Overview
Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Production Manager – Inventory Control? 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
Production Manager – Inventory Control
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Meet the Recruiter: Anh Martin
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 Production Manager - Inventory Control leads and delivers Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and People (SQCDP) performance for inventory management and execution activities within PECNA manufacturing operations. The role is responsible for inventory transaction accuracy, production reporting discipline, and work-in-process (WIP) control to support uninterrupted production and inventory integrity. This position collaborates cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Production, Quality, Receiving, and Shipping teams to ensure accurate material movement, inventory records, and operational compliance. Expected to serve as a leader who sets clear expectations, holds people accountable, removes barriers, and inspects what they expect with courtesy and respect.
Essential Duties:
Functional Leadership & Operations:
- Leads daily inventory execution activities within manufacturing operations to ensure material availability, inventory accuracy, and transactional discipline
- Maintains visibility of RAW, WIP, and FG inventory positions and validates that inventory status and location controls support production execution
- Monitors dashboards and early warning indicators to identify stockout risks, excess inventory, production reporting variances, or unhealthy WIP conditions
- Ensures inventory transactions and production reporting activities are completed accurately and timely to maintain alignment between physical inventory and system records
- Drives adherence to FIFO practices and inventory movement standards to support material traceability and production continuity
Strategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement:
- Investigates inventory discrepancies, transaction errors, and reporting variances; implements corrective actions and sustainable countermeasures to improve inventory accuracy and reduce inventory adjustments
- Utilizes operational reporting and inventory metrics to identify process improvements that enhance inventory accuracy, production execution, and manufacturing schedule attainment
- Supports Supply Chain and Finance inventory reconciliation, reporting, and audit activities through timely issue resolution and documentation
Team Development & Knowledge Sharing:
- Builds capability and accountability for inventory transaction accuracy and inventory discipline across manufacturing operations
- Trains production and support teams on inventory control procedures, system transactions, reporting requirements, and escalation processes
- Promotes adherence to standard work and operational inventory controls through coaching, auditing, and continuous feedback
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:
- Partners with Receiving, Shipping, Production, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to ensure inventory integrity, material traceability, and FIFO compliance
- Collaborates upstream and downstream across the value stream to support inventory accuracy, material flow, WIP control, and production continuity
- Escalates inventory issues, process gaps, and material risks that may impact schedule attainment, inventory integrity, or customer delivery performance
Quality, Safety, Compliance, & Risk Management:
- Ensures inventory handling, storage, segregation, and disposition activities comply with safety requirements, quality standards, and established procedures
- Ensures inventory transactions and production reporting activities are completed accurately, timely, and in accordance with documented processes
- Maintains audit-ready inventory records and supports inventory control reviews, cycle count activities, and discrepancy investigations
- Supports waste collection, recovery, and disposal initiatives throughout manufacturing operations
- Ensures accurate recording and tracking of valuable waste generated within assigned areas and drives compliance with established recovery and disposal programs
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Leads inventory control specialists or assigned team members; provides functional leadership for inventory-related operational activities
- Drives accountability for inventory transaction accuracy, production reporting accuracy, and inventory process compliance
- Coordinates cycle count execution, discrepancy investigations, and corrective actions in partnership with the Inventory Control Manager and Supply Chain organization
- Monitors operational inventory performance and drives improvements in WIP accuracy, FIFO compliance, and discrepancy resolution
Travel Requirement:
- Minimal travel as required for business needs
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, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field
- Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education
Essential Qualifications:
- 5+ years of progressive manufacturing, inventory control, materials management, or production leadership experience
- Demonstrated experience leading inventory execution, production reporting, material flow, or inventory control processes in a manufacturing environment
- Working knowledge of ERP, MES, and inventory management systems with the ability to ensure accurate inventory transactions and reporting
- Strong Microsoft Excel capabilities
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience investigating inventory discrepancies and implementing corrective actions
- Demonstrated ability to manage multi-shift operations and drive accountability for operational performance
- Ability to influence cross-functional teams and build effective partnerships across Production, Supply Chain, Quality, and Logistics functions
- 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:
- Experience supporting cycle count programs, inventory audits, and physical inventory activities within a manufacturing environment
- Experience in highly automated, high-volume, or traceable manufacturing operations
- Working knowledge of ERP, MES, and WMS systems, including inventory transactions, reporting, and material traceability requirements
- Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence methodologies
Physical Demands:
Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:
- Sit: 10%
- Walk: 50%
- Stand: 40%
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.: Continuous
- Up to 20 lbs.: Frequent
- Up to 35 lbs.: Frequent
- Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Occasional
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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