Director of Quality Operations

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

The Director of Quality Operations is responsible for leading site-wide quality operations, quality systems, and manufacturing quality strategy to ensure products consistently meet customer requirements, regulatory standards, and business objectives. Reporting to the Vice President of Quality, this role translates enterprise quality strategy into operational execution, driving quality performance, risk reduction, and continuous improvement across the organization.

• 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

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)

Qualifications

• 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)
• 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

Skills

• 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