Project – Area SOP Manager

Project – Area SOP Manager

Join to apply for the role at Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America.

We are proud to announce the establishment of a state‑of‑the‑art Li‑ion battery factory, set amidst the beautiful Kansas City Metro. This groundbreaking green‑field factory will serve as a pioneering hub for innovation in sustainable energy solutions. If you are passionate about contributing to a sustainable future and being part of a dynamic team shaping the electric vehicle revolution, this opportunity is tailor‑made for you.

We are seeking dedicated individuals to join us as full‑time, on‑site team members at our new, state‑of‑the‑art factory located in the thriving city of DeSoto, Kansas.

Meet the Recruiter:
Denise Goetz

The Area SOP Manager leads all project activities toward Start of Production (SOP) within a defined production area at the KS plant (KE, KA, KC, or KP). This role ensures production readiness of the area by coordinating activities across construction, tool installation, engineering, and support functions like IT, SCM, Environment & Safety, and Quality. The Area SOP manager drives milestone execution, manages requirements, and resolves cross‑functional issues to safeguard timelines and SOP‑critical deliverables.

Success in this role requires strong leadership and project management skills, fast anticipation, and the ability to manage conflicting priorities with clarity and resilience. The Area SOP Manager acts as the key integrator between planning and execution, ensuring alignment across disciplines and enabling informed decision‑making throughout the project lifecycle.

• Coordination of installation and commissioning activities
• Definition and compilation of SOP requirements
• Identification of SOP risks
• Driving issue resolution & punch list
• Facilitating decision making
• Securing change request approvals & control

• Define the tactical plan to achieve start of production
• Ensure a clear structure of work by defining and compiling SOP requirements across involved stakeholders
• Ensure that all project work meets the required quality standards
• Secure project delivery in timeline budget and compliance with international and local regulations
• Managing the collaboration and priorities within the assigned area, in liaison with the project management office (PMO). Aligning construction, tool installation, manufacturing engineering and cell production engineering, as well as indirect functions such as IT, Supply Chain Management, EHS, Quality, etc.
• Safeguard and derisk schedule focusing on SOP risks & requirements
• Discover and address scope gaps

• Define and follow up on project milestones and milestone checklists
• Ensure detailed requirements for each handover milestone are defined and shared between all involved stakeholders related to the designated area
• Organize handover reviews and track issues until their completion & validated sign‑off
• Ensure handover of his area to serial production

• Identify the interfaces of all stakeholders for the designated area
• Identify bottlenecks and develop solutions together with the project team
• Follow‑up on project risks, issues & change requests
• Manage conflicts / issues among stakeholders (Construction, Engineering, indirect functions)

• Build strong working relationships with internal construction, engineering, operations, safety, and executive team
• Prepare, moderate and debrief daily area standup meetings to achieve overall alignment and coordination between all involved stakeholders for the area.
• Synthesize and present regular project updates, highlighting status, risks, and mitigations
• Identify and address project risks and issues across the lifecycle of the project
• Report on area progress and initiate escalation on gravity items
• Prepare leadership decision‑making meeting by providing best of best/worst of worst‑case options incl. recommendation for action based on insights

• To ensure the health and safety in the workplace and for the…