Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Sr. Director of Quality? 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!

Sr. Director of Quality

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Meet the Recruiter: Jenny Willhoit 

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 Senior Director of Quality is responsible for establishing the strategic vision, governance framework, and long-term direction of the Quality organization. Reporting to executive leadership, this role provides oversight of Quality Operations, Supplier Quality, Product and Customer Quality, and Quality Management Systems, ensuring alignment with business objectives, customer expectations, and regulatory requirements. The Senior Director develops and executes an integrated quality strategy that drives operational excellence, product reliability, customer satisfaction, compliance, and business growth while serving as a key advisor to executive leadership, translating enterprise strategy into multi-functional objectives and leading organizational performance, risk management, continuous improvement, and the overall effectiveness of the Quality Management System.

Essential Duties:

Functional Leadership & Operations:

• Provide strategic leadership and executive oversight for all site quality functions, including Quality Operations, Supplier Quality, Product and Customer Quality, and Quality Management Systems
• Establish the vision, organizational strategy, governance structure, and operating framework for the Quality function in alignment with enterprise objectives and business priorities
• Own overall site quality performance, including customer quality, supplier quality, product reliability, compliance, and Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ)
• Direct quality resources, investments, and strategic initiatives to support business growth and operational excellence
• Provide executive visibility and direction regarding quality performance, emerging risks, and improvement opportunities

Strategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement:

• Develop and execute the site quality strategy and multi-year roadmap to support organizational growth, operational excellence, and customer success
• Translate enterprise strategy into integrated quality objectives across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and customer-facing functions
• Lead transformational quality initiatives utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, advanced analytics, digital quality systems, and structured problem-solving methodologies
• Anticipate and proactively address emerging quality, customer, regulatory, and business risks that may impact organizational performance
• Provide strategic quality leadership for major business initiatives, including manufacturing expansions, product launches, and technology deployments 

Team Development & Knowledge Sharing:

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Quality organization capable of supporting current operations and future business growth
• Lead, coach, and develop Directors, Managers, and other senior leaders through workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness strategies
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and operational excellence 

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Serve as the primary quality advisor to executive leadership, influencing business strategy, operational priorities, and organizational decision-making
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to ensure quality objectives are integrated into business plans and operational strategies
• Lead executive-level reviews of quality performance, organizational risks, compliance activities, and strategic initiatives
• Represent the organization in customer engagements, regulatory interactions, audits, and critical quality escalations
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with customers, suppliers, corporate stakeholders, and industry partners 

Quality, Safety, Compliance, & Risk Management:

• Own the effectiveness, governance, and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with applicable customer, regulatory, and industry requirements
• Establish site-wide quality governance and risk management strategies that address product quality, supplier quality, customer quality, and compliance risks
• Ensure readiness for customer, regulatory, certification, and internal audits while maintaining robust corrective and preventive action processes
• Lead organizational response and mitigation strategies for significant quality, compliance, customer, and supplier issues
• Promote a culture of quality, safety, integrity, compliance, and environmental responsibility across the organization

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Lead multiple quality functions through subordinate Directors and Managers responsible for operational execution and performance
• Oversee organizational capability, workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, budget management, and performance management across the Quality organization
• Establish strategic direction, organizational objectives, and performance expectations that support enterprise, operational, and customer requirements

Travel Requirement:

• This position is primarily site-based with up to 20% travel to support customer engagements, supplier visits, audits, executive meetings, industry benchmarking, and business initiatives

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 Quality Assurance, Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related technical field
• Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education

Preferred:

• Master's degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent) in a related discipline
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification or higher
• American Society for Quality (ASQ) certifications (e.g., CQE, CMQ/OE, CQA)

Essential Qualifications:

• 15+ years of progressive quality leadership experience with a focus in manufacturing environments
• Experience leading multiple quality functions through Directors, Managers, and other senior leaders
• Proven success developing and executing enterprise-level quality strategies
• Extensive knowledge of quality management systems, regulatory compliance, and risk management
• Strong business and financial acumen
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive decision-making and lead transformational change
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
• 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:

• Prior Director or Senior Director experience leading multiple quality functions within large-scale manufacturing environments
• Experience serving as the senior quality leader for a complex manufacturing operation
• Experience supporting manufacturing scale-up, organizational transformation, and enterprise quality improvement initiatives

Physical Demands:

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

• Sit: 40%
• Walk: 30%
• Stand: 30% 

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.: Rare
• Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Rare

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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