Customer Quality Engineer III

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

Customer Quality Engineer III

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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 Customer Quality Engineer III supports customer and product quality objectives through advanced product data collection and analysis, and structured problem-solving activities.  This role applies deep technical expertise to complex lithium-ion battery performance, safety, and reliability testing and qualification processes, and investigating multi-variable quality issues, and implements effective corrective actions. Operating with limited supervision, the engineer impacts multiple projects or teams by developing and improving testing, driving process improvements, and exercising independent judgment within their area of expertise. The role collaborates across departments and with external stakeholders, presents findings to management, and mentors junior engineers while maintaining and advancing SOPs, methods, and standards in support of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery initiative.

Essential Duties:

Functional Operations:

• Applies deep technical expertise to routine performance, safety, and reliability testing on lithium-ion cells in accordance with specifications and procedures
• Develops, reviews, and validates testing standards, methods, and acceptance criteria to ensure robust and repeatable results
• Leads medium-sized laboratory or quality projects, managing scope, timelines, and resource coordination
• Plan and execute product qualification and product change management effecting customers
• Conducts root cause analysis and corrective action and preventative actions with cross-functional internal stakeholders and customers

Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement:

• Independently resolves complex, multi-variable quality and testing problems using structured problem-solving methodologies
• Performs advanced data analysis to identify trends, systemic failure modes, and improvement opportunities
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives focused on product quality, test efficiency, and defect reduction
• Develops and implements new or improved test methods, procedures, or processes based on data-driven insights
• Provides technical guidance during root cause analysis and corrective action implementation

Training & Team Support:

• Mentors Customer Quality Engineer I and II team members through technical coaching and knowledge sharing
• Serves as a technical resource for laboratory technicians and engineers on testing practices and problem resolution
• May lead small, cross-functional project teams or focused technical workstreams

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:

• Collaborates across departments including manufacturing, engineering, quality, and supply chain to resolve complex quality issues
• Communicates technical findings, risks, and recommendations to management and stakeholders
• Presents test results, analyses, and improvement proposals using clear, data-supported narratives
• Makes independent technical decisions within area of expertise and appropriately escalates broader risks

Quality, Safety, & Compliance:

• Maintains, evaluates, follows, and improves SOPs related to safe handling, testing, storage, and disposal of lithium-ion batteries
• Leads containment actions and supports disposition and treatment of nonconforming product
• Ensures compliance with quality management systems, plant requirements, and PECNA policies and procedures
• Promotes a strong safety culture and ensures adherence to laboratory, environmental, and regulatory standards

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 Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM), or a related field

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related technical field
• Six Sigma Green Belt, Lean certification, or demonstrated experience leading continuous improvement initiatives and cross-functional problem-solving efforts

Essential Qualifications:

• 4+ years of relevant experience, including hands-on laboratory or product testing experience in a manufacturing or R&D environment
• Demonstrated proficiency in mechanical and electrical engineering principles as applied to complex product testing, evaluation, and failure analysis
• Ability to work with limited supervision, exercising independent technical judgment on complex or ambiguous quality and testing issues
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly present technical findings, risks, and recommendations to cross-functional teams and management
• Proven ability to accurately document, interpret, and communicate complex test data, investigation outcomes, and corrective actions
• Proficiency in applying statistical techniques to analyze data, identify trends, and support data-driven decision-making (e.g., SPC, basic DOE)
• Demonstrated expertise in metrology, measurement techniques, and advanced laboratory test equipment
• Solid working knowledge of quality management systems (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF 16949) and applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., UL, CE, RoHS), with the ability to apply them independently
• Ability to quickly understand and apply production processes, quality requirements, and risk considerations within a high-volume manufacturing environment
• Collaborative mindset with demonstrated ability to mentor junior engineers, provide technical guidance, and contribute to team-based problem solving
• 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 laboratory or product testing experience
• Experience in high-volume manufacturing environments such as lithium-ion batteries, electronics, automotive, or energy storage
• Hands-on experience with lithium-ion cell testing and/or manufacturing processes
• Demonstrated experience applying advanced product testing and evaluation methodologies such as SPC, DOE, HALT, HASS, ORT, and applicable industrial or regulatory standards
• Experience leading laboratory investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation for complex quality issues
• Experience working with laboratory data systems, dashboards, or data visualization tools (e.g., LIMS, Power BI, Foundry, or similar) to support technical decision-making and reporting

Requirements - Required and/or Preferred

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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