Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Quality Engineer III? 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!

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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 Quality Engineer III works collaboratively with Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance teams to identify, investigate, and resolve complex quality issues, defects, and process deviations, ensuring products consistently meet internal and customer specifications. This role applies advanced quality engineering expertise to develop, implement, and validate quality standards, while leading process improvement initiatives within a manufacturing environment. The Quality Engineer III operates with limited supervision, independently managing complex assignments and making sound technical decisions within their area of responsibility. This role leads medium-sized projects and influences multiple production areas or teams, driving performance optimization and continuous improvement using data-driven methodologies. Additionally, the Quality Engineer III mentors junior staff and contributes to building technical capability across the quality organization.

Essential Duties:

Functional Operations:

• Applies deep technical expertise within a defined quality engineering domain to develop, implement, and validate quality standards, procedures, and controls
• Leads medium-sized quality and process improvement projects, managing scope, schedules, and deliverables
• Leads Quality and process improvement initiatives involving additional engineers within assigned functional or production areas

Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement:

• Independently resolves complex, multi-variable quality and process problems using structured problem-solving and engineering judgment
• Utilizes Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to analyze data, identify root causes of quality issues, and implement effective corrective actions
• Works with cross-functional teams to develop and implement process optimization projects aimed at improving efficiency, reducing defects, and enhancing product quality
• Leads day-to-day rapid countermeasures and corrective actions within the assigned production area
• Analyzes quality performance data to identify systemic issues and drive sustainable improvements
• Advances implementation of digital and data-driven quality solutions, including analytics, automation, and emerging technologies

Training & Team Support:

• Mentors and provides technical guidance to junior Quality Engineers, Quality Specialists, Quality Technicians, and Quality Inspectors
• Leads and instructs quality personnel on quality tools, standards, and problem-solving methodologies
• Contributes to a culture of continuous improvement by sharing best practices, supporting training activities, and fostering a collaborative team environment

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:

• Collaborates with Quality Management, Operations, Engineering, and other cross-functional teams to proactively identify process inefficiencies and improvement opportunities across the battery manufacturing cycle
• Communicates quality and process improvement results, findings, and recommendations to management and cross-functional stakeholders
• Generates reports on process improvement initiatives, including key performance indicators (KPIs), and presents findings to the Director of Quality and senior management
• Makes independent technical decisions within assigned area of expertise, escalating issues as appropriate

Quality, Safety, & Compliance:

• Conducts regular audits and assessments of manufacturing processes to ensure compliance with quality standards and regulatory requirements
• Assists in the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Quality Management System (QMS)
• Ensures compliance with applicable quality and regulatory standards (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF 16949, UL, CE, RoHS) within assigned scope

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.

Requirements - Required and/or Preferred

Education, Certifications, and Licenses:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, or Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Management, or a related technical field

Preferred:

• Master's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, or a related discipline
• Six-Sigma Green Belt
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)

Essential Qualifications:

• 4+ years of experience in quality engineering or a related technical discipline within a manufacturing environment
• Strong working knowledge of quality engineering principles, quality management systems, and applicable regulatory requirements
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead quality investigations, perform root cause analysis, and implement effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) within defined scope
• Proven experience applying statistical and analytical quality tools, including SPC, DOE, and structured problem-solving methodologies
• Experience leading or coordinating quality and process improvement initiatives involving cross-functional teams
• Ability to mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers, quality technicians, inspectors, or specialists
• Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, control systems, or data analysis/programming tools such as Python, SQL, or similar
• Strong analytical, organizational, and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present findings to management and collaborate across functions
• Ability to exercise sound engineering judgment and make independent technical decisions within assigned area of responsibility
• Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English
• Alignment to Panasonic’s seven (7) core principles (contribution to society, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, gratitude)

Preferred Qualifications:

• 6+ years of experience in manufacturing environments such as lithium-ion batteries, automotive, electronics, or other highly regulated industries
• Experience supporting internal or external quality audits or certification activities
• Working knowledge of advanced quality tools such as FMEA, MSA, control plans, and process capability analysis
• Experience operating in fast-paced, high-volume, or regulated manufacturing environments

Physical Demands:

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

• Sit: 10%
• Walk: 40%
• Stand: 50%

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.: Frequent
• Up to 20 lbs.: Frequent
• 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.

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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