Equipment Specialist Lead - KS

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 Equipment Specialist Lead serves as the senior technical resource for assigned manufacturing operations and is responsible for coordinating daily activities, supporting equipment reliability, and driving continuous improvement efforts across the team. This role provides advanced technical expertise in equipment troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and process optimization while serving as the primary escalation point for complex equipment-related issues. Working closely with production, maintenance, quality, engineering, and operational leadership, the Equipment Specialist III prioritizes work, facilitates communication, develops team capability, and supports the successful execution of departmental objectives. The position combines advanced technical proficiency with informal leadership

to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable manufacturing operations. Essential Duties: Functional Operations: Serve as the primary technical escalation point for complex equipment issues, equipment recovery efforts, and troubleshooting activities Coordinate daily work activities and technical priorities for Equipment Specialists within assigned areas or shifts Demonstrate expert-level knowledge of assigned manufacturing equipment, machine systems, and production processes Lead complex troubleshooting efforts involving mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, controls, and automated manufacturing systems Support equipment startup, qualification, modifications, upgrades, and validation activities Provide technical direction during equipment repairs, improvement activities, and engineering change implementations Utilize machine expertise to identify equipment-related sources of defects, alarms, downtime, and productivity losses Maintain accurate and complete documentation of equipment activities, troubleshooting efforts, and improvement projects Utilize precision measurement tools including dial indicators, calipers, micrometers, and other diagnostic instruments to support equipment performance and reliability Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement: Lead cross-functional PDCA activities, root cause investigations, and corrective action development Analyze production, equipment, quality, and maintenance data to identify performance gaps, trends, and improvement opportunities Develop and coordinate action plans to improve reliability, productivity, quality performance, and operational efficiency Evaluate the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions and recommend adjustments as necessary Support achievement of departmental goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and operational targets Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and other structured problem-solving methodologies Partner with engineering and operational leadership to identify and prioritize strategic improvement opportunities Monitor team progress on assigned actions and ensure timely completion of deliverables Training & Team Support: Coach, mentor, and develop Equipment Specialists by sharing technical expertise, best practices, and troubleshooting techniques Support onboarding, qualification, certification, and technical development activities for team members Identify skill gaps and recommend training and development opportunities to leadership Facilitate knowledge sharing across shifts, teams, and functional groups Promote a culture of accountability, continuous learning, teamwork, and operational excellence Provide guidance and support to team members during equipment failures, process issues, and improvement activities Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication: Act as the primary liaison between Equipment Specialists, engineering, maintenance, production, quality, and operational leadership Communicate equipment priorities, risks, project status, and escalation needs to stakeholders Coordinate work activities across multiple groups to ensure efficient execution of equipment-related priorities Participate in production meetings, operational reviews, and escalation discussions as the team's technical representative Support supervisors and engineering teams in planning equipment outages, upgrades, and improvement initiatives Build collaborative relationships with stakeholders to support business objectives and operational performance Quality, Safety, & Compliance: Follow all company, departmental, environmental, quality, and safety policies and procedures Ensure equipment-related work is completed in compliance with established standards, procedures, and documentation

Promote adherence to lockout/tagout

and safe work practices Identify and address equipment-related safety risks and operational concerns Support investigations involving quality concerns, equipment failures, and process deviatio