Industrial Hygiene Manager

Overview

Responsibilities

Industrial Hygiene Manager

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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 Industrial Hygiene Manager leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of PECNA’s Industrial Hygiene (IH) programs across manufacturing operations. This role is responsible for anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling occupational health hazards while ensuring compliance with ISO 45001 and all applicable regulatory requirements. The Industrial Hygiene Manager serves as the organization’s subject matter expert for industrial hygiene, providing strategic leadership, technical guidance, and operational oversight to protect employee health, reduce risk, and support safe, sustainable manufacturing operations. The role collaborates closely with production, engineering, EHS, medical, and leadership teams to drive proactive health risk management and foster a culture of safety and continuous improvement.

Essential Duties:

Functional Leadership & Operations:

• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of Industrial Hygiene programs, policies, procedures, and management systems across manufacturing operations

• Direct workplace exposure assessments, monitoring activities, and hazard evaluations involving chemical, physical, biological, and radiological agents

• Oversee industrial hygiene surveys, sampling strategies, data analysis, and corrective action implementation

• Provide technical expertise regarding ventilation systems, exposure controls, personal protective equipment, and risk mitigation measures

• Manage occupational health exposure records, monitoring documentation, and regulatory reporting requirements

• Support emergency response planning and provide technical guidance related to hazardous material incidents and employee exposure concerns

Strategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement:

• Develop long-term industrial hygiene strategies that align with organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and operational priorities

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitoring programs to evaluate occupational health risks and program effectiveness

• Analyze exposure data, audit findings, and industry trends to identify opportunities for risk reduction and program improvement

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives related to exposure control, occupational health performance, and compliance management systems

• Support the maintenance and continual improvement of ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems

Team Development & Knowledge Sharing:

• Provide leadership, coaching, and technical mentorship to Industrial Hygiene Specialists and other EHS team members

• Develop and deliver industrial hygiene awareness and compliance training programs for employees, supervisors, and leaders

• Promote knowledge sharing and best practices across departments to strengthen occupational health competency throughout the organization

• Support employee professional development through training, career development planning, and performance feedback

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Partner with production, maintenance, engineering, environmental, medical, and safety teams to identify and mitigate occupational health risks

• Collaborate with external consultants, laboratories, regulatory agencies, and vendors to support industrial hygiene initiatives and compliance activities

• Communicate exposure assessment results, recommendations, and compliance requirements to employees and leadership

• Provide industrial hygiene guidance during new process introductions, facility modifications, and capital projects

Quality, Safety, Compliance, & Risk Management:

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, NIOSH, ACGIH, ANSI, NFPA, and other applicable occupational health and safety regulations and standards

• Lead occupational health-related incident investigations, exposure assessments, and root cause analyses to identify corrective and preventive actions

• Conduct workplace audits, inspections, and program reviews to verify compliance, identify deficiencies, and ensure timely corrective actions

• Evaluate operational risks and recommend engineering, administrative, or personal protective controls to minimize employee exposure

• Maintain readiness for regulatory inspections and support responses to audits, inquiries, and compliance reviews

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Provide direct supervision to Industrial Hygiene Specialists, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and professional development

• Establish performance expectations and accountability for program execution and regulatory compliance

Travel Requirement:

• Limited travel may be required to support training, cross-site collaboration, and business alignment 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.

This forthcoming 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:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Safety and Health, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related technical field

• Relevant experience may be substituted for required education

• This is an onsite position in DeSoto, Kansas

Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Safety and Health, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field

• Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) - Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC)

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) - Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP)

• Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) - Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM)

• Retention Bonus Potential

Essential Qualifications:

• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health & Safety, or regulatory compliance within a manufacturing, industrial, chemical, energy storage, or other high-hazard environment

• Demonstrated experience developing and managing industrial hygiene programs, exposure monitoring strategies, and occupational health risk mitigation initiatives

• Strong knowledge of OSHA, NIOSH, ACGIH, ANSI, NFPA, and applicable occupational health regulations and standards

• Experience conducting exposure assessments, hazard evaluations, incident investigations, and root cause analyses

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience interpreting industrial hygiene sampling and exposure data

• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all organizational levels

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

• Ability to respond to site emergencies on a 24/7 basis as required

• 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:

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health & Safety, or regulatory compliance within a manufacturing, industrial, chemical, energy storage, or other high-hazard environment

• Experience leading Industrial Hygiene professionals or cross-functional EHS teams in a complex manufacturing environment
• Experience implementing and maintaining ISO 4501 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems
• Experience with lithium-ion battery manufacturing, chemical processing, semiconductor manufacturing, or similar high-hazard operations
• Demonstrated success developing exposure monitoring, ventilation management, respiratory protection, and hazard control programs
• Experience utilizing EHS or Industrial Hygiene management systems such as VelocityEHS, Cority, Enablon, or similar platforms
• Experience leveraging data analytics and visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau to drive business decisions and risk reduction strategies
• Strong leadership, organizational, and project management capabilities

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.: Continuous
• Up to 20 lbs.: Occasional
• Up to 35 lbs.: Occasional
• 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.

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.