Sr. Safety Specialist
Job Description
- De Soto, Kansas
- Operations
- Full-Time
- Onsite
- PECNA Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America
- EV & Energy Storage
- R-106725
At Panasonic Energy, we're building the world's largest lithium-ion battery facility in De Soto, Kansas, and we're looking for an experienced Sr. Safety Specialist to help shape the safety culture of one of the most advanced manufacturing operations in the country.
Why Candidates Are Excited About This Opportunity
- 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting
- Generous paid time off including vacation, holidays, sick time, personal days, volunteer time, parental and caregiver leave
- Annual bonus opportunity
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Tuition reimbursement and career development support
- Opportunity to lead safety strategy at a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing operation
- Be part of the future of sustainable energy and electric vehicle technology
If you're passionate about building world-class safety programs, leading high-performing teams, and influencing the future of advanced manufacturing, we'd love to talk with you.
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 Sr. Safety Specialist leads the implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of occupational health and safety programs to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and company standards during commissioning and production operations. Serving as a subject matter expert and trusted partner, this role identifies and mitigates workplace hazards, leads risk assessments, audits, inspections, incident investigations, and corrective action programs, and supports employee training and emergency preparedness initiatives. The Sr. Safety Specialist contributes to moderately complex projects, monitors safety performance metrics, and partners with cross-functional stakeholders to promote regulatory compliance, risk reduction, operational excellence, and a strong safety culture.
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.
Responsibilities
Functional Operations:
- Lead the implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of occupational health and safety programs, policies, procedures, and systems to support regulatory compliance and operational excellence
- Provide visible safety leadership through routine field presence, employee engagement, hazard recognition, coaching, and incident response support
- Manage safety records, permits, reports, metrics, and documentation to support business needs and regulatory requirements
- Support emergency preparedness and response activities, including drills, exercises, and after-hours response as needed
Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement:
- Lead risk assessments, job hazard analysis (JHA), management of change (MOC) activities, and other risk reduction initiatives
- Serve as the lead safety resource for assigned operational areas, advising leaders on safety strategy, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance
- Monitor, analyze, and communicate safety performance metrics, trends, and program effectiveness to support decision-making and continuous improvement
- Lead or support moderately complex projects and cross-functional initiatives focused on safety, compliance, and operational performance
- Conduct workplace inspections, audits, and operational assessments to identify hazards, verify compliance, and recommend corrective actions
- Lead incident investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective and preventive action processes, including verification of effectiveness and completion
- Support strategic initiatives that strengthen safety culture, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence
Training & Team Support:
- Develop, deliver, and continuously improve safety training programs, materials, and resources for employees and contractors
- Serve as a mentor and subject matter expert by providing coaching, technical guidance, and regulatory interpretation to employees, leaders, and less-experienced safety professionals
- Support onboarding, safety orientation, and employee engagement initiatives that promote safe work practices and continuous improvement
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:
- Serve as a subject matter expert and partner to leaders, operational teams, contractors, and external stakeholders on occupational health and safety requirements, compliance obligations, and industry best practices
- Communicate safety performance, observations, trends, and improvement opportunities to leadership and employees
- Support regulatory inspections, audits, and interactions with external agencies, consultants, and contractors
Quality, Safety & Compliance:
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local occupational health and safety regulations, standards, and company requirements
- Maintain current knowledge of OSHA regulations, emerging regulatory requirements, and industry best practices
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.
Job Requirements
Requirements - Required and/or Preferred
Education, Certifications, and Licenses:
Required:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education
Preferred:
- Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health & Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science, or a related field
- Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or active pursuit of professional safety certification
- Occupational safety certifications and training such as OSHA 30-Hour, HAZWOPER, First Aid/CPR, ISO 45001, Lockout/Tagout, Electrical Safety, and Respiratory Protection/Fit Testing
Essential Qualifications:
- 4+ years of safety experience in manufacturing, industrial, construction, commissioning, or similarly regulated environments
- Demonstrated experience leading safety programs, audits, inspections, risk assessments, incident investigations, corrective actions, and cross-functional initiatives
- Working knowledge of OSHA regulations and applicable industry standards (e.g., NFPA, ANSI, NEC, ACGIH, and NIOSH)
- Experience developing and delivering safety training, supporting contractor safety programs, and monitoring workplace hazards and exposures
- Strong analytical, project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate data and drive informed decision-making
- Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and communicate effectively with employees, leaders, contractors, and external stakeholders
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
- Ability to support emergency response activities outside normal business hours as needed
- Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking
- 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:
- 6+ years of occupational health and safety experience in manufacturing, industrial, construction, commissioning, or similarly regulated environments
- Experience leading site-wide safety improvements, complex compliance initiatives, regulatory interactions, and performance reporting
- Experience mentoring safety professionals and operational leaders
- Familiarity with lithium-ion battery manufacturing, chemical handling, or other high-hazard operations
- Working knowledge of ISO 14001, ISO 45001, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and occupational exposure assessment principles
- Experience with EHS management systems, audits, inspections, consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies
- Familiarity with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies
Physical Demands:
Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:
- Sit: 20%
- Walk: 40%
- Stand: 40%
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.: Frequent
- Up to 20 lbs.: Occasional
- Up to 35 lbs.: Occasional
- Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Rare
