Sr. Process Engineer (Pena)

Panasonic Sr. Process Engineer
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Summary   

The Sr. Process Engineer is responsible for leading process improvement projects focused on defect rate improvement, new material and model introduction, specification validation, overall equipment efficiency, and tasks to improve the cell manufacturing process. Additionally, the Engineer will develop and implement process strategies, manage process resources, and optimize current processes.  Furthermore, the Engineer supports other members of the team through mentorship of key skills.         

Essential Duties   

• Being a part of Panasonic’s Cell and Process Engineering team. The Cell and Process Engineering team is responsible for continuously improving processes, supporting new model conversion and new line setup, solving chronic production issues and supporting Panasonic’s battery production to ensure our world-class production is running smoothly and without issue. In addition, we continually seek to improve our process by means of productivity, quality, cost, and other key metrics
• Demonstrating solid troubleshooting skills and ability to quickly solve unknown problems through root cause identification and effective countermeasure development and implementation
• Troubleshooting chronic production problems to maintain output levels and reduce defects
• Working with other engineering teams to coordinate process and machine improvement activities ranging from long term process development projects to reactive countermeasures to address immediate issues
• Make data-driven decisions with proficient data analysis skill
• Working with engineering/maintenance/quality teams to develop permanent structures & countermeasures to common problems in daily manufacturing. Can relate to productivity, quality, loss, safety, etc.
• Assist implementing and expanding new countermeasures into production lines
• Monitoring and auditing manufacturing processes to ensure product specifications and standards are achieved
• Applying technical knowledge to develop standard work instructions, SOP’s and troubleshooting guides
• Implementing and supporting manufacturing industrial automation
• Other duties may be assigned

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, hairnet, 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   

Education:   

• Basic/Required:  Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or similar discipline
• Preferred:  Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or similar discipline

Essential Qualifications:   

• Minimum of 5+ years of Process Engineering or manufacturing engineering experience
• Panasonic follows a culture of full-cycle engineering where members will have full responsibility and accountability for their projects from start to finish
• Experience performing engineering functions and responsibilities in a manufacturing environment
• Ability to train manufacturing operators on new or revised manufacturing process instructions or tooling
• Should be flexible with the working environment and be able to perform job duties between manufacturing floor and office/desk
• Ability to perform machine and process troubleshooting and apply root cause analysis
• Experience working on projects such as scrap reduction, cost improvements, and FTE reduction
• Must have engineering skills (process development/improvement, troubleshooting, data analysis, tolerancing, MPI’s)
• Must be capable of effective communication and in reaching agreement on path forwards with relevant teams
• Capable of identifying critical process parameters. Knowledge of FTA, FMEA, etc.
• Strong team working skills at all levels of an organization, especially skilled at working with direct labor to understand challenges and work on developing optimal solutions using structured methods
• Self-starter who works well independently and an outstanding ability to follow up with minimal direction and will focus on team success
• Able to manage multiple concurrent tasks in a fast-paced environment, effectively prioritize work, and deliver quality results
• A strong work ethic with a “get the job done” approach who consistently delivers excellent customer service, both internally and externally.
• Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English

Preferred Qualifications:   

• Experience with lithium-ion battery theory or R&D
• Familiarity with roll-to-roll processing techniques
• Experience with material management and control
• Knowledge of electrochemistry and ability to apply principles
• Knowledge and ability to apply principles of solutions chemistry to real world working environment
• Experience with control strategy, PLC, and sensor/actuator relationships is a plus
• Previous experience with Industrial data analysis or Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
• Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment (1M+ units per day) such as batteries or electronic devices
• Familiarity with six sigma methodologies and tools
• 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)

Physical Demands:   

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

• Sit:                                                       30%
• Walk:                                                   40%
• Stand:                                                 20%
• Lift:                                                      10%

Required Lifting and Carrying: (Required frequency is:  Not required (0%), Occasional (1-33%), Frequent (34-66%, Continuous (67-100%)   

• Up to 10 lbs.:                                       Frequent
• Up to 20 lbs.:                                       Frequent
• Up to 35 lbs.:                                       Frequent
• Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.):               Frequent

About Us   

Panasonic Energy of North America (PENA) is collaborating with Tesla at a massive battery factory near Reno, Nevada which is known for its quality of life and expansive outdoor adventures. Panasonic's role at the Gigafactory is to manufacture and supply cylindrical lithium-ion cells to Tesla for their electric vehicles and energy storage systems.   

Over the past few years, the Gigafactory has grown to the largest lithium-ion battery factory in the world. Together with our partner Tesla, we continue to revolutionize the lithium-ion battery space and accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy and transportation.   

Our mission at PENA is to make the vision of affordable Electric Vehicles a reality by producing the world’s safest, high quality, and lowest cost batteries.  Through this effort we will create a clean energy society and our products will change society’s use of and perceptions of electric power.   

In addition to an environment that is as innovative as our products, we offer competitive salaries and benefits.   

Supplemental Information:   

Pre-employment drug testing is required. Due to the high volume of responses, we will only be able to respond to candidates of interest. All candidates must have valid authorization to work in the U.S. without restriction.   

Panasonic is an Equal Opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by law.  All qualified individuals are required to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.   

Thank you for your interest in Panasonic Energy of North America.