Quality Engineer III

Panasonic Corporation of North America; De Soto (KS); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Panasonic Energy in De Soto, Kansas, is seeking a Quality Engineer III to strengthen our manufacturing quality team for the world’s largest lithium-ion battery factory. You will collaborate with Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance to tackle complex quality issues and drive continuous improvement.

The role requires leading process improvements, mentoring junior staff, and applying data-driven problem solving, SPC, and CAPA within a manufacturing setting.

Qualifications

• Education, Certifications, and Licenses: Required: Bachelor's degree in a technical field.
• Preferred: Master's degree, Six-Sigma Green Belt, ASQ CQE.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and validate quality standards, procedures, and controls.
• Lead medium-sized quality and process improvement projects with scope and deliverables.
• Mentor junior quality staff and lead cross-functional improvement initiatives.
• Resolve complex quality issues using structured problem-solving and CAPA processes.
• Communicate results to management and stakeholders; generate KPI reports.

Skills

Quality engineering

Lean Six Sigma

Root cause analysis

Data analysis

Python

SQL

CAPA

Mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

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

Master's degree in Engineering, Quality Management, or a related discipline

Tools

SPC

DOE

Python

SQL

Job description

Overview

Do you want to join a team that changes the world? Do you have a strong background as a Quality Engineer? Then we're looking for you! Check out the job description and 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

Quality Engineer III

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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

• Analyze quality performance data to identify systemic issues and drive sustainable improvements
• Advance 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 stakeholdersGenerates 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.

Qualifications

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: