Controls Engineering Technician Supervisor

Controls Engineering Technician Supervisor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tMgKm_71qs (by clicking this link you are being referred to an external site that is not part of Panasonic) 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 Controls Engineering Technician Supervisor directly supervises and manages a shift-based team of Controls Engineering Technicians (CET I, II, and III) responsible for supporting the maintenance, troubleshooting, and reliable operation of controls and vision systems within Panasonic's battery manufacturing operations. Reporting to the Controls Engineering Manager, this role provides frontline leadership for assigned shift operations, overseeing real-time production support, fault diagnosis, equipment recovery, preventive maintenance activities, and escalation of complex automation issues involving PLC-based control systems, machine vision systems, robot vision systems, control networks, and related manufacturing technologies. Utilizing OEE data, loss trees, MMS data, team reports, and other operational metrics, the supervisor prioritizes work, allocates resources, monitors performance, and supports continuous improvement efforts to improve equipment reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and product quality. Through coaching, training, technician certification programs, development of standard work and troubleshooting documentation, and implementation of sustainable corrective actions, this role strengthens team capability while fostering a safe, collaborative, and high-performing work environment. Working closely with Production, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and EHS teams, the Controls Engineering Technician Supervisor serves as a key floor leader, ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of manufacturing systems during the assigned shift. Essential Duties: Functional Leadership & Operations: Leads a team of CET Technicians (I / II / III) supporting controls and vision systems across all of Panasonic's battery production processes during the assigned shift Oversees support related to daily production activities and the escalation of line issues Directs the team in the initial isolation and recovery of issues (electrical / controls / mechanical), including identification, investigation, and troubleshooting of line problems Ensures equipment functionality is restored after work completion and that verification of normal operation (determination that equipment is "good to run" and testing prior to re-introduction) is properly performed Provides technical guidance and oversight to technicians performing troubleshooting activities involving PLCs (Mitsubishi, Omron, Keyence, etc.), vision systems, robot vision systems, equipment monitoring systems, and industrial control networks including DeviceNet, MechatroLink, EtherCAT, and CC-Link Manages the team to safely and reliably perform servo drive/motor fault diagnosis, tuning, and replacement, as well as troubleshooting of electrical systems up to 480VAC and electromechanical control systems Serves as the primary escalation point during the assigned shift for complex controls and automation issues impacting production, quality, reliability, or safety, and escalates appropriately to the Controls Engineering Manager as needed Ensures the team applies electrical drawings, specifications, manuals, and schematics as troubleshooting tools Manages shift staffing, resource allocation, and workload to support operational and safety objectives Strategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement: Leads and supports the development of new processes and methods to reduce downtime and defects Plans and executes daily / weekly / monthly action items together with the team Conducts Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and collaborates with the engineering team to derive and implement countermeasures Manages loss trees (OEE breakdown) and improvement backlogs, and quantitatively monitors improvement results Identifies and supports process improvement opportunities, contributing to equipment reliability, product quality, throughput, and cost optimization Supports the implementation and adherence to established controls engineering standards, troubleshooting procedures, and best practices within the technician team Collaborates with engineering and cross-functional teams to identify recurring issues and support implementation of permanent corrective actions Team Development & Knowledge Sharing: Plans and provides training to Tech I and Tech II to continuously enhance the team's technical skills Supports the development, administration, and continuous improvement of technician training and certification programs (QET, CCST, YRC1000, etc.) Guides the development of clear, standard work instructions, SOPs, and troubleshooting guides Identifies technical competency gaps and implements training and