ISO Manager, EMS & OHSMS

Panasonic•De Soto, KS

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Panasonic is seeking an ISO Manager — Environmental & Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. This multi-site role will support Kansas and Nevada manufacturing operations. The role involves serving as the internal program owner for ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 implementation and certification across these sites. It requires translating fit-gap findings into prioritized action plans, coordinating consultant deliverables, and developing/maintaining EMS/OHSMS documentation. The position also entails coordinating certification body activities, establishing cross-site governance, leading internal audits, and maintaining technical understanding of ISO standards. Collaboration with various departments and stakeholders is essential, as is tracking KPIs and managing the program budget. The role may involve supporting integration with ISO 9001 and aligning with RBA VAP activities. Evaluation and support of digital tools for management system monitoring are also part of the responsibilities. While there are no direct reports initially, matrixed coordination is expected, with potential for future expansion.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Occupational Health & Safety, Industrial Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in environmental, health & safety, compliance, or management systems within manufacturing.
Minimum 5 years directly leading or co-leading ISO 14001 and/or ISO 45001 implementation, certification, sustainment, or audit readiness activities.
Demonstrated working knowledge of ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 clauses and audit expectations.
Lead Auditor certification for ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, or ability to obtain within 6 months of hire.
Working knowledge of U.S. federal EHS regulations, including OSHA general industry and key environmental regulatory frameworks such as RCRA, CAA, CWA, and EPCRA.
Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Ability to lead complex multi-site, multi-stakeholder programs with external consultants, executive sponsors, and operational teams.
Strong technical judgment to translate ISO clauses, EHS requirements, and audit expectations into practical operational controls.
Strong stakeholder management and influence skills in matrixed environments where formal authority may be limited.
Ability to manage program timelines, risk registers, corrective actions, document control, audit evidence, and leadership reporting with high accuracy.
Ability to work constructively through site-level resistance, resource constraints, and competing priorities while protecting certification timelines.
Strong written and verbal communication skills for executive briefings, site training, audit discussions, and cross-functional coordination.
High degree of audit readiness discipline and evidentiary rigor; ability to ensure systems work in practice, not only in documentation.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a related technical field.
PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project/program management credential.
Professional certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHMM, REM, ASQ CMQ/OE, or equivalent.
Lithium-ion battery, EV supply chain, semiconductor, chemical, or large-scale automotive manufacturing experience.
Experience with RBA Code of Conduct and VAP audits, particularly health & safety and environmental sections.
Experience integrating ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 with ISO 9001 using Annex SL / Harmonized Structure.
Familiarity with EHS information systems, Power BI, Palantir Foundry, or similar tools for dashboards and compliance workflows.
Experience working with Japanese parent-company structures, Hoshin Kanri planning, and bilingual English/Japanese communication.
Familiarity with EU Battery Regulation, customer ESG requirements, battery supply chain compliance, and emerging EV supply chain expectations.
Experience developing legal compliance registers, environmental aspects assessments, HIRA processes, internal audit programs, and management review inputs.
Experience supporting ISO 14001 transition planning, climate change considerations, lifecycle perspective, and change management requirements.

Responsibilities

Serve as the internal program owner for ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 implementation and certification across Kansas and Nevada manufacturing sites.
Translate fit-gap findings into prioritized site-level action plans and coordinate consultant deliverables for system design, implementation, and certification readiness.
Develop, maintain, and improve EMS/OHSMS documentation, including manuals, environmental aspects registers, HIRA registers, legal and other requirements registers, operational controls, emergency preparedness procedures, monitoring and measurement processes, internal audits, and management reviews.
Coordinate certification body selection, contracting, Stage 1 / Stage 2 audit logistics, annual surveillance audits, and recertification activities.
Establish cross-site governance such as an ISO Steering Committee, monthly EHS coordination, risk tracking, escalation paths, status reporting, and executive briefings.
Lead internal audit planning, auditor qualification, cross-site audit participation, nonconformity closure, corrective actions, and ongoing PDCA-based continuous improvement.
Maintain technical understanding of ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, forthcoming revisions, and related transition planning; support integration with ISO 9001 where appropriate.
Coordinate with EHS, Operations, Engineering, Facilities, HR, Procurement, Quality, RBA, and corporate stakeholders to embed ISO requirements into site operations.
Support alignment with parallel RBA VAP activities and reuse documents, training, and audit evidence where requirements overlap, particularly health & safety and environmental requirements.
Track KPIs, audit findings, training completion, document control status, legal compliance status, and program milestones; prepare monthly and quarterly reports for leadership.
Manage program budget inputs including consultant fees, certification body costs, training, audit travel, software/tools, and internal program costs.
Evaluate and support appropriate digital tools or dashboards to improve management system monitoring, compliance workflows, and reporting.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, prescription plans
Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options
Life, accident, critical illness, disability, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance
401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting
Vacation, holidays, personal days, sick leave, volunteer, and parental & caregiver leave
Tuition reimbursement for job-related courses after six months of service
Lifestyle Spending Account, EAP, virtual health management, chronic condition, neurodiversity, tobacco cessation, substance abuse support, and life stage and fertility resources
High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
Opportunity for an annual performance-based bonus
Several on-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events