PDI - Cell Leader (Southampton Compound)

Uniting Holding; Southampton; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A logistics and vehicle distribution company in Southampton seeks a PDI Cell Leader to manage a team of 6 technicians. The role involves maintaining production efficiency, ensuring quality assurance, and coaching team members. Candidates must be qualified Automotive Technicians with experience in vehicle preparation and a leadership background. This hybrid role offers a unique opportunity to work on major EV projects while ensuring operational and safety standards are met.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in high-volume vehicle preparation or PDI environments.
• Desirable experience leading a team and providing constructive feedback.
• Strong verbal communication skills to report to the Production Supervisor.

Responsibilities

• Maintain responsibility for the output of the PDI cell and its efficiency.
• Coach and mentor a team of 6 technicians to enhance capabilities.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations specific to Electric Vehicles.

Skills

Automotive Technician qualification

Leadership

Communications skills

Lean principles

Education

Qualification as Automotive Technician

Job description

About NVD

A family-owned business, established in 1980, NVD was set up to assist vehicle manufacturers in the timely and incident free distribution of their products. We’ve established ourselves as a one stop shop providing the three main pillars of outbound logistics, including transporting, storing and enhancing our customers’ vehicles, prior to delivery to their end location. Since 1980 NVD has been at the forefront of pioneering the digitisation of the FVL industry. As early adopters of emerging technology we have been able to introduce huge efficiencies saving time and money for our customers. Our unwavering commitment to progress and continual service improvement remains at the heart of our business today.

Role Summary

The PDI Cell Leader at the Southampton Compound is a critical hybrid & "working leader" role designed to bridge the gap between front-line operations and management. Reporting directly to the Production Supervisor, you will remain a highly productive member of the team while assuming dedicated accountability for a cell of 6 PDI Technicians.

This specific role focuses on a high-priority project for major Chinese EV Vehicle OEMs. You will be responsible for decentralising process ownership, ensuring quality control at the source (Jidoka), and accelerating the development of your team to meet the unique standards of our EV partners.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence & Process Control

• Production & Flow: Maintain minute‑by‑minute responsibility for the cell’s output, ensuring EV volume targets are met and bottlenecks are removed.
• Standard Work: Enforce strict adherence to Standard Work procedures for all PDI steps, ensuring consistency across all 6 technicians.
• Quality Assurance (Jidoka): Drive "First Time Right" (FTR) performance. You have the authority to stop the process immediately if an abnormality is detected to prevent defects from moving downstream.
• Continuous Improvement (Kaizen): Lead the identification and elimination of waste (Muda) and drive small daily improvements within the PDI cell.

Leadership & Team Development

• Coaching & Mentoring: Act as the primary technical coach for your 6 technicians, providing on‑the‑job guidance to enhance team capability.
• Training & Induction: Lead the rapid induction of new staff and manage the skill matrix to ensure a multi‑skilled workforce capable of handling EV‑specific requirements.
• Problem Solving: Provide immediate, in‑process leadership to solve technical problems at the production level.

Environment, Safety & Communication

• 5S Compliance: Maintain rigorous 5S standards (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain) within the PDI cell area.
• Health & Safety: Uphold all H&S regulations, with particular focus on safety protocols relevant to Electric Vehicle handling.
• Reporting: Serve as the primary conduit to the Production Supervisor, reporting on performance, adherence to standards, and throughput.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Efficiency: Cell efficiency targets vs. Actuals.
• Quality: First Time Right (FTR) rate and internal rework reduction.
• Environment: 5S Audit Scores.
• Team: Training completion rates and skill matrix progression for the 6‑person team.

Requirements & Competencies

• Qualification (Mandatory): Must be a qualified Automotive Technician.
• Experience: Proven experience in high‑volume vehicle preparation or PDI environments.
• Leadership: Desirable experience leading a team, with the ability to coach and provide constructive feedback.
• Lean Mindset: Desirable background in Lean principles (5S, Jidoka, Waste Reduction).
• Technical Skill: High level of proficiency in vehicle preparation; able to act as the "technical reference" for the cell.
• Communication: Strong verbal skills to report to the Production Supervisor and instruct team members effectively.

Equal Opportunity Statement

National Vehicle Distribution is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We value openness, innovation, customer focus, and operational excellence. Our organisation actively promotes equality and prohibits discrimination based on gender, marital/civil status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, or membership of the Traveller community, in accordance with Irish and UK equality legislation. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and are dedicated to creating an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to our shared success.