Manufacturing Engineer III

Overview

Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Manufacturing Engineer? Then we're looking for you! 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

Manufacturing 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 Manufacturing Engineer III is an experienced individual contributor who serves as a technical leader across multiple projects and teams, operating with minimal oversight in a high-volume lithium-ion battery manufacturing environment. This role provides advanced manufacturing engineering expertise, leading medium-sized projects and driving complex process and equipment improvements. The Manufacturing Engineer III independently resolves multi-variable technical challenges, develops and validates manufacturing standards, and mentors junior engineers while collaborating cross-functionally to improve safety, quality, and operational performance.

Essential Duties

Functional Operations

• Demonstrates deep technical expertise in a defined manufacturing, process, equipment, or automation domain
• Develops, validates, and maintains manufacturing standards, best practices, and technical documentation
• Leads medium-sized process improvement, equipment upgrade, or automation projects, managing scope, budgets, and timelines
• Independently evaluates manufacturing system performance and recommends data-driven technical solutions
• Serves as a subject matter expert for complex manufacturing or equipment-related issues

Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Independently handles complex, multi-variable manufacturing, quality, and equipment problems
• Leads process improvement initiatives that introduce new methods, tools, or technologies
• Drives systemic improvements to improve throughput, yield, reliability, and cost performance
• Applies advanced problem-solving methodologies and statistical tools to improve process capability and stability
• Ensures sustainable implementation of improvements through standardization and documentation

Training & Team Support

• Mentors Manufacturing Engineer I and II team members through technical guidance, coaching, and knowledge sharing
• May lead small project teams or cross-functional technical working groups
• Supports development of engineering capability through best practice sharing and technical reviews
• Acts as a technical escalation point for junior engineers

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication

• Collaborates across departments including Production, Maintenance, Quality, Controls, and Engineering
• Presents technical recommendations, project updates, and risk assessments to management and key stakeholders
• Makes independent technical decisions within area of expertise
• Influences cross-functional alignment on technical strategy, implementation plans, and operational priorities

Quality, Safety, & Compliance

• Leads adherence to manufacturing quality standards and ensures process conformance to specifications
• Applies advanced quality tools (e.g., SPC, FMEA, fault tree analysis) to proactively identify and mitigate risk
• Ensures compliance with internal standards, regulatory requirements, and safety policies
• Integrates safety considerations into process design, equipment changes, and improvement initiatives
• Actively supports site safety initiatives, risk assessments, and equipment commissioning activities
• Properly uses and enforces required personal protective equipment (PPE) as dictated by functional area 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.

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

Required

Education, Certifications, and Licenses

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or a closely related STEM field

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or a closely related field
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level continuous improvement initiatives
• Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE) strongly preferred
• Advanced training or certification in automation systems, controls engineering, or manufacturing systems integration
• Project leadership or project management certification (e.g., PMP, equivalent internal program, or formal project leadership training)
• OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Certification (or equivalent advanced safety training)

Essential Qualifications

• 4+ years of relevant engineering experience in a manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated ability to operate with limited supervision and independently lead complex technical initiatives
• Proven experience leading medium-sized projects with responsibility for scope, schedule, and results
• Deep understanding of manufacturing systems, equipment, and process optimization strategies
• Advanced problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve complex, multi-variable issues
• Strong cross-functional communication skills, including the ability to present to management
• Demonstrated ability to mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership
• 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 engineering experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience in high-volume lithium-ion battery manufacturing or related industries (automotive, electronics, energy storage)
• Advanced experience applying Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies
• Proven success leading equipment upgrades, automation integration, or commissioning projects
• Strong background in quality systems, statistical analysis, and process capability improvement
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams or projects

Physical Demands

Physical Activities:

• Sit: 10%
• Walk: 70%
• Stand: 20%

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

• 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