Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

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.

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager leads a team of engineers to drive innovation and continuous improvement in commercial-scale battery cell manufacturing. This role is responsible for overseeing material introductions, process enhancements, and new battery model implementations to achieve world-class quality, safety, and efficiency. The Manager collaborates closely with leadership to align engineering efforts with organizational goals and promote sustainable growth. Strong people management and technical expertise are essential to coach the team, optimize production, and leverage data-driven insights for operational excellence.

Essential Duties :

Functional Leadership & Operations :

Oversee and participate in material introduction, experimentation, and process improvement for cell manufacturing processes on a commercial scale

Analyze and optimize production processes to ensure safety, maximize Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and achieve world-class quality levels cost-effectively

Apply technical expertise to innovate, design, and develop processes, procedures, equipment, tooling, and cell formulations

Enable data-driven operational and financial decisions through predictive insights on tool and process performance, including integrating factory data systems and utilizing MySQL, Python, JMP, Tableau, and Ignition software

Create and maintain standard work instructions for assigned processes

Monitor and audit manufacturing processes to ensure product specifications and standards are achieved

Strategic Alignment & Continuous Improvement :

Collaborate with the General Manager to establish systems and standards promoting sustainability and growth in technical, organizational, and people development areas

Lead continuous improvement projects (CIP) to maximize yield, capacity, and capability

Utilize structured problem-solving techniques such as Design of Experiments (DoE), Five Whys (5W), and Eight Disciplines (8D)

Monitor and reduce process variation using techniques such as Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA)

Team Development & Knowledge Sharing :

Lead the engineering team in developing and implementing advanced measurement and control systems to enhance OEE, product quality, and reliability continuously

Interview, hire, and train employees; plan, assign, and direct work; appraise performance; reward and discipline employees; and address complaints and resolve problems

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement :

Work with cross-functional teams to develop, validate, and improve manufacturing equipment and design manufacturability

Quality, Safety, Compliance, & Risk Management :

Lead the development and maintenance of FMEAs and Control Plans

This position provides direct supervision to engineering staff, including responsibility for hiring, onboarding, performance evaluation, coaching, and disciplinary actions

Minimal travel required; primarily between company sites

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements :

To ensure health and safety in the workplace and for employee protection, wearing PPE is required and includes equipment such as a full Tyvek suit, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, and a full hazmat suit that includes a respirator. A respirator fit test will be required based on functional area.

The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, 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. In addition, employees are expected to participate in cross-training and may be assigned responsibilities in other areas as business needs evolve.

Qualifications :

Required : Bachelor's Degree in Chemical, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline

Preferred : Master's or Ph.D. in Chemical, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE - SME)

Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt

Lean Manufacturing Certification (e.g., Lean Leader or Lean Enterprise Institute)

Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence (CMQ / OE - ASQ)

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Essential Qualifications :

5+ years of progressive engineering experience

Strong technical aptitude with demonstrated expertise in battery manufacturing processes and tooling

Proficiency with data analytics and factory data systems, including experience using MySQL, Python, JMP, Tableau, Ignition, or equivalent tools to support data-driven decision-making

Proven ability to analyze complex production data and optimize processes for quality, safety, and efficiency

Effective leadership skills with a passion for developing and coaching teams, including experience managing engineers and technical staff

Excellent communication skills with working proficiency in English (reading, writing, speaking) to collaborate across global teams

Strong analytic and decision-making abilities with the ability to influence and align cross-functional stakeholders

Alignment with Panasonic's seven (7) core principles (contribution to society, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, and gratitude)

Preferred Qualifications :

7+ years of engineering experience in manufacturing, product development, design, or related fields

3+ years of experience in a management or technical leadership role

Experience with battery manufacturing and high-speed robotic assembly processes

Experience working in high-volume manufacturing environments (e.g., 1M+ units / day capacity)

Strong knowledge of regulatory, safety, and quality compliance standards (e.g., ISO, IATF, OSHA)

Hands-on experience leading continuous improvement projects using Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and structured problem-solving methods such as Design of Experiments (DoE), Five Whys (5W), and Eight Disciplines (8D)

Proven ability to work cross-functionally and globally with resilience and adaptability in fast-paced environments

Resilient, self-motivated, and able to perform well under pressure

Physical Demands :

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

Sit : 35%

Walk : 35%

Stand : 30%

Required Lifting and Carrying : Rare

For this position, the required frequency is :

Up to 10 lbs. : Occasional

Up to 20 lbs. : Occasional

Up to 35 lbs. : Occasional

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