Maintenance Planner

Overview:

Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Maintenance Planner? 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:

Maintenance Planner

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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 Maintenance Planner is responsible for coordinating and optimizing maintenance activities to maximize equipment reliability, availability, and operational performance. This role serves as a key link between Production, Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance teams, ensuring maintenance work is effectively planned, scheduled, and executed. The Maintenance Planner utilizes maintenance management systems, production schedules, and asset management best practices to prioritize work, allocate resources, and support continuous improvement initiatives across the facility.

Essential Duties:

Functional Operations:

• Coordinate and prepare all maintenance resources and activities according to employee skillsets while maintaining comprehensive schedules for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual maintenance activities
• Collaborate with internal teams to coordinate, plan, and schedule all maintenance activities within the maintenance management system, including preventative maintenance, reactive maintenance, repairs, calibrations, equipment updates, projects, and other maintenance activities
• Ensure resource availability when planning maintenance schedules and performance expectations, including maintenance and operations personnel, materials, documentation, work orders, change orders, parts availability, and required approvals
• Organize and coordinate unscheduled and emergency equipment repairs while partnering with production and operations teams to minimize downtime
• Conduct initial screening of incoming repair requests and maintenance work orders and coordinate with inventory, parts, and maintenance teams to establish appropriate planning levels
• Participate with maintenance and production teams to maximize equipment availability, reliability, and operational performance

Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement:

• Adhere to industry best practices for asset management planning and scheduling
• Continuously improve, develop, implement, and maintain compliance with the PanaCIM system and associated maintenance processes
• Support initiatives that improve equipment reliability, maintenance efficiency, and overall operational effectiveness

Training & Team Support:

• Audit work order assignments to ensure proper prioritization, completion, and resource allocation

• Provide support to maintenance personnel regarding planning processes, maintenance scheduling, and system utilization

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:

• Integrate new equipment and maintenance strategies into PanaCIM while validating asset information with Production and Engineering teams
• Collaborate with production, engineering, operations, inventory, and maintenance teams to ensure maintenance activities are properly planned, communicated, and executed
• Effectively communicate Maintenance Department initiatives, strategies, goals, concerns, and observations to stakeholders and leadership

Quality, Safety, & Compliance:

• Prepare reports and performance metrics utilizing tracking tools and KPIs within PanaCIM to ensure maintenance objectives and performance goals are achieved
• Support proper implementation of maintenance processes and procedures to ensure compliance with company standards and operational requirements
• Uphold 6S initiatives and ensure area cleanliness is maintained to safety and operational standards
• Ability to work all scheduled shift hours

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:

 

• High school diploma, GED, or a minimum of two (2) years of experience in a manufacturing, maintenance, or related technical environment.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and experience

Essential Qualifications:

• Two (2) years of experience as a Maintenance Planner or in a related maintenance planning role
• Working knowledge of maintenance planning, scheduling, and asset management practices within a manufacturing environment
• Mechanical aptitude with strong planning, organizational, and self-motivation skills
• Experience in electronics manufacturing, heavy industry asset management, facilities management, or similar environments
• Experience with asset management functions including labor planning, material planning, and maintenance activities involving mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems
• Experience troubleshooting and supporting manufacturing equipment maintenance and repair activities
• Extensive computer knowledge and experience utilizing computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) to manage maintenance activities
• Proficient knowledge and experience using SAP software
• Ability to effectively communicate maintenance initiatives, strategies, and operational goals to various stakeholders
• Ability to promptly communicate site concerns, observations, and issues to management
• Demonstrated communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• 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 with Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Palantir software, or similar platforms
• Professional etiquette and ability to work effectively in a distributed team environment
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and competing resource demands while meeting deadlines and operational goals
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-performance manufacturing environment
• Results-oriented mindset with demonstrated ability to deliver against production schedules and performance objectives
• Resilient, self-motivated, and able to perform effectively under pressure
• Willingness to adjust working hours as needed to support business priorities and operational requirements

Physical Demands:

Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:

• Sit: 10%
• Walk: 45%
• Stand: 45%

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

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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