Sr. Reconditioning Technician

Plug; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401(k)

Lunch stipend

PTO

Equity

Job summary

Plug is seeking a Sr. Reconditioning Technician to lead a brand-new function in our on-site Norwalk, CA shop. You will own end-to-end reconditioning, inspect vehicles, perform repairs, and help scale SOPs while building a small team.

You will manage vendor relationships, ensure safety, and contribute to remote-diagnostics integration as we expand to other locations across the country.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of automotive technician experience with hands-on diagnostics.
• Experience with EV OEMs preferred; powertrain knowledge a plus.
• Ability to read wiring diagrams and service manuals.

Responsibilities

• Inspect and recondition vehicles from intake through turnaround.
• Build and scale the operation, track parts, and manage SOPs.
• Serve as domain expert on reconditioning and remote diagnostics.

Skills

Automotive diagnostics

EV experience

Diagnostics tools

Reading wiring diagrams

Independent worker

Tools

OEM software

Scan tools

Job description

Job Title: Sr. Reconditioning Technician

Department/Team: Business Operations

Location: On-site - Norwalk, CA

Employment Type: Full-time, Hourly, Non-Exempt

Reports To: General Manager

About Plug

Plug is an automotive fintech startup building the marketplace for electric vehicles. Consumers, dealers, and commercial partners trade in, sell, and auction used EVs through a platform built exclusively for electric, with nothing adapted from legacy automotive. Consumers can get an instant cash offer in minutes, backed by data-driven pricing, battery state-of-health analysis, with pickup, payment, and title transfer handled end-to-end. Franchise and independent dealers across the United States bid in real time on inventory sourced directly from these consumers, dealers, and commercial partners. The result is a single platform that gives sellers a fast, fair exit and gives dealers a dedicated channel for sourcing used EV inventory. Founded in 2023 and led by former Tesla executives, Plug has facilitated $100M in EV sales since launch and is backed by a $20M Series A from Lightspeed Venture Partners. We're building the most AI-native startup team in Los Angeles, full of operators, engineers, and ML researchers laying the transaction rails for the used EV market's exponential growth.

Why Plug

• You'll own a piece of the biggest infrastructure opportunity in automotive.
• You'll work on a platform built exclusively for EVs, with nothing adapted from legacy automotive.
• You'll be part of an AI-native company. We're rethinking how work gets done at a fundamental level.
• You'll work directly with operators who have scaled multi-billion dollar businesses in automotive, EV, and marketplaces.
• You'll have real ownership, high autonomy, and a direct line to company outcomes.

The Opportunity

As Plug's first Reconditioning Technician, you'll help drive the development and scaling of a brand-new function that challenges how reconditioning is performed in the automative industry today. You’ll own the entire reconditioning process from start-to-finish: inspecting, repairing, and ensuring all cars meet Plug’s “Retail Ready” standard. On day one, you will also be managing vendor relationships, creating SOPs, and provide input into relevant system development efforts, but soon after, you will start to build a team containing junior technician(s) and/or operation specialist(s). You'll report directly to Plug's General Manager and have direct influence over how this function is built from the ground up and support rollout to other locations across the country.

What You'll Do

Inspect and Recondition Vehicles

• Conduct thorough inspection (diagnostics, exterior, interior, mechanical, and road test) on all incoming vehicles
• Perform light reconditioning (e.g., tires, brake pads, cabin air filters, wiper blades, etc.) and non-powertrain repairs (e.g., exterior trim, door handles, suspension, etc.)
• Diagnose, identify, and resolve complex issues across all major vehicle systems using various diagnostic software and tools
• As the team expands: mentor and develop junior technicians, provide day-to-day guidance, and sign-off on repairs

Build a Scalable Operation

• Track inventory and order replacement parts from OEMs and third-party distributors; develop a sourcing strategy to ensure parts needed for common repairs remain stocked
• Direct end-to-end vehicle movement from intake to repair to prep and pickup
• Monitor battery state of charge levels and keep above defined threshold for all vehicles on-site
• Coordinate repairs with on-site (mobile) and off-site service vendors
• Create Plug's in-house reconditioning SOPs from the ground up and continuously update with improvements discovered while scaling up the operations
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized workspace

Serve as Plug’s Reconditioning Subject Matter Expert

• Support the implementation of remote diagnostics into the cash offer process
• Serve as Plug’s in-house subject matter expert on reconditioning and technical vehicle issues to support products and programs across the company

What You'll Bring

• 3+ years of automotive technician experience, hands-on diagnostic work required
• Previous EV OEM experience (e.g., Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, etc.) strongly preferred, powertrain (HV battery / drive unit) experience a plus
• Strong diagnostic instincts and experience with OEM/aftermarket software and scan tools
• Ability to read wiring diagrams, service manuals, and technical knowledgebases
• Experience owning a wide scope using various skill sets – e.g., hands-on diagnostics, inspections, and repair to on-site operations to SOP development – on your own until we expand the team
• Comfortable working independently in an environment where you are responsible for defining your team’s processes from the ground up
• Naturally curious and a willingness to experiment different ways to continuously improve to hit our aggressive turnaround time goals
• ASE certifications strongly preferred: A-series (A4-A8) plus L1 and/or L3 advanced and L4 (ADAS)
• Valid driver's license with a clean record

Physical Requirements

• Stand and walk for extended periods
• Lift up to 50 pounds
• Bend, kneel, squat, and work underneath vehicles
• Operate lifts, power tools, and diagnostic equipment
• Comfortable working indoors and outdoors around moving vehicles and shop equipment
• Safely drive and road-test vehicles

Compensation & Benefits

Hourly Wage: $45-$60

Wage ranges reflect independent, third-party benchmarking against national compensation data. Where an individual's actual offer falls within that range depends on a combination of factors, including relevant experience, specialized skills, training and qualifications, current business needs, and prevailing market conditions. Ranges are reviewed periodically and may be adjusted to reflect changing market conditions.

Benefits & Perks

• Health, Vision, and Dental insurance
• 401(k) plan
• Daily lunch stipend
• Equity (based on role and performance)
• PTO
• Ongoing opportunities for growth and development

Acknowledgments

Plug is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We believe diverse teams build better products - full stop.