Human Resources Manager

About Us

Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada, an Asahi Kasei Company, is a pioneer in battery technology and a long-trusted supplier of lithium battery separators, which are polymer-based microporous membranes that are key components of lithium-ion batteries (LIB).

The company’s Hipore™ brand of separators have been commercially available since the lithium battery market’s inception in the early 1990s and they are found primarily in electric drive vehicles (EDVs) as well as in consumer electronics (CE) such as smartphones, tablets and personal computers. Hipore™ membrane separators bring high porosity and excellent energy transfer, while contributing to battery safety and reliability and they are especially well matched for the high-capacity batteries required for power plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full battery (BEV) vehicles.

Asahi Kasei is accelerating its next phase of global growth with proactive investment and capacity expansion in battery separators to meet increasing demand for electric vehicle applications. Expansions have been announced at existing Asahi Kasei LIB separator facilities in the United States, Japan, and South Korea, with start-up scheduled in succession from the first half of fiscal year 2026. Asahi Kasei will continue investing through

We are now in the early phases of staffing our new greenfield site, in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, that will have an investment of about 1.57 billion CAD$ to further build its LIB separator infrastructure for automotive applications to meet growing demand in North America where significant expansion of electric vehicle production is forecasted.

The Asahi Kasei Group is a diversified group of companies led by holding company Asahi Kasei Corp., with operations in the material, homes, and health care business sectors. With more than 48,000 employees around the world, the Asahi Kasei Group serves customers in more than 100 countries. We are Creating for Tomorrow

About the Role

We are seeking an HR Manager to be a part of Asahi Kasei’s global HR team. The incumbent will be working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment, and will play a key role in the new manufacturing site start-up. The successful incumbent will be a strategic partner to the business and operations leaders in a global cross-functional environment. The position is responsible for all aspects of human resources for the manufacturing facility. The HR Manager acts as a strong and proactive business partner to business leaders, with accountability for identifying, developing and deploying business-driven HR strategies designed to attract, manage, develop, motivate and retain key people. This position is responsible for creating a high-performance, sustainable organization capable of achieving business objectives, action plans and aggressive targets.

Reporting Relationships

This position directly reports to the Leader of Global Human Resources and will build a site HR team.

Asahi Kasei Values

• Sincerity – Being sincere with everyone
• Challenge – Bolding taking challenges, continually seeking change
• Creativity – Creating new value through unity and synergy

Key Accountabilities

• Provide HR leadership, coaching and partnering with the Plant Manager and his/her direct reports and functional leaders providing site support to ensure HR strategies and tactics align with the Company’s growth strategy
• Partner with talent acquisition to ensure that the organization is staffed with the highest caliber of talent by driving rigorous recruitment and selection processes for plant commissioning and beyond
• Engage with the community to attract talent and establish community-based partnerships to support staffing up the plant and ongoing hiring and outreach needs
• Partner with compensation and workforce planning to broker services
• Collaborate with cross functional teams to develop and deploy an onboarding, training systems and programs for new employees
• Serve as a member of the HR leadership team with responsibility for developing a team culture that drives high performance
• Lead core HR programs including but not limited to objective setting, performance evaluations, compensation planning, talent assessment and succession planning
• Lead proactive employee relations and labor initiatives to ensure high levels of employee engagement and productivity by building strong, collaborative relationships with employees at all levels

Qualifications

Education Background:

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Human Resources, Business, Communications or related; master’s degree preferred
• Professional human resource certification is preferred

Knowledge & Experience:

• 7+ years of HR generalist experience with 5+ years of HR leadership experience in manufacturing
• Experience in a complex highly matrixed global organization is required
• Must possess strong understanding of labor relations, local and regional legislation, employment laws and culture
• Demonstrated experience managing green field projects and/or footprint expansions is preferred
• Must be operationally astute and demonstrate a high level of business acumen
• Experience in leading human resources in labor and employee relations responsibility is required
• Experience working for a global organization with cross cultural interaction is strongly preferred
• Familiarity with HRIS systems is required
• Japanese language skills preferred

Key Attributes:

• Ability to adapt to changing situations is required
• Must demonstrate executive maturity, be collaborative, and work well with others
• Must be able to execute against agreed upon commitments, providing solutions and timely results
• Demonstrate a continual learning mindset

Travel:

• Must be able to travel domestically and internationally up to 10% as needed.

Schedule:

• Must be able and willing to work a flexible schedule to oversee project work, engage with various shifts, for emergencies, and to attend in-person meetings and conference calls outside of normal business hours. The incumbent can flex working hours to accommodate.

Working Environment

The final work environment will be at a 24/7 manufacturing operation. This position is in support of manufacturing and requires working in a production environment around chemicals.

Location Information

Port Colborne, Ontario is a charming harbour town situated in the Niagara Region on the coast of Lake Erie. The Niagara Region is made up of 12 municipalities and has a population of approximately 478,000. It is an international trade hub with industries ranging from agriculture, construction, manufacturing, technology, tourism, transportation and warehousing. There are two regional airports, easy access to four international airports, railway, and other public transportation. It is home to Brock University, Niagara College Canada, McMaster University, as well as public and private schools that offer a selection of concentrations. The area offers a safe, affordable lifestyle with a hometown community feel. Recreational attractions include Humberstone Speedway, Niagara Falls, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, the Welland Canal, Canada’s largest casino, wineries, sporting and entertainment venues for concerts and festivals. Other amenities include the Niagara Heath System, a variety in dining, farmer’s markets, ample parks, trails and outdoor activities. Within driving distance, the greater Ontario province offers modern cities and countryside that are rich in culture, history, and natural beauty. It is about a 90-minute drive to Mississauga, Toronto, and Brampton.