Director of Quality Operations

Panasonic•De Soto, KS

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Join Panasonic Energy at our new De Soto, Kansas facility, the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory. This role offers an exciting opportunity to grow your career while contributing to the future of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation. We are pushing the limits of battery technology, enhancing performance and efficiency. Our state-of-the-art facility near Kansas City will be a hub for innovation in green energy solutions. If you are passionate about sustainability and the electric vehicle revolution, join our dynamic team and make a meaningful impact.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Quality Assurance, Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related technical field.
10+ years of progressive quality leadership experience within manufacturing environments, including responsibility for quality systems, quality operations, and organizational performance.
Demonstrated success leading quality organizations and delivering measurable improvements in key performance indicators, including FPY, scrap, COPQ, customer defects, process capability, and product reliability.
Extensive knowledge of quality management systems (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF 16949) and applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., UL, CE, RoHS).
Proven experience developing and executing quality strategies aligned with business objectives and operational priorities.
Demonstrated experience leading large-scale cross-functional quality improvement initiatives in complex manufacturing environments.
Strong knowledge of quality methodologies and tools, including SPC, MSA, FMEA, Control Plans, CAPA, 8D, and structured problem-solving techniques.
Experience utilizing data analytics, statistical methods, and digital quality systems to drive business decisions and quality performance improvements.
Experience leading, developing, and coaching managers and building high-performing teams.
Strong business acumen and the ability to balance quality, cost, delivery, safety, and operational objectives when making decisions.
Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and executive presentation skills across all organizational levels.
Demonstrated ability to influence executive and cross-functional decision-making and drive results in fast-paced, complex manufacturing environments.
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).

Nice To Haves

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).
Prior experience in a Director-level or senior management role leading quality operations teams within large-scale manufacturing environments.
Experience within lithium-ion battery manufacturing, automotive, semiconductor, or other advanced manufacturing environments.
Experience leading site-wide or multi-site quality operations and quality management systems.
Experience supporting greenfield manufacturing startups, rapid production scale-up, or high-growth manufacturing environments.
Strong knowledge of customer-specific quality requirements in automotive or high-reliability manufacturing environments.
Experience implementing digital quality systems, advanced analytics, predictive quality tools, and data visualization platforms.
Experience presenting quality strategy, performance, risk, and compliance updates to executive leadership teams and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and governance for site-wide quality operations, ensuring alignment between quality objectives, manufacturing performance, and business priorities.
Establish quality operating standards, management systems, and governance processes that drive consistent execution across production areas, shifts, and functions.
Own overall quality performance outcomes, including First Pass Yield (FPY), Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), scrap, customer defects, process capability, and product reliability.
Lead the development and execution of quality control strategies, inspection systems, testing frameworks, and product release processes to ensure scalable and effective quality assurance.
Ensure effective management of Nonconformance Report (NCR), Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA), and escalation processes to drive timely resolution of quality issues and prevention of recurrence.
Direct quality operations resources, priorities, and organizational structures to support production demands, business growth, and operational excellence.
Oversee quality performance reviews and governance forums, ensuring risks, trends, and improvement actions are communicated and addressed at appropriate leadership levels.
Utilize advanced analytics, statistical methods, and predictive quality tools to identify emerging risks and drive proactive mitigation strategies.
Develop, monitor, and communicate key quality performance indicators (KPIs) to executive leadership, ensuring visibility to organizational performance and risks.
Manage departmental budgets, resource allocation, and investment priorities to support operational objectives and continuous improvement initiatives.
Develop and execute the site quality operations strategy and roadmap, aligning quality initiatives with organizational objectives, customer expectations, and operational priorities.
Partner with executive and site leadership to establish quality goals, performance targets, and long-term improvement plans.
Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, statistical methodologies, and structured problem-solving tools to improve quality performance and process capability.
Drive adoption of digital quality systems, advanced analytics, and data-driven decision-making to improve visibility, traceability, and operational effectiveness.
Analyze quality trends and systemic risks to identify strategic improvement opportunities and proactively address emerging challenges.
Provide executive oversight of audit programs, including VDA 6.3 process audits and internal assessments, to ensure effectiveness and sustainable corrective actions.
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing quality organization capable of supporting current and future business needs.
Coach and develop Quality Managers and functional leaders to strengthen leadership capability, technical expertise, and organizational effectiveness.
Establish succession planning, talent development, and workforce strategies to ensure long-term capability within the quality function.
Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, operational excellence, and employee engagement.
Drive standardization of training frameworks, best practices, and knowledge-sharing processes across quality teams.
Foster collaboration and alignment across quality, manufacturing, engineering, and support organizations.
Partner with Operations, Engineering, Product Development, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and Customer Quality teams to ensure quality requirements are integrated into business processes and manufacturing systems.
Influence strategic decision-making and operational priorities by providing quality expertise, risk assessments, and performance insights.
Serve as the primary quality operations representative within site leadership forums, management reviews, and business planning discussions.
Support customer relationship management through quality performance reviews, customer issue resolution, escalation management, complaint response activities, and participation in customer audits.
Collaborate with supplier quality and procurement organizations to strengthen supplier performance and mitigate supply chain quality risks.
Communicate quality performance, strategic risks, and improvement initiatives to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
Own the effectiveness and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with applicable standards, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations.
Ensure compliance with quality management systems, including ISO 9001, IATF 16949, and applicable regulatory requirements such as UL, CE, and RoHS.
Lead enterprise quality risk management activities, including FMEA, control plans, product safety initiatives, and preventive quality strategies.
Ensure readiness for internal, external, regulatory, and customer audits while maintaining robust compliance systems and controls.
Establish proactive mitigation strategies to reduce quality risks, customer disruptions, product nonconformances, and safety-related concerns.
Monitor product safety, reliability, and compliance performance to ensure timely execution of corrective and preventive measures.
Promote and reinforce a culture of safety, quality, integrity, and environmental responsibility throughout the organization.
Provide direct leadership to Quality Operations Managers, Metrology leadership, and other quality function leaders, with overall responsibility for organizational effectiveness across Quality Operations.
Responsible for workforce planning, organizational design, talent development, succession planning, budget management, and performance management within the quality organization.
Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, and strategic priorities to ensure alignment with quality, operational, and business objectives.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, prescription plans
Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options
Life, accident, critical illness, disability, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance
401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting
Vacation, holidays, personal days, sick leave, volunteer, and parental & caregiver leave
Tuition reimbursement for job-related courses after six months of service
Lifestyle Spending Account, EAP, virtual health management, chronic condition, neurodiversity, tobacco cessation, substance abuse support, and life stage and fertility resources
High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
Opportunity for an annual performance-based bonus
Several on-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events