Occupational Health & Safety Manager

Occupational Health And Safety Manager

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 Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Manager leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of PECNA's safety management systems to ensure a safe, compliant, and high-performing production environment. This role provides strategic and operational leadership to OHS professionals and production teams, embedding safety excellence across all phases of battery manufacturing. The OHS Manager partners cross-functionally with operations, engineering, and facilities leadership to drive proactive risk reduction, process safety, and regulatory compliance in a high-hazard, highly automated manufacturing setting. This position serves as both a hands-on leader and a strategic advisor, guiding PECNA toward industry-leading performance in health, safety, and environmental stewardship while fostering a strong, sustainable safety culture.

Essential Duties:

• Functional Leadership & Operations: Oversee the implementation and day-to-day execution of occupational health and safety programs supporting safe and compliant manufacturing operations Manage and evaluate core OHS programs including Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Confined Space, Fall Protection, Respiratory Protection, and Industrial Hygiene Establish and track OHS performance metrics (KPIs and leading indicators) to monitor safety performance and identify opportunities for improvement Ensure safety policies, procedures, and standards are implemented consistently across production areas Maintain readiness for emergency response programs, ensuring drills, training, and response procedures are effectively maintained and executed
• Strategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement: Lead the development and continuous improvement of PECNA's OHS management systems to drive sustainable safety performance and regulatory compliance Analyze safety performance data and trends to identify root causes and implement targeted improvement initiatives Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to enhance safety performance and operational efficiency Align OHS strategies with business priorities and operational goals through participation in leadership planning and performance reviews
• Team Development & Knowledge Sharing: Lead and mentor Health and Safety Partners and site safety champions to strengthen technical capability and safety leadership across the organization Provide coaching, training, and development opportunities that build safety awareness and accountability at all levels of the organization Promote a proactive safety culture by reinforcing shared ownership of safety performance and encouraging employee engagement in hazard identification and risk reduction Support development and delivery of safety training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives across shifts and departments
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with operations, maintenance, engineering, facilities, and HR leaders to integrate safety requirements into daily operations and strategic initiatives Collaborate with engineering and operations teams on equipment design, commissioning, and process modifications to ensure inherently safe systems Serve as the primary liaison for external auditors, consultants, and regulatory agencies during inspections, permitting activities, and compliance reviews Provide leadership-level communication and reporting on safety performance, emerging risks, and program progress to site and corporate leadership
• Quality, Safety, Compliance, & Risk Management: Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements including those established by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and relevant industry standards Oversee risk assessments, Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), and Management of Change (MOC) processes for operations and new equipment installations Direct incident investigations to ensure thorough root cause analysis, corrective action completion, and systemic prevention of recurrence Lead internal safety audits, inspections, and compliance reviews to verify program effectiveness and regulatory adherence Support regulatory reporting, documentation, and permitting requirements as required by governing agencies
• Supervisory Responsibilities: Provide direct supervision to Health and Safety Partners, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and professional development Establish performance expectations and accountability for safety program execution and regulatory compliance

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.

Qualifications:

Requirements - Required: Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety and Health, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education. Preferred: Master's degree in Occupational Safety and Health, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field Certified Safety Professional (CSP) strongly preferred Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) or equivalent credential ISO 45001 or ISO 14001 Lead Auditor certification Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) or equivalent credential Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher preferred HAZWOPER, First Aid/CPR, and Emergency Response certifications

Essential Qualifications: 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in Occupational Health and Safety or regulatory compliance within a manufacturing, industrial, or high-hazard environment Demonstrated ability to develop and lead organizational safety strategies, including KPIs, management systems, and risk-based performance improvements Strong working knowledge of OSHA, NFPA, ANSI, and other applicable regulatory standards Proven experience implementing and maintaining safety management systems (ISO 45001, ISO 14001, or equivalent frameworks) Skilled in conducting and overseeing incident investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective/preventive actions Ability to analyze safety performance data, identify trends, and develop proactive improvement plans Experience leading risk assessments, process hazard analyses (PHA), and management of change (MOC) processes Strong interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills with the ability to influence and engage at all organizational levels Proficiency in EHS management systems, reporting tools, and digital compliance platforms (e.g., Enablon, Intelex, VelocityEHS, or similar) Demonstrated success in building a strong safety culture and leading cross-functional safety initiatives Ability to wear and work in PPE, including respirators and hazmat suits, as required by functional area 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 Occupational Health and Safety or regulatory compliance within a manufacturing, industrial, or high-hazard environment Experience within lithium-ion battery, chemical, semiconductor, or automotive manufacturing industries Proven success leading teams through regulatory inspections, audits, and compliance reporting Experience supporting or managing industrial hygiene programs, including air monitoring, noise assessments, and chemical exposure evaluations Background in ergonomics, human factors engineering, or behavioral safety leadership Training or certification in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or 6S implementation applied to safety processes Demonstrated ability to integrate safety into engineering design reviews and new product/process introduction Familiarity with emergency response planning, hazardous materials management, and contractor safety oversight

Physical Demands: Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to: Sit: 30% Walk: 50% Stand: 20% 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.): Rare