PDI - Cell Leader Compound

PDI - Cell Leader (Southampton Compound)

About NVD
A family‑owned business, established in 1980, NVD serves vehicle manufacturers by ensuring timely and incident‑free distribution of their products. We provide a one‑stop shop supporting the three pillars of outbound logistics: transporting, storing, and enhancing vehicles before delivery to the end customer. Since 1980 we have pioneered the digitisation of the FVL industry, delivering substantial efficiencies and time‑saving solutions that keep our commitment to progress and continuous service improvement at the core of our operations.

The PDI Cell Leader at the Southampton Compound is a critical hybrid & working‑leader role that bridges front‑line operations and management. Reporting directly to the Production Supervisor, you will remain a highly productive team member while assuming dedicated accountability for a cell of six PDI technicians. This role focuses on a high‑priority project for major Chinese EV OEMs, decentralising process ownership, ensuring source‑level quality (Jidoka), and accelerating team development to meet the unique standards of our EV partners.

• Operational & 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 six technicians.
  • Quality Assurance (Jidoka):
    Drive & first‑time‑right performance. Hold authority to stop the process immediately if an abnormality is detected to prevent downstream defects.
  • Continuous Improvement (Kaizen):
    Lead 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 the six technicians, providing on‑the‑job guidance to enhance team capability.
  • Training & Induction:
    Lead 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.

• Efficiency:
  Cell efficiency targets vs. actuals.
• Quality:
  First‑time‑right rate and internal rework reduction.
• Environment: 5S audit scores.
• Team:
  Training completion rates and skill‑matrix progression for the six‑person team.

• 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, coaching, and providing constructive feedback.
• Lean Mindset:
  Desirable background in Lean principles (5S, Jidoka, waste reduction).
• Technical Skill:
  High proficiency in vehicle preparation; serve 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.