Quality Supervisor

Quality SupervisorJoin 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.The Quality Supervisor plays a critical role in driving process improvement, ensuring compliance with quality standards, and supporting the success of the world's largest lithium-ion battery manufacturing initiative. Reporting to the Quality Manager, this role leads a team of quality technicians, inspectors, and team leads to ensure execution of daily quality objectives and adherence to customer and regulatory requirements. Through cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance, the Quality Supervisor resolves process issues, implements corrective actions, and prevents defects. By leveraging data analysis and disciplined quality systems, this position drives continuous improvement and ensures delivery of high-quality products to customers.Essential Duties:Functional Leadership & Operations: Lead daily quality operations, overseeing in-process and final product inspections to ensure conformance to specifications Supervise quality technicians, inspectors, and team leads to ensure effective execution of quality control activities Monitor and enforce quality control procedures across production lines Support and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS), including document control, CAPA processes, and internal auditsStrategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement: Analyze quality performance metrics and trends to identify improvement opportunities Implement corrective and preventive actions to reduce defects and prevent recurrence Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with organizational quality objectives Ensure adherence to applicable regulatory, industry, and customer requirementsTeam Development & Knowledge Sharing: Develop, coach, and mentor quality team members to enhance technical capability and performance Provide ongoing training on quality procedures, standards, and plant policies Promote a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and operational excellenceCross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with operations, engineering, and maintenance teams to resolve non-conformities and improve processes Communicate quality objectives, performance metrics, and results to leadership and frontline teams Support customer and external audit activities as requiredQuality, Safety, Compliance, & Risk Management: Ensure compliance with plant policies, regulatory requirements, and safety standards Identify quality risks and implement mitigation strategies to protect product integrity Lead internal audit readiness and support external quality and regulatory inspectionsSupervisory Responsibilities: Directly supervises Quality Technicians, Inspectors, and Team Leads, including hiring, training, performance management, and corrective action Plans, assigns, and oversees daily work activities to ensure compliance with quality standards, company policies, and operational objectivesTravel Requirement: This position is primarily site-based with no regular travel requirements 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.Qualifications Requirements:Required: High school diploma or GED equivalent required Preferred: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, or a related technical field ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) Six Sigma Green Belt or higher ISO 9001:2015 Internal Auditor Certification Hazardous Materials Handling Certification (e.g., OSHA HAZWOPER or equivalent) Lean Manufacturing CertificationEssential Qualifications: 3+ years of progressive leadership experience in quality assurance or quality control within a manufacturing or distribution environment Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and develop quality inspectors and technicians while ensuring adherence to safety, quality, and procedural standards Strong working knowledge of Quality Management Systems (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF 16949) and applicable regulatory standards (e.g., UL, CE, RoHS) Proven analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision-making Working knowledge of production processes and manufacturing operations Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and resolve conflict across teams Team-oriented and adaptable, with a proactive, accountable, and continuous improvement-focused mindset 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: 5+ years of supervisory experience in high-volume and/or regulated manufacturing environments (e.g., automotive, electronics, energy storage) Experience in battery manufacturing, automotive, or clean energy industries Advanced knowledge of statistical quality tools (e.g., SPC, MSA, FMEA, 8D, Pareto analysis) Experience applying structured root cause analysis methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Ishikawa) Experience with quality and manufacturing systems (e.g., QMS platforms, MES, ERP) Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies Familiarity with customer-specific quality requirements (e.g., OEM or Tier 1 standards) Advanced Excel skills and/or experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Minitab)Physical Demands:Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to: Sit: 10% Walk: 50% Stand: 40% 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.): RareBenefits & Perks - What's In It For You: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 recognitionAnnual 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.