Production Manager, Assembly - A Shift

Panasonic • De Soto, KS

7d • Onsite

About The Position

Join Panasonic Energy at our new De Soto, Kansas facility, the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory. This role offers an exciting opportunity to grow your career while contributing to the future of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation. You will be part of a state-of-the-art facility focused on innovation in green energy solutions. The Production Manager will lead and oversee multiple production lines in a high-volume, 24/7 manufacturing environment, aiming to achieve safety, quality, cost, delivery, and productivity objectives. This position owns end-to-end manufacturing performance for assigned areas, ensuring alignment with production strategy, Lean manufacturing principles, and SQDCP metrics. The role involves leading Production Supervisors, driving cross-functional operational execution, and implementing standardized work, capacity planning, and continuous improvement. As the operational owner, you will be accountable for delivering measurable business results, developing leadership capabilities, and fostering a culture of operational excellence and accountability.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related technical field. Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education.
• 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).
• Pre-employment drug testing is required.
• All qualified individuals are required to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
• All candidates must have valid authorization to work in the U.S. without restriction.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree (MBA or MS) in a related discipline.
• Lean Six Sigma Certification (Green Belt or higher).
• OSHA 30-Hour General Industry certification.
• 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).

Responsibilities

• 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.

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
• Employee Recognition Program
• Annual performance-based bonus
• On-site cafes, snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager