Motor manufacturer Nissan is recruiting for 100 jobs ahead of the production of its latest model, the new hybrid Qashqai.
The Sunderland plant, which employs around 6,000 people, is on the hunt for people to join its manufacturing team, working across a range of roles.
The Washington site, which supports thousands more jobs through its supply chain, will build the hybrid e-power vehicle following a £400m investment made in the Qashqai, including the unveiling of a £52m XL press line last year.
The new hybrid, the third generation of the Qashqai - which will use an electric motor drive and a petrol engine to charge a battery - forms part of Nissan’s NEXT transformation plan, announced last year by the CEO and president of the Japanese car giant.
More than three million units of the Qashqai have been produced since it was launched in 2007, making it one of Nissan’s most popular models.
Nissan says the roles are on offer range include apprentices, maintenance technicians and temporary manufacturing staff, all of which offer the opportunity to be part of the team building the cars of the future.
Alan Johnson, vice president of manufacturing at Nissan Sunderland plant, said: “These are exciting times at Nissan, with the all-new Qashqai soon to go into production.
“We are looking for world-class people to join our world-class manufacturing team.
“And we’re on the hunt for the talent of the future with our 'outstanding' rated apprentice scheme. If you think you have what it takes then get in touch.”
Nissan said there are a mixture of opportunities for both qualified maintenance technicians and apprentice maintenance technicians to join the plant’s long established apprentice scheme.
The plant is also recruiting temporary manufacturing staff, on fixed term contracts, to operate on one of the plant’s two production lines producing the Qashqai, Juke and 100% electric Nissan LEAF.
It said has a rich apprenticeship heritage and since the first intake in 1986 has hired more than 1,800 apprentices, many of whom now hold top roles within Nissan globally.
Gianluca de Ficchy, chairman of Nissan’s AMIEO region, which includes Europe, last month said Nissan had invested hundreds of millions into the Qashqai production and that would reach £1bn in the next five years.
He said the company had retained investment in Sunderland “despite all the uncertainty” of recent years but that the post-Brexit trade deal had now given it clarity to maintain the Sunderland plant.
But he played down previous comments from a Nissan executive that the Brexit deal gave the company a competitive advantage, saying only that “the deal we have is not creating any competitive disadvantage versus other vehicles produced in Europe”.
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