Factory Operations Program Manager

Panasonic•De Soto, KS

9h•Onsite

About The Position

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. Job Summary: The Factory Operations Program Manager leads a portfolio of factory operations–focused programs and projects that drive strategic initiatives, operational efficiency, and capital expansion within a high-volume lithium-ion battery manufacturing environment. This role is accountable for program-level execution, ensuring projects are planned, prioritized, and delivered with a strong focus on on-time, on-budget outcomes. In addition to overseeing interdependent initiatives, the Program Manager provides direct people leadership to Project Managers and PMO Analysts and serves as a key partner to Factory Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain leadership. Success in this role requires comfort operating in an agile, ambiguous, and fast-paced manufacturing environment, strong judgment, and the ability to balance strategic leadership with execution-focused oversight.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Computer Science, or related technical/operations field. Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education.
5+ years of progressive project or program management leadership experience
Working knowledge of factory operations and manufacturing execution environments
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional, multi-project programs in fast-paced, technical, or manufacturing environments
Strong execution discipline with experience managing dependent milestones and critical paths
Strong understanding of program governance, budgeting, and risk management across interdependent projects
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills
Proficiency in project/program management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, MS Project, Power BI, JIRA)
Ability to influence across functional boundaries and operate effectively in matrixed environments
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)

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, MS in Engineering Management, Project Management) or equivalent
Project Management Professional (PMP), Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification, or equivalent
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
10+ years of progressive program management leadership experience
Knowledge of logistics, procurement, inventory management, or production control in manufacturing environments
Experience supporting factory ramp, expansion, or operational transformation initiatives
Experience in capital-intensive or high-volume manufacturing environments such as batteries, energy storage, automotive, or electronics
Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, or hybrid project management methodologies
Experience working with enterprise platforms such as SAP, Oracle, or MES/ERP systems
Proven track record of leading teams through transformation, scaling, or process improvement

Responsibilities

Proactively partner with Factory Operations and project leadership to develop detailed execution plans, resource strategies, and critical path analyses that support on-time delivery
Drive hands-on program execution rigor, ensuring projects remain focused on schedule adherence, cost control, and operational readiness
Support short-term, high-impact problem-solving or “consulting-style” engagements as needed to remove barriers to factory execution
Define and manage program scope, success criteria, deliverables, budgets, and resource plans across a portfolio of interrelated projects
Create, maintain, and govern integrated master schedules to ensure alignment across engineering, operations, procurement, and construction activities
Track and report program-level KPIs, ensuring timely milestone delivery, issue resolution, and performance transparency
Optimize resource allocation and sequencing to balance capacity, cost, and schedule constraints while maximizing program outcomes
Operate effectively in ambiguous and rapidly evolving environments by continuously reprioritizing work based on factory needs, risk, and business impact
Design, iterate, and implement scalable planning, prioritization, execution, and sustainment mechanisms to support factory operations programs
Provide thought leadership in program and portfolio management, influencing best practices and driving adoption across factory-facing teams
Identify and manage program interdependencies, prioritizing initiatives to align with strategic objectives and operational timelines
Apply program-level insights, metrics, and lessons learned to continuously refine project delivery approaches and PMO best practices
Support long-term planning by aligning program execution with evolving business needs and capital strategy
Lead, coach, and develop Project Managers and PMO Analysts through performance management, goal setting, and career development planning
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across program and project teams
Ensure consistent application of PMO standards, tools, templates, and methodologies across all managed projects
Promote knowledge sharing and capability building within the PMO to strengthen program delivery maturity
Build strong working relationships with Factory Operations leaders, geographically distributed teams, and external vendors to enable effective collaboration and delivery
Communicate clearly and consistently on program status, risks, scope changes, and process impacts to stakeholders at all organizational levels
Serve as the primary liaison between program teams and senior leadership, providing clear, data-driven program status and performance updates
Facilitate steering committee meetings, stakeholder reviews, and executive briefings
Translate complex technical and operational information into clear, actionable communications for diverse audiences
Proactively identify and manage program risks, scope changes, and execution issues, escalating appropriately and implementing mitigation strategies
Ensure project documentation, requirements, and deliverables are clearly defined, approved, and aligned with operational expectations
Ensure program execution complies with company policies, regulatory requirements, and EHS standards
Maintain program documentation, governance artifacts, and audit readiness to support internal and external reviews
Reinforce a strong safety, quality, and compliance mindset across all program activities
Provides direct supervision to Project Managers and PMO Analysts, including work assignment, performance oversight, training, and adherence to safety and operational standards

Benefits

Health Benefits – Offering medical, dental, vision, prescription plans, plus Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options.
Voluntary Benefits – Life, accident, critical illness, disability, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance.
Panasonic Retirement Savings & Investment Plan (PRSIP) – 401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting.
Paid Time-Off Benefits – Vacation, holidays, personal days, sick leave, volunteer, and parental & caregiver leave.
Educational Assistance – Tuition reimbursement for job-related courses after six months of service.
Health Management and Wellbeing Programs –Lifestyle Spending Account, EAP, virtual health management, chronic condition, neurodiversity, tobacco cessation, substance abuse support, and life stage and fertility resources. Available to eligible employees starting the first day of the month following your start date. Eligibility for each benefit may vary based on employment status, location, and length of service.
Employee Recognition Program - High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
Annual Bonus Program - Opportunity for an annual performance-based bonus.
On-site Food Options: Several on-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events
Free Shuttle: Rides to and from work!