Manufacturing Project Manager- Entry Level-OPT Programs

KODION ENERGY LLC

Paola, KS

Full-time

3 days ago

Job Description

Benefits:

401(k)
401(k) matching
Bonus based on performance
Company parties
Competitive salary
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Opportunity for advancement
Paid time off
Parental leave
Relocation bonus
Signing bonus
Training & development

Job Title: Manufacturing Project Manager
Company: Kodion Energy
Location: Paola, Kansas (On-site)
About Kodion Energy
Kodion Energy is a U.S.-based manufacturer of next-generation electrical grid and power infrastructure equipment headquartered in Paola, Kansas. We are modernizing the power grid through domestic manufacturing and advanced engineering. Our product portfolio includes single-phase overhead distribution transformers, high-capacity 0-4000 Series pad-mounted transformers, custom switchgears, compact substations, and sodium-ion battery storage systems. By integrating proprietary cooling systems and embedded AI chips into our transformers, we deliver real-time performance tracking, hands-free diagnostics, and proactive outage prevention. Focused on rapid domestic production, we proudly serve utility providers, industrial partners, and the U.S. Department of Energy with industry-leading 4-to-6-month delivery timelines.
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced, self-starting Manufacturing Project Manager to own production timelines for our electrical infrastructure equipment. This is a high-autonomy role built for a decisive leader who requires zero hand-holding. You will serve as the connective tissue between our engineering office and our shop floor—seamlessly leading and collaborating with both white-collar engineers and blue-collar production teams. Your primary mission is to drive projects from purchase order to final shipment, ensuring our smart transformers, switchgears, and energy storage systems meet strict quality standards within our signature 2-to-6-month turnaround window.
Key Responsibilities

Autonomous End-to-End Execution: Take full ownership of manufacturing schedules from initial purchase order to final shipment for single-phase overhead transformers, 0-4000 Series pad-mounted units, switchgears, and battery storage systems without needing micromanagement.
Cross-Floor Leadership: Bridge the gap between white-collar and blue-collar teams—translating complex electrical engineering specs into clear, actionable build plans for welders, assemblers, and technicians while feeding shop-floor realities back to leadership.
Decisive Problem-Solving & Lead-Time Protection: Safeguard Kodion Energy’s 4-to-6-month domestic delivery timelines by spotting production bottlenecks early, making rapid judgment calls on resource allocation, and resolving floor issues in real time.
Government & Utility Contract Delivery: Manage strict compliance, documentation, and milestone tracking for high-stakes clients, including utility providers, industrial partners, and U.S. Department of Energy military base installations.
Supply Chain & Component Tracking: Partner with procurement to stay ahead of long-lead materials (core steel, copper/aluminum windings, proprietary cooling hardware, and AI chips) so shop-floor builds never stall.
Quality Assurance & Testing Oversight: Enforce strict quality control by ensuring every unit passes factory acceptance testing (FAT), IEEE/ANSI standards, and internal AI-diagnostic calibration prior to shipment.
Executive & Client Reporting: Provide clear, no-nonsense project status updates, risk assessments, and delivery forecasts to executive leadership and external stakeholders.

Qualifications & Skills

Proven Manufacturing Experience: 5+ years of hands-on project management or production leadership experience in a heavy manufacturing environment, strongly preferred within power systems, electrical distribution, transformers, or switchgear production.
High Autonomy & Decisiveness: Demonstrated track record as a self-starter who takes initiative, owns outcomes, and makes confident, timely decisions under pressure without waiting for step-by-step direction.
Versatile People Skills: Exceptional ability to earn respect and communicate effectively across the entire organization—from executive leadership and electrical engineers to machine operators, assemblers, and shipping crews.
Technical & Shop-Floor Literacy: Ability to read engineering blueprints, schematics, bills of materials (BOMs), and production schedules, with a practical understanding of how heavy equipment is built on the floor.
Operational Tools: Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems, Microsoft Project, Excel, or similar scheduling and resource-planning tools.
Contract & Regulatory Familiarity: Experience managing builds with strict quality assurance standards or government/defense contracting requirements (e.g., DOE, DOD) is a strong advantage.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Electrical Engineering, or a related field—or equivalent extensive hands-on manufacturing leadership experience.

Numbers & Facts

Location	Paola, KS
Job Type	Full-time

Skills

Acceptance Testingunmatched
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)unmatched
Artificial Intelligence (AI)unmatched
Bill of Materials (BOM)unmatched
Blueprintsunmatched
Build Managementunmatched
Calibrationunmatched
Communication Skillsunmatched
Contract Managementunmatched
Contract Requirementsunmatched
Dental Insuranceunmatched
Documentationunmatched
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)unmatched
Electric Power Generationunmatched
Electrical Componentsunmatched
Electrical Engineeringunmatched
Electrical Power Distributionunmatched
Electrical Power Systemsunmatched
Electrical Transformerunmatched
Embedded Systemsunmatched
Engineering Drawingunmatched
Forecastingunmatched
Government Contractsunmatched
Health Insuranceunmatched
Heavy Equipment/Vehiclesunmatched
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers)unmatched
Industrial Engineeringunmatched
Interpersonal Skillsunmatched
Leadershipunmatched
Literacyunmatched
Maintain Complianceunmatched
Manufacturingunmatched
Manufacturing Managementunmatched
Microsoft Excelunmatched
Microsoft Projectunmatched
Militaryunmatched
Performance Analysisunmatched
Problem Solving Skillsunmatched
Production Scheduleunmatched
Project/Program Managementunmatched
Purchase Ordersunmatched
Purchasing/Procurementunmatched
Quality Assuranceunmatched
Quality Controlunmatched
Quality Metricsunmatched
Regulationsunmatched
Resource Managementunmatched
Risk Analysisunmatched
Supply Chainunmatched
Supply Chain Managementunmatched
Switchgearunmatched
System Integration (SI)unmatched
Testingunmatched
Time Managementunmatched
Time Trackingunmatched
Tissue Engineeringunmatched
Training/Teachingunmatched
United States Department of Defense (DoD)unmatched
United States Department of Energy (DOE)unmatched

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