cross-functional partners and establish analytical frameworks that others can use to make better decisions.
Nice to have
Experience with dbt or similar tools for building and maintaining analytical data models.
Experience with Looker, Tableau, or another business intelligence platform, as well as version control or notebooks.
Exposure to marketplace, subscription, two-sided-business, revenue, go-to-market, pricing, or product strategy questions.
The displayed range represents the expected annual base salary / On-Target Earnings (OTE) for this position. On-Target Earnings (OTE) is inclusive of base salary and on-target commission earnings, which applies exclusively to sales roles.
Individual pay within this range is determined by work location and other factors such as job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
This annual base salary forms part of a comprehensive Total Rewards Package. In addition to benefits, this role may qualify for discretionary bonuses/incentives and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).
Position Pay Range
$118,000-$148,000 USD
Working at CarGurus
We reward our Gurus' curiosity and passion with best-in-class benefits and compensation, including equity for all employees, both when they start and as they continue to grow with us. Our career development and corporate giving programs, as well as our employee resource groups (ERGs) and communities, help people build connections while making an impact in personally meaningful ways. A flexible hybrid model and robust time off policies encourage work-life balance and individual well-being. Thoughtful perks like daily free lunch, a new car discount, meditation and fitness apps, commuting cost coverage, and more help our people create space for what matters most in their personal and professional lives.
CarGurus may require in-person interviews as part of our hiring process, particularly for positions based in our Boston and Dublin offices. Candidates selected for an in-person interview will be notified in advance. Please be aware that travel expenses are the responsibility of the candidate.
We welcome all
CarGurus strives to be a place to which people can bring the ultimate expression of themselves and their potential-starting with our hiring process. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We foster an inclusive environment that values people for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. That's why we hope you'll apply even if you don't check every box listed in the job description. We also encourage you to tell your recruiter if you require accommodations to participate in our hiring process due to a disability so we can provide the appropriate support. We want to know what only you can bring to CarGurus. #LI-Hybrid