Automotive Technicians: Have you ever left work and thought there thinking for a second ... "I know I'm better than this place deserves"??
You can't always explain it.
It's not one big thing. It's a hundred small ones.
The way nobody says anything when you diagnose the job three other techs gave up on. The way the best work gets handed to whoever's in the owner's pocket that week. The way "we're like family here" gets thrown around...
By people who couldn't tell you your kid's name.
You're not bitter. You're not a complainer.
You're just tired of giving everything to a shop that gives you nothing back.
Maybe the pay is fine. Maybe it's not. But fine isn't the point anymore, is it?
The point is you wake up every morning and drag yourself in. Not because you hate the work... because the work deserves better than where you're doing it.
You've told yourself you'll figure it out. You've told yourself it's just how shops are.
But somewhere in the back of your head, there's a voice that won't quit.
It keeps asking... "Is this really it?"
It's not.
Sparks Tire & Auto has been proving that in St. Charles, Missouri since 1984.
Forty-two years. Family owned. Second-generation. And run by an owner who operates nothing like the shops you've come from.
Jessica Carrino was named 2023 Female Shop Owner of the Year and led Sparks to the 2024 NAPA National Auto Care Center of the Year. Her GM Greg... a former tech himself... was the 2023 Apex Service Advisor of the Year. He keeps your bay full, your hours moving, and your back covered.
This is a shop that wins national awards because of how it treats its people. Not just customers. The team.
One of her techs said it best, after going through a rough stretch together:
"This is the best job I've ever had. I'm not going anywhere."
That's what we're building here. And we've got room for one more.
So, if that hits home... then keep reading.
✅ HERE'S WHAT SPARKS PUTS ON THE TABLE:
• $75K–$120K/year (depending on experience and production)
• Weekly and monthly SPIFs on fluid services, alignments, tires, and more
• Pop-up bonus contests throughout the year
• Medical coverage up to $500/month paid by Sparks
• 100% company-paid vision and dental
• $20,000 life insurance policy... 100% covered
• Simple IRA with up to 3% company match
• 1 week paid vacation after year one... 2 weeks after year three
• 6 paid holidays
• Monday through Friday only
• Stocked snack cart and cold drinks in the bays
• Top Golf, laser tag, bowling nights, NASCAR and NHRA tickets
• 80 hours of paid training every year
• Monthly NAPA AutoTech classes with dinner provided
• Paid trips to Vision and other industry conferences
• ASE certification reimbursement when you pass
• On-site training center
✓ WE WILL KEEP YOU BUSY – Sparks runs aggressive year-round marketing and has a steady, established car count built over 42 years in St. Charles. You won't be standing around wondering where the next job is coming from.
✓ OUR SERVICE ADVISORS KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK – Greg, our GM and Lead SA, was the 2023 Apex Service Advisor of the Year. He knows how to sell the work and keep your bay full. Your job is to fix cars... and that's exactly what you'll be doing.
✓ YOU WILL LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY – From diesel to EVs to hybrids to cab-offs... there's real variety coming through these bays. You'll never be bored, and you'll never stop growing.
✓ WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME MORE VALUABLE – 80 hours of paid training every year. Monthly NAPA AutoTech classes with dinner provided. Paid trips to Vision. ASE certification reimbursement when you pass. This shop puts money where its mouth is.
✓ 5-DAY WORK WEEK (NO WEEKENDS!) – Monday through Friday. Every weekend is yours. Spend it with your family, your hobbies, your life... not under someone else's hood.
✓ WORK-LIFE BALANCE (FAMILY FIRST!) – If your daughter has a dance recital or you've got a dentist appointment on a Tuesday afternoon... just let us know. As long as your work is done, we're flexible. Life happens and we get that.
✓ YOU WILL BE APPRECIATED (OPEN DOOR POLICY) – Jessica and Greg are on site every day. Decision makers are always within reach. Your ideas are heard, your input matters, and nobody gets shoved in a corner. If you've got something to say... say it.
