Senior Manager - Employee Relations & Workforce Risk

Overview

Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Sr. Manager, Employee Relations & Workforce Risk? Then we're looking for you! Check out the job description and apply now! Put your skills to meaningful use, gain unique experience, and work with world-class team members with diverse backgrounds and expertise who share the same vision. Join the PECNA team today!

Responsibilities

Sr. Manager, Employee Relations & Workforce Risk

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Meet the Recruiter: Jenny Willhoit

Job Summary:

The Senior Manager, Employee Relations is the enterprise owner of PECNA's Employee Relations strategy and operating model. This leader creates one PECNA standard for ER, builds HRBP and leader capability to support positive employee relations and engagement, strengthens investigation and case-management compliance, and connects employee, Office of Ethics and Compliance (OEC), legal, operational, and organizing signals into an integrated workforce-risk strategy for the Director, Employee Relations & Workforce Risk and leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and continuously strengthen the PECNA Employee Relations operating model, including Tier 1/Tier 2 definitions, triage, escalation, investigation standards, documentation, corrective action governance, case closure, and quality expectations.
• Lead, coach, and develop the site Employee Relations Managers, creating one PECNA approach while ensuring site-level responsiveness, compliance and strong Tier 2 investigation quality.
• Build enterprise ER capability through practical training for HRBPs and people leaders, including investigation fundamentals, documentation, corrective action, retaliation prevention, respectful workplace expectations, and ER do's and don'ts.
• Establish HRBP ownership of appropriate Tier 1 matters and create the tools, coaching, certification, and quality reviews required for consistent execution and sound judgment.
• Own ER data governance and reporting across PECNA, including complete Tier 1/Tier 2 capture, common case taxonomy, documentation audits, KPIs, trend reporting, and required enterprise reporting processes.
• Serve as PECNA's primary ER interface with OEC; support processes and compliance with global Panasonic policies. Ensure escalation protocols and conduct recurring trend reviews to identify hotspots, repeat allegations, and systemic risk.
• Support the Director, Employee Relations & Workforce Risk to lead PECNA's positive employee relations strategy; assess vulnerability by site, shift, department, and leadership area and drive proactive mitigation plans.
• Partner with employment counsel on high-risk matters, agency charges, litigation, significant corrective actions, and emerging legal issues; connect legal activity to the broader workforce-risk picture.
• Integrate ER, OEC, legal, employee feedback, and operational data to identify root causes and emerging risk; provide clear, actionable workforce-risk insights to the Director, Employee Relations & Workforce Risk, HR, and business leaders.
• Partner with PECNA Experience, PECNA Institute, site HR, and business leaders to translate ER trends into targeted prevention, leader capability, and employee-experience interventions.
• Set the standard for confidentiality, independence, documentation discipline, sound judgment, and consistent treatment in sensitive employee matters.

Key Skills & Capabilities

• Deep expertise in Employee Relations, workplace investigations, performance management, corrective action, and employment practices in complex operating environments.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. employment and labor relations principles and laws, positive employee relations, , and lawful organizing-risk mitigation.
• Demonstrated ability to build enterprise ER frameworks, case-management standards, governance, quality controls, KPIs, and reporting processes.
• Strong capability builder who can translate ER expertise into practical tools, training, and coaching for HRBPs and operational leaders.
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, executive presence, and the ability to navigate sensitive, high-risk, and ambiguous employee matters.
• Strong analytical capability to connect case data, legal activity, employee feedback, and operational trends into actionable workforce-risk insights.
• Ability to influence effectively across HR, Legal, OEC, site leadership, PECNA Experience, PECNA Institute, and corporate stakeholders.
• Proven effectiveness in a complex, multi-site environment; manufacturing and large hourly workforce experience strongly preferred.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly leads the Employee Relations Managers located at the Kansas and Nevada sites.
• Provides enterprise functional leadership, standards, and governance for investigations and other ER activities performed by HRBPs across PECNA.

Travel Requirement:  

• Occasional local travel between company facilities, as required to support operational needs
• Up to 30% travel required, primarily between PECNA sites

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.

Qualifications

Requirements - Required and/or Preferred

Education, Certifications, and Licenses:

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Labor Relations, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HR/Employee Relations experience, including leadership of complex workplace investigations.
• Experience building ER standards, training, case-management governance, and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with employment counsel and ethics/compliance functions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree, JD, or advanced HR/labor relations education.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable professional certification.
• Experience in manufacturing, large hourly workforces, multi-site operations, and/or positive employee relations and union-preparedness strategy.
• Experience leading ER professionals or a centralized/enterprise Employee Relations function.

Physical Demands:

Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:

• Sit: 10%
• Walk: 50%
• 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.: Occasional
• Up to 20 lbs.: Occasional
• Up to 35 lbs.: Occasional
• Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Occasional
  

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
• Free Shuttle: Rides to and from work!

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.

Who We Are:

Meet Panasonic Energy! At Panasonic Energy, you'll do work that matters as we are dedicated to transforming the world through the acceleration of sustainable energy. By producing safe, high-quality lithium-ion batteries, you become part of a team that plays a crucial role in creating technologies that move us.

Our journey began in 2017, and now, as the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory, we are expanding operations to De Soto, Kansas, providing you with the opportunity to experience career growth in more ways than one.

As an innovative thinker, you'll thrive here, as we continually push the boundaries of lithium-ion battery technology and production capabilities to enhance efficiency and performance in EVs.

Being part of Panasonic Energy means positively contributing to society, aligning with our commitment to building a better world through sustainable energy solutions.

We care about what you care about, fostering an environment where your contributions make a meaningful impact on the future of energy and transportation. Join us and be part of a team that values your work, encourages innovation, and actively contributes to a positive societal impact.

In addition to an environment that is as innovative as our products, we offer competitive salaries and benefits.

We Take Opportunity Seriously:

At Panasonic Energy, we are committed to a workplace that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. Fairness and Honesty have been part of our core values for more than 100 years and we are proud of our diverse culture as an equal opportunity employer.

We understand that your career search may look different than others and embrace the professional, personal, educational, and volunteer opportunities through which people gain experience. If you are actively looking or starting to explore new opportunities, submit your application!

Supplemental Information:

Pre-employment drug testing is required.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. All qualified individuals are required to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Due to the high volume of responses, we will only be able to respond to candidates of interest. All candidates must have valid authorization to work in the U.S. without restriction.

Thank you for your interest in Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America.

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