Overview
Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a General Manager of Operations? Then we're looking for you! Check out the job description and apply now! 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!
Responsibilities
General Manager of Operations
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Meet the Recruiter: Eric Laffey
Summary:
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 General Manager of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for a major manufacturing function or group of production departments within a large-scale lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility. This role is responsible for achieving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people objectives while ensuring alignment with plant strategy, operational priorities, and business goals. The General Manager leads through Production Managers and other operational leaders to drive operational excellence, workforce capability, continuous improvement, and sustainable manufacturing performance. This position is accountable for operational results, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, budget management, and the successful execution of plant initiatives that support business growth and operational scalability.
Essential Duties:
Functional Leadership & Operations:
- Lead manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people performance objectives across assigned production areas
- Direct and support Production Managers and operational leaders to ensure execution of manufacturing strategy, operational priorities, and performance expectations
- Establish operational goals, performance measures, and workforce plans that support plant objectives and customer requirements
- Manage operating budgets, labor utilization, productivity, and resource allocation within assigned areas
- Support capital planning, equipment strategy, and operational readiness initiatives to improve manufacturing performance
- Serve as the senior operational leader for assigned functions, resolving complex operational, organizational, and production issues
Strategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement:
- Translate plant strategy and business priorities into operational objectives and action plans for assigned manufacturing areas
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, operational excellence, and structured problem-solving methodologies
- Lead efforts to improve production efficiency, productivity, quality performance, and cost competitiveness
- Champion change management activities associated with business growth, operational transformation, production ramp-up, and new product introduction initiatives
- Monitor operational performance trends and identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness and business results
Team Development & Knowledge Sharing:
- Develop, coach, and mentor Production Managers and operational leaders to strengthen organizational capability and succession readiness
- Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence
- Partner with Human Resources to support workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, and employee engagement initiatives
- Ensure leaders and employees receive the training, coaching, and development necessary to support performance and career growth
- Promote knowledge sharing, best-practice adoption, and operational standardization across manufacturing areas
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:
- Partner with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Human Resources, Finance, Facilities, and EHS teams to achieve operational and business objectives
- Collaborate on production planning, capacity expansion, capital projects, continuous improvement initiatives, and operational readiness activities
- Provide operational insights, performance updates, and risk assessments to plant leadership and key stakeholders
- Support customer visits, operational reviews, audits, and business initiatives as needed
Quality, Safety, Compliance, & Risk Management:
- Promote and reinforce a culture of safety, quality, compliance, and operational discipline across assigned manufacturing areas
- Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, environmental, customer, and company requirements
- Drive accountability for quality systems, product standards, and operational performance expectations
- Identify and mitigate operational risks that may impact safety, quality, delivery, or business continuity
- Support continuous improvement of systems, processes, and controls to enhance operational performance and reduce risk
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Provide direct leadership to Production Managers and other operational leaders, with indirect responsibility for supervisors and hourly production personnel across assigned manufacturing areas
- Responsible for workforce planning, organizational design, talent development, succession planning, budget management, and performance management
- Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, and strategic priorities to ensure alignment with quality, operational, and business objectives
Travel Requirement:
- This position is primarily site-based with up to 20% travel as needed to support customer engagements, audits, benchmarking activities, training, and business initiatives
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements:
- To ensure the health and safety in the workplace and for the protection of our employees, wearing PPE is a possibility and may include equipment such as a full Tyvek suit, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, bump cap, and a full hazmat suit that includes a respirator.
The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills and 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.
Qualifications
Requirements - Required and/or Preferred
Education, Certifications, and Licenses:
Required:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related field
- Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education
Preferred:
- Master's degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent) in a related discipline
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification or higher
Essential Qualifications:
- 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience within a high-volume manufacturing environment
- Experience leading multiple manufacturing departments, value streams, or operational functions through subordinate leaders
- Demonstrated success driving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people performance in complex manufacturing operations
- Experience developing leaders, building organizational capability, and leading high-performing teams
- Strong business, financial, and operational acumen including budget management, workforce planning, and resource allocation
- Proven ability to lead continuous improvement, operational transformation, and change management initiatives
- Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, operational excellence principles, and structured problem-solving methodologies
- Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and executive presentation skills across all organizational levels
- Demonstrated ability to influence decision-making and drive results in fast-paced, complex manufacturing 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)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience in a general manager or senior management role leading teams within large-scale manufacturing environments
- Experience within lithium-ion battery manufacturing, automotive, semiconductor, or other advanced manufacturing environments
- Experience supporting production ramp-up, capacity expansion, operational transformation, or greenfield manufacturing initiatives
- Experience leading large-scale Lean Manufacturing or operational excellence programs
Physical Demands:
Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:
- Sit: 40%
- Walk: 30%
- Stand: 30%
Required Lifting and Carrying: Rare (<1%), Occasional (1-33%), Frequent (34-66%), Continuous (67-100%)
For this position, the required frequency is:
- Up to 10 lbs.: Occasional
- Up to 20 lbs.: Occasional
- Up to 35 lbs.: Rare
- Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Rare
Benefits & Perks - What's In It For You:
Panasonic Energy prioritizes total well-being and offers comprehensive benefits options to support physical, emotional, financial, social, and environmental health:
- 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.
Where You'll Be:
For our onsite roles, Panasonic Energy is committed to fostering an ideal working environment that goes beyond the conventional. We understand the significance of moments that matter in your onsite experience, and we prioritize creating a workspace that not only promotes productivity but also ensures a fulfilling and positive work atmosphere. Join us at Panasonic Energy, where your onsite presence is valued, and we strive to make each moment count in your professional journey.
Who We Are:
Meet Panasonic Energy! At Panasonic Energy, you'll do work that matters as we are dedicated to transforming the world through the acceleration of sustainable energy. By producing safe, high-quality lithium-ion batteries, you become part of a team that plays a crucial role in creating technologies that move us. Our journey began in 2017, and now, as the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory, we are expanding operations to De Soto, Kansas, providing you with the opportunity to experience career growth in more ways than one. As an innovative thinker, you'll thrive here, as we continually push the boundaries of lithium-ion battery technology and production capabilities to enhance efficiency and performance in EVs. Being part of Panasonic Energy means positively contributing to society, aligning with our commitment to building a better world through sustainable energy solutions. We care about what you care about, fostering an environment where your contributions make a meaningful impact on the future of energy and transportation. Join us and be part of a team that values your work, encourages innovation, and actively contributes to a positive societal impact. In addition to an environment that is as innovative as our products, we offer competitive salaries and benefits.
We Take Opportunity Seriously:
At Panasonic Energy, we are committed to a workplace that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. Fairness and Honesty have been part of our core values for more than 100 years and we are proud of our diverse culture as an equal opportunity employer. We understand that your career search may look different than others and embrace the professional, personal, educational, and volunteer opportunities through which people gain experience. If you are actively looking or starting to explore new opportunities, submit your application!
Supplemental Information:
Pre-employment drug testing is required. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. All qualified individuals are required to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Due to the high volume of responses, we will only be able to respond to candidates of interest. All candidates must have valid authorization to work in the U.S. without restriction.
Thank you for your interest in Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America.
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