HIMALAYA Motor Co. specializes in building fully custom vintage Land Rovers from the ground up, combining classic design and craftsmanship with modern performance, comfort, and reliability. Each vehicle is handcrafted at our facility in Charleston, South Carolina, with an uncompromising focus on quality, precision, organization, and attention to detail.
We are seeking an Automotive Teardown & Parts Inventory Lead to take ownership of our donor vehicle processing operation.
This is a hands-on working lead position responsible for efficiently disassembling donor vehicles, evaluating and inventorying reusable components, organizing parts storage areas, and helping establish a standardized process for receiving, stripping, documenting, storing, staging, and tracking donor parts used in our production vehicles.
This individual will also take ownership of the physical organization and appearance of our parts storage containers, rear teardown pad, and outdoor donor vehicle & parts area. These spaces must remain safe, organized, traceable, and presentable at all times.
The Automotive Teardown & Parts Inventory Lead will work under the direction of the Parts Department Manager and collaborate with our Series Line Lead, Production Manager, Fabrication, Mechanical, and Shop Support teams.
This position will also play an important role in developing and evaluating entry-level technicians. As the donor vehicle process grows, young mechanics entering the industry may begin in this area to develop their skills and demonstrate the work ethic, mechanical ability, organization, accountability, and attention to detail required to advance into one of HIMALAYA’s specialized production departments.
Key Responsibilities
Donor Vehicle Teardown
- Carefully perform a complete mechanical and body disassembly of Land Rover donor vehicles.
- Develop an efficient teardown plan based on the vehicle’s condition and the components needed for production.
- Remove engines, transmissions, transfer cases, axles, suspension components, steering systems, braking components, body panels, wiring, interior components, hardware, and other reusable parts.
- Carefully remove components to prevent unnecessary damage.
- Drain and properly contain vehicle fluids before and during disassembly.
- Identify damaged, worn, unsafe, incomplete, or unusable components.
- Separate reusable parts from rebuildable cores, recyclable materials, scrap, and waste.
- Maintain donor vehicle identification throughout the entire teardown process.
- Ensure VIN plates, identification tags, and build-related documentation are properly handled and transferred to the appropriate team.
- Coordinate with production departments to determine which donor components should be retained for specific builds.
- Keep teardown work moving efficiently without sacrificing component condition, organization, or safety.
Parts Identification and Inventory
- Inspect and evaluate removed components for condition and potential reuse.
- Clean components sufficiently for inspection, identification, photography, and storage.
- Accurately identify, label, photograph, and document reusable donor parts.
- Record the source vehicle, part description, condition, quantity, and storage location for each retained component.
- Create and maintain clear identification standards for reusable, rebuildable, damaged, and scrap components.
- Ensure every retained component has a traceable storage location.
- Help maintain accurate digital/physical inventory records.
- Update inventory when parts are received, relocated, assigned to a build, issued to a technician, or removed from stock.
- Assist production teams in locating and retrieving inventoried components.
- Perform routine inventory audits with the Parts Manager and correct discrepancies.
- Identify duplicate, obsolete, damaged, or slow-moving inventory that should be reviewed for disposal, recycling, resale, or alternative use.
- Improve overall visibility into which donor components are available and where they are stored.
Process Development
- Work with the Series Line Lead to develop a standardized donor vehicle teardown process.
- Help create a documented stripping sequence that can be followed each time a donor vehicle arrives.
- Establish consistent procedures for inspecting, photographing, labeling, and documenting donor vehicles before teardown begins.
- Help develop clear processes for sorting reusable components, rebuildable cores, recyclable materials, and scrap.
- Help define standards for receiving, storing, staging, issuing, relocating, and tracking production parts.
- Create repeatable systems that reduce lost parts, unidentified components, duplicate orders, unnecessary handling, and wasted storage space.
- Identify opportunities to improve teardown efficiency, inventory accuracy, organization, and safety.
- Help create checklists, visual controls, location maps, labeling systems, and standard operating procedures.
- Continually evaluate the process and recommend practical improvements.
Storage and Facility Organization
- Take ownership of the organization and appearance of the parts storage containers.
- Take ownership of the rear teardown pad and surrounding work area.
- Take ownership of the outdoor salvage, recycling, and scrapyard area behind the shop.
- Help establish defined locations for reusable parts, build-specific components, cores, scrap metal, recyclable materials, waste, and items awaiting disposition.
- Organize storage areas so parts can be located quickly and safely.
- Ensure aisles, access points, work surfaces, and storage locations remain clean and unobstructed.
- Prevent usable components from being exposed to unnecessary damage, weather, contamination, or loss.
- Maintain clear labels and location identifiers across all storage areas.
- Coordinate the removal of scrap, waste, unusable components, and abandoned materials.
- Maintain these areas to a standard that is safe, efficient, organized, and presentable to employees, customers, vendors, and visitors.
- Conduct regular walkthroughs and correct organizational issues before they become larger problems.
Production Parts Support
- Assist with receiving and verifying incoming production parts when needed.
- Confirm quantities, part numbers, condition, and build assignments.
- Identify shipping damage, missing components, incorrect parts, or discrepancies.
- Label and stage incoming parts for the appropriate vehicle or department.
