Maintenance Technician Lead - Level 6 ( Nights , D-Shift)

Maintenance Technician Lead – Level 6

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.

The Maintenance Technician Lead – Level 6 is an expert multi-craft technician responsible for leading advanced maintenance operations, coordinating daily work activities, and ensuring consistent execution of maintenance standards across the team. This role combines deep technical expertise with frontline leadership responsibilities to support equipment reliability, minimize downtime, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. The Lead Technician serves as the primary on-shift technical resource, providing direction, prioritization, and mentorship to technicians while collaborating closely with Maintenance Planning, Engineering, and Operations. This position plays a critical role in optimizing maintenance execution and developing team capability within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Essential Duties:

• Functional Operations: Perform advanced maintenance and repair activities on complex production equipment and systems with minimal supervision
• Lead diagnosis and resolution of critical mechanical and electrical issues using diagnostic tools, precision instruments, and technical documentation
• Coordinate daily maintenance activities and prioritize work assignments to support production needs and minimize downtime
• Ensure completion of preventive maintenance tasks in accordance with Maintenance Process Instructions (MPIs), OEM guidelines, and engineering standards
• Oversee equipment repair activities including disassembly, rebuilding, alignment, and reassembly to ensure proper function and reliability
• Monitor equipment performance and identify risks affecting uptime, reliability, and safety
• Support escalation and resolution of high-impact equipment failures
• Operate and maintain tools and equipment in assigned areas
• Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement: Lead root cause analysis (RCA) efforts and drive corrective and preventive actions to eliminate recurring failures
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve equipment reliability, efficiency, and safety
• Partner with Maintenance Planning and Engineering to improve preventive maintenance strategies and optimize MPIs
• Support and contribute to plant-wide reliability and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) initiatives
• Drive standardization of maintenance practices, procedures, and documentation
• Analyze maintenance data and trends to support decision-making and continuous improvement efforts
• Promote proactive maintenance practices to reduce unplanned downtime
• Training & Team Support: Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Level 3, 4, 5, and peer Level 6 technicians to enhance technical skills and performance
• Support onboarding and training of new team members to ensure readiness and consistency
• Reinforce adherence to SOPs, maintenance standards, and safety practices
• Serve as the primary technical resource for troubleshooting support during assigned shifts
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and safety-focused team environment
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication: Collaborate closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance Planning to prioritize work and resolve equipment issues
• Serve as the key point of contact for on-shift maintenance coordination and technical escalation
• Partner with vendors, contractors, and technical advisors (including OEM or specialized support teams) to resolve complex issues
• Communicate equipment status, priorities, risks, and completed work clearly across shifts and departments
• Ensure effective shift handoffs through detailed communication of ongoing work and system conditions
• Quality, Safety, & Compliance: Ensure full compliance with all safety regulations, SOPs, and company quality policies across maintenance activities
• Maintain accurate and complete CMMS documentation, including work orders, AARs, and maintenance records
• Uphold and drive 6S workplace organization standards and ensure a clean, safe working environment
• Enforce adherence to Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures and all maintenance safety requirements
• Utilize and reinforce proper use of PPE and safe work practices
• Support audits, inspections, and compliance activities by ensuring documentation accuracy and procedural adherence
• Proactively identify and mitigate equipment-related safety risks
• Supervisory Responsibilities: None
• Provides work coordination, prioritization support, and technical leadership; does not have authority for hiring, performance management, or disciplinary actions
• Travel Requirement: None
• Education, Certifications, and Licenses: Required: High school diploma, GED, or 2 years of prior experience in functional area
• Preferred: Associate degree or higher in a technical discipline (e.g., Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics, Electrical Technology)
• Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt Journeyman Certification PECNA-approved Technical Training Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) Certification
• Essential Qualifications: 5+ years of relevant maintenance or technical work experience
• Advanced knowledge of mechanical and electrical systems, including strong electrical theory fundamentals
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex troubleshooting and resolve critical equipment issues
• Proven experience coordinating work and prioritizing maintenance activities in a production environment
• Strong experience with CMMS systems for work order management, tracking, and reporting
• Ability to lead root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions
• Strong leadership, communication, and team collaboration skills
• Ability to work independently and make decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Ability to work rotating shifts, weekends, and overtime 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: 10+ years of experience in maintenance within a manufacturing environment
• Experience leading or coordinating maintenance teams in a lead or senior technician capacity
• Advanced experience with PLC troubleshooting and system diagnostics
• Strong understanding of reliability programs, TPM, and preventive maintenance strategy development
• Experience in high-spec manufacturing environments (e.g., battery, semiconductor, cleanroom)
• Demonstrated experience driving process improvements and maintenance standardization
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements: To ensure health and safety in the workplace and for employee protection, wearing PPE is required and includes equipment such as a full Tyvek suit, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, and a full hazmat suit that includes a respirator. A respirator fit test will be required based on functional area.
• Physical Demands: Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:
• Sit: 10%
• Walk: 40%
• Stand: 50%
• 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.: Occasional
• Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Occasional

The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, 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. In addition, employees are expected to participate in cross-training and may be assigned responsibilities in other areas as business needs evolve.

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. This is an exciting time to join us as we expand our operations to De Soto, Kansas and build the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory