Production Manager, Assembly - C Shift
Panasonic North America
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Job summary
Panasonic Energy is expanding to De Soto, Kansas, building the world’s largest lithium-ion battery factory. We seek a Production Manager to lead multiple lines in a 24/7 environment, driving safety, quality, cost, delivery, and productivity while aligning with Lean principles and SQDCP metrics.
You will direct Production Supervisors, optimize capacity, and ensure standardized work, with cross-functional collaboration across Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership in high-volume 24/7 operations.
- Proven success owning safety, quality, cost, and delivery performance metrics.
- Strong data-driven decision making and financial acumen.
- Expertise in Lean, 6S, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience with ERP/MES systems (SAP, Oracle, FactoryTalk).
- Ability to influence cross-functional partners without direct authority.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- Must have working-level knowledge of English and alignment to Panasonic principles.
Responsibilities
- Own safety, quality, cost, and delivery targets across assigned lines.
- Lead Production Supervisors and coordinate daily production plans.
- Drive capacity planning, labor optimization, and resource allocation.
- Implement standardized work and operational controls.
- Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and EHS.
- Lead structured problem solving to reduce losses and improve stability.
- Support budgeting and cost-reduction initiatives.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Production Manager? Then we're looking for you! Check out the job description! Put your skills to meaningful use, gain unique experience, and work with world-class team members with diverse backgrounds and expertise who share the same vision. Join the PECNA team today!
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Join us at Panasonic Energy as we expand to De Soto, Kansas, where we’re building the world’s largest lithium-ion battery factory. This is an exciting opportunity to grow your career while contributing to the future of electric vehicles. As part of our team, you’ll help push the limits of battery technology, enhancing performance and efficiency in sustainable transportation.
Our state-of-the‑art facility, just outside the Kansas City Metro, will be a hub for innovation in green energy solutions. If you're passionate about sustainability and eager to contribute to the electric vehicle revolution, we invite you to be part of our dynamic team. Join us and make a meaningful impact on the future of energy and transportation.
The Production Manager leads and oversees multiple production lines within a high-volume, 24/7 manufacturing environment to achieve safety, quality, cost, delivery, and productivity objectives. This role owns end-to-end manufacturing performance for assigned areas, ensuring alignment to production strategy, Lean manufacturing principles, and SQDCP performance metrics. The Production Manager provides leadership and direction to Production Supervisors, drives cross-functional operational execution, and ensures standardized work, capacity planning, and continuous improvement initiatives are effectively implemented. As the operational owner of assigned manufacturing areas, this position is accountable for delivering measurable business results, developing leadership capability, and building a culture of operational excellence and accountability.
Shift: 6:45 AM–7:30 PM Days, C-Shift (Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Every Other Wednesday)
Own manufacturing performance across assigned production lines, ensuring achievement of safety, quality, cost, delivery, and productivity targets
Manage departmental operating expenses and support annual budget planning processes
Lead and develop Production Supervisors to ensure effective daily execution of production plans
Ensure capacity planning, labor optimization, and resource allocation align with production demand
Drive adherence to standardized work, operating procedures, and operational controls
Serve as escalation point for line-level operational, quality, and people-related issues
Translate plant-level strategy into actionable production plans and performance expectations
Drive Lean manufacturing, 6S, and continuous improvement initiatives across assigned areas
Lead structured problem-solving efforts to eliminate chronic losses and improve operational stability
Monitor and analyze SQDCP metrics, identifying trends and deploying countermeasures
Champion cost reduction and productivity improvement initiatives
Develop, coach, and evaluate Production Supervisors and other direct reports
Build leadership capability and succession pipelines within the production organization
Partner with HR on workforce planning, employee engagement, and performance management
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Lead change management initiatives within assigned manufacturing areas
Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and EHS to ensure operational alignment
Participate in PFMEA reviews, capacity planning discussions, and new product/process introductions
Ensure effective implementation of control plans and process controls
Provide performance updates and operational insights to senior leadership
Ensure safe manufacturing operations by enforcing compliance with safety standards and EHS requirements
Drive proactive risk identification and mitigation across production lines
Ensure defects are contained at the source and systemic quality issues are resolved
Oversee root cause investigations and ensure sustainable corrective actions are implemented
Maintain compliance with regulatory, environmental, and operational standards
Provide direct leadership to Production Supervisors and indirectly oversee hourly production personnel across assigned lines
Responsible for performance management, workforce planning, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness within assigned areas
- Minimal travel as required for business needs
- To ensure health and safety in the workplace and for employee protection, wearing PPE is required and includes equipment such as a full Tyvek suit, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, and a full hazmat suit that includes a respirator. A respirator fit test will be required based on functional area.
The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or work conditions associated with the job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the general nature and level of the job. In addition, employees are expected to participate in cross-training and may be assigned responsibilities in other areas as business needs evolve.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related technical field. Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education.
Master’s degree (MBA or MS) in a related discipline
Lean Six Sigma Certification (Green Belt or higher)
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry certification
5+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in a high-volume, 24/7 production environment
Demonstrated success owning safety, quality, cost, and delivery performance metrics
Strong data-driven decision-making capability and financial acumen
Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, 6S, structured problem-solving, and continuous improvement methodologies
Experience with ERP/MES systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, FactoryTalk)
Ability to influence cross-functional partners without direct authority
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English
Alignment to Panasonic’s seven (7) core principles (contribution to society, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, gratitude)
7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience
Experience leading large production organizations (100+ employees) in a high-volume, automated environment
Proven track record driving productivity, cost reduction, and operational transformation initiatives
Experience supporting new product introductions or major capacity expansions
Strong change management and organizational leadership capability
Advanced analytical skills and structured root cause problem-solving expertise
Bilingual or multilingual capabilities (e.g., Japanese, Spanish)
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