- Help maintain separation between donor inventory, general shop inventory, and build-specific production parts.
- Improve the traceability of parts from receiving through installation.
- Coordinate with Parts and Production personnel to prevent components from being misplaced, used on the wrong build, or left unidentified.
- Help establish organized staging areas for upcoming production work.
Junior Technician Development
- Help train entry-level technicians in safe and organized vehicle disassembly.
- Demonstrate proper tool use, component removal, hardware organization, labeling, and parts handling.
- Assign appropriate teardown and inventory tasks based on each technician’s experience level.
- Inspect completed work and ensure established procedures are followed.
- Help reinforce expectations for attendance, productivity, cleanliness, communication, accountability, and attention to detail.
- Provide clear feedback to management regarding each developing technician’s strengths, weaknesses, reliability, mechanical aptitude, and readiness for additional responsibility.
- Help identify technicians who may be strong candidates for future placement within HIMALAYA’s Mechanical, Fabrication, A.I.S., Fit & Finish, Paint & Body, or other specialized departments.
- Create a structured environment where ambitious technicians can learn, prove themselves, and earn opportunities for advancement.
Required Qualifications
- Professional automotive mechanical, restoration, dismantling, salvage, parts, or closely related experience.
- Strong understanding of automotive systems and major vehicle components.
- Ability to safely and efficiently disassemble vehicles with limited supervision.
- Ability to evaluate the general condition and potential usability of removed components.
- Strong organizational skills and the discipline to consistently follow inventory procedures.
- Ability to accurately label, document, photograph, store, and track parts.
- Comfortable using/learning computers, inventory software, or similar digital systems.
- Ability to lead through personal example while remaining actively involved in the work.
- Ability to train and provide direction to entry-level technicians.
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to coordinate effectively with multiple production departments.
- Willingness to work indoors and outdoors in changing weather conditions.
- Ability to perform physically demanding work, including standing, bending, lifting, carrying, and working around partially disassembled vehicles.
- Strong commitment to workplace safety, cleanliness, and proper handling of vehicle fluids and materials.
- Reliable attendance, professional conduct, and personal accountability.
Highly Preferred Experience
- Land Rover Defender or Series vehicle experience.
- Vintage, classic, custom, restoration, or restomod vehicle experience.
- Automotive salvage, dismantling, or recycling experience.
- Automotive parts department or warehouse inventory experience.
- Experience identifying and organizing used automotive components.
- Experience developing inventory systems, storage layouts, or standard operating procedures.
- Experience managing outdoor storage, salvage, or scrap areas.
- Experience receiving, inspecting, labeling, and staging production parts.
- Experience mentoring apprentices, students, entry-level mechanics, or junior technicians.
- Familiarity with vehicle identification numbers, donor documentation, parts diagrams, and component interchangeability.
- Experience operating forklifts, pallet jacks, engine hoists, vehicle lifts, and material-handling equipment.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for someone who combines mechanical ability with exceptional organization and personal ownership.
The right candidate understands that removing the parts is only one part of the job. Every reusable component must be identified, evaluated, documented, stored correctly, and easy to locate when it is needed.
The right candidate:
- Can look at a disorganized area and develop a practical plan to correct it.
- Takes personal responsibility for maintaining the systems and areas assigned to them.
- Understands that organization must be sustained, not completed once and forgotten.
- Works carefully enough to preserve valuable components while maintaining a productive pace.
- Recognizes which parts may have value even when their future use is not immediately obvious.
- Does not allow unidentified parts, loose hardware, scrap, or abandoned materials to accumulate.
- Communicates clearly when inventory records, storage capacity, or existing processes create a problem.
- Can provide structure and direction to inexperienced technicians without losing focus on their own responsibilities.
- Holds junior employees accountable while also giving them an opportunity to learn and improve.
- Takes pride in keeping both indoor and outdoor work areas safe, orderly, and presentable.
- Wants to help build a process that becomes more efficient, accurate, and scalable over time.
Leadership Scope
This is a working lead position rather than a traditional management or office-based role.
The Automotive Teardown & Parts Inventory Lead will remain directly involved in donor vehicle disassembly, parts processing, inventory, and area organization. The leadership responsibility comes from owning the process, maintaining standards, directing junior technicians when assigned, and ensuring that the operation continues functioning properly each day.
The Parts Manager & Series Line Lead will oversee this position and assist with establishing priorities, production requirements, staffing needs, and continuous process improvements.
Why Join HIMALAYA?
This role provides an opportunity to build an important part of HIMALAYA’s production system from the ground up.
An effective donor vehicle and parts inventory process helps prevent production delays, reduces unnecessary parts purchases, protects valuable components, improves shop organization, and creates better visibility across the company.
This position also offers the opportunity to help develop the next generation of HIMALAYA technicians. Entry-level mechanics who begin in the teardown and inventory operation will have the ability to learn how our vehicles are constructed, gain familiarity with Land Rover components, demonstrate their capabilities, and potentially earn advancement into one of our specialized departments.
For the right person, this is an opportunity to take ownership of a highly visible operation, create lasting improvements, and play a direct role in both our production process and the development of our future team.
*This is a full-time, in-person position at our Charleston, South Carolina facility.
Pay: $23.00 - $32.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Charleston, SC 29492 (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
