Job Information
Panasonic North America Sr. Direct Purchasing Analyst in De Soto, Kansas
Overview
Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Sr. Direct Purchasing Analyst? Then we're looking for you! Check out the job description and apply now! 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
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Meet the Recruiter: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-laffey/) 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 Senior Direct Purchasing Analyst is responsible for leading complex direct material procurement activities to ensure uninterrupted production, optimized inventory levels, and strong supplier performance. This role drives strategic purchasing initiatives, leads cross-functional alignment efforts, and delivers data-driven insights that improve cost, service, and operational efficiency. The Senior Analyst serves as a subject matter expert in SAP and procurement systems, proactively identifying and implementing process enhancements. Additionally, this role coaches and mentors junior analysts, strengthening team capability and supporting organizational growth.
Essential Duties:
Functional Operations:
Lead end-to-end management of complex or high-value raw material categories, ensuring alignment with production, cost, and working capital objectives
Oversee direct materials suppliers, ensuring on-time delivery, logistics coordination, goods receipt accuracy, and issue resolution
Maintain and optimize target inventory levels, balancing service, cost, and working capital objectives
Proactively identify supply risks and develop mitigation strategies to prevent production disruptions
Serve as SAP Purchasing subject matter expert (SME), ensuring system accuracy, compliance, and best practice utilization
Resolve complex order, delivery, invoicing, and system discrepancies across suppliers and internal stakeholders
Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement:
Lead performance analysis of PSI, purchase orders, supplier OTIF, inventory turns, and cost metrics
Develop and present KPI dashboards and executive-level reporting to leadership
Drive continuous improvement initiatives across purchasing and P2P workflows, leveraging technology and automation
Partner with IT and technology teams to enhance purchasing systems, reporting capabilities, and data integrity
Identify cost savings, cost avoidance, and process optimization opportunities
Training & Team Support:
Coach, mentor, and develop Direct Purchasing Analysts (I, II, III)
Provide training on SAP purchasing processes, reporting tools, and best practices
Review and provide guidance on complex transactions, supplier escalations, and cross-functional challenges
Support onboarding and skill development of new team members
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:
Lead cross-functional coordination with Operations, Planning, Logistics, Engineering, Quality, IT, Legal, Risk, and Sourcing teams to ensure supply continuity and agreement execution
Influence stakeholders at multiple organizational levels to drive alignment and resolve competing priorities
Represent Direct Purchasing in cross-functional initiatives and strategic supply discussions
Quality, Safety, & Compliance:
Ensure purchasing activities comply with corporate policies, supplier agreements, financial controls, and audit requirements
Maintain accurate and compliant documentation within SAP and related systems
Support supplier risk assessment, business continuity planning, compliance monitoring, and internal/external audit requirements to ensure operational resilience and governance alignment
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
Education - Required :
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field. Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education .
Preferred:
Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Supply Chain Management, Operations, Finance, or related field
Professional certifications such as CPIM, CSCP, or CPSM
Essential Qualifications:
Minimum 7+ years of progressive experience in Procurement, Supply Chain, or Procure-to-Pay (P2P) environments
Advanced SAP Purchasing and Supply Chain system expertise
Extensive experience in direct materials procurement within a manufacturing or production environment
Demonstrated experience managing complex supplier relationships and performance improvement initiatives
Strong analytical and financial acumen, including cost analysis and working capital optimization
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence change in complex environments
Demonstrated mentoring, coaching, or informal leadership experience
Advanced Excel skills; strong PowerPoint presentation capabilities; experience with reporting and analytics tools
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with executive-level presentation ability
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:
10+ years of experience in Procurement, Supply Chain, or P2P functions
Experience leading strategic sourcing initiatives or supporting contract negotiations
Professional certification (e.g., CPIM, CSCP, CPSM)
Experience with advanced data visualization tools such as Tableau
Demonstrated experience driving digital transformation or system implementation projects
Physical Demands:
Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:
Sit: 50%
Walk: 30%
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.: Occasional
Up to 20 lbs.: Occasional
Up to 35 lbs.: Rare
Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Rare
Benefits & Perks - What's In It For You:
Panasonic Energy prioritizes total well-being and offers comprehensive benefits options to support physical, emotional, financial, social, and environmental health:
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 recognition
Annual 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.
Who We Are:
Meet Panasonic Energy! At Panasonic Energy, you'll do work that matters as we are dedicated to transforming the world through the acceleration of sustainable energy. By producing safe, high-quality lithium-ion batteries, you become part of a team that plays a crucial role in creating technologies that move us.
Our journey began in 2017, and now, as the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory, we are expanding operations to De Soto, Kansas, providing you with the opportunity to experience career growth in more ways than one.
As an innovative thinker, you'll thrive here, as we continually push the boundaries of lithium-ion battery technology and production capabilities to enhance efficiency and performance in EVs.
Being part of Panasonic Energy means positively contributing to society, aligning with our commitment to building a better world through sustainable energy solutions.
We care about what you care about, fostering an environment where your contributions make a meaningful impact on the future of energy and transportation. Join us and be part of a team that values your work, encourages innovation, and actively contributes to a positive societal impact.
In addition to an environment that is as innovative as our products, we offer competitive salaries and benefits.
We Take Opportunity Seriously:
At Panasonic Energy, we are committed to a workplace that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. Fairness and Honesty have been part of our core values for more than 100 years and we are proud of our diverse culture as an equal opportunity employer.
We understand that your career search may look different than others and embrace the professional, personal, educational, and volunteer opportunities through which people gain experience. If you are actively looking or starting to explore new opportunities, submit your application!
Supplemental Information:
Pre-employment drug testing is required.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. All qualified individuals are required to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
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.
Thank you for your interest in Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America.
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