✓ YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOU STAND – Morning huddles every day. Weekly team lunch meetings every Wednesday. Fair dispatching based on skill... not favorites. No pet techs getting fed the gravy work. Everything here is transparent and above board.
✓ NO DRAMA – Life's too short to work with wrench throwers and prima donnas. We don't tolerate them... so you won't have to either. Throw a tool and you'll be asked to leave for the day. Simple as that.
✓ WE PROVIDE A SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT – Clean floors, well-lit bays, up-to-date scan tools, and the latest diagnostic equipment. If a tool needs to be borrowed more than twice... Jessica buys it. You'll always have what you need to do your best work.
✓ LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT – Sparks has been here 42 years and Jessica is building something that lasts. She wants her people here for the long haul... until they retire. This isn't a stepping stone. It could be your last shop.
✓ YOU WILL BE A PART OF SOMETHING SPECIAL – This is an award-winning, nationally recognized shop with deep roots in the St. Charles community. Top Golf outings, laser tag, bowling nights, NASCAR tickets... Jessica likes to spoil her team and it shows.
✅ HERE'S WHAT WE STAND FOR AND HOW WE TREAT OUR CUSTOMERS:
✓ 330+ REVIEWS AND A 4.8-STAR GOOGLE RATING! – Forty-two years in St. Charles and customers keep coming back. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a shop does honest work, uses quality parts, and actually gives a damn about the people walking through the door. That's just how we do business.
ABOUT SPARKS TIRE & AUTO:
Sparks Tire & Auto has been a fixture in St. Charles, Missouri since 1984. What started as a tune-up shop has grown into a 10,000 square foot, full-service facility with nine lifts, a dedicated diesel bay, ADAS capability, and a reputation that speaks for itself.
We're a NAPA Gold AutoCare Center, AAA Approved, and the 2024 NAPA National Auto Care Center of the Year. Our GM Greg was the 2023 Apex Service Advisor of the Year. And our owner Jessica was named 2023 Female Shop Owner of the Year... while also sitting on the NAPA National Council, helping shape the direction of the industry itself.
We're not the biggest shop in town. We're just the best one to work for.
We work on everything from passenger cars to diesel trucks to EVs to cab-offs. If it has an engine, we'll figure it out. And we've got the tools, the training, and the team to back that up.
This is a shop with deep roots, a real culture, and room for one more person who's serious about their craft.
SKILLS AND TRAITS THAT HELP YOU SHINE IN THIS ROLE:
We're looking for an experienced A-Level Technician who's ready to hit the ground running. The right person for this role brings:
• 5+ years of experience in a professional automotive repair facility
• Strong diagnostic, drivability, and electrical skills... this is what we need most
• Diesel experience is a major plus... we're known for it and we need someone who knows their way around it
• ASE certifications preferred... if you don't have them yet, you will. We reimburse on pass.
• Missouri State Inspector License is a plus... if you don't have it, you'll be getting it
• Your own tools and a valid driver's license
• A great attitude and a willingness to work on anything that rolls through the door
• Someone who shows up... does the work... takes pride in doing it right... and goes home without the drama
NOW… this is not the right fit if you're looking for easy hours, gravy work handed to you, or a shop that'll look the other way when corners get cut. We hold ourselves to a high standard and we expect the same from the people we hire.
BUT… if you're the tech who quietly outworks everyone in the building... and you're tired of nobody noticing?
WELL… we'll notice.
READY TO FIND OUT WHAT A GREAT SHOP ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE?
Reach out however you're most comfortable:
• Apply on Indeed
• Drop off a resume in person
• Or just send Jessica a text and introduce yourself
Not ready to commit, don't have a resume handy, or just have a quick question? That's fine…
Then just text Jessica at (636) 448-1152 and let her know you saw the ad. No pressure - just a conversation.
Sparks Tire & Auto
1665 Scherer Parkway
St. Charles, MO 63303