Principal Manufacturing Engineer, Renewable Energy

Hanwha Q CELLS Co., Ltd., is one of the world´s largest and most recognized photovoltaic manufacturers for its high-performance, high-quality solar cells and modules. It is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Talheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ). Through its growing global business network spanning Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, the company provides excellent services and long-term partnerships to its customers in the utility, commercial, government, and residential markets. Hanwha Q CELLS is a flagship company of Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 500 firm and a Top 7 business enterprise in South Korea. 

Our mission is to provide affordable and smart energy solutions through technology and innovation to create a sustainable future for the planet. We are expanding our business by offering revolutionary energy systems to residential customers including ESS, MLPE (power optimizers, micro-inverters), EV charging solutions, and Smart IoT with world-class solutions.

POSITION OVERVIEW
Contribute your technical manufacturing, leadership, and project management skills to a dynamic engineering team developing products for the renewable energy market. This essential leadership role requires active participation in current engineering projects that create and refine PV energy conversion products, manufacturing equipment, and new manufacturing lines, and their qualification of them. Challenging new product designs to improve efficiency, reliability, manufacturability, and cost for renewable energy will be essential to the role. This key technical management role will guide and mentor a talented engineering team responsible for supporting the creation and maintenance of manufacturing processes, authoring all associated manufacturing documentation, dispositioning discrepant material, and maintaining compliance with our quality system. The travel to suppliers is part of this role, which is normally traveling in the US (Once a month for a week). Travel to Korea might be needed as needed (once a year for a week).
You will be part of an extended team that is based in Korea and your main responsibility is to manage the manufacturing development at our EMS manufacturer in Michigan. As such, you will be traveling from the Bay Area where QCells System Business Division US HQ to Michigan where our EMS is located. You will report to the System SCM Team Leader in Korea and closely work with the Head of System Business Operation in SF. (System SCM Team is a part of System Business Operation).

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

- Lead manufacturing engineers supporting the production of PV energy conversion products
- Establish individual objectives, priorities, and metrics.
- Ensure production of products meets expected quality and manufacturing objectives
- Interface and actively participate in post-launch activities with product engineering
- Plan, budget, and staff projects, tracking performance throughout.
- Develop strategic plans for continuous improvement & capacity growth
- Improve product quality & production yield
- Develop and lead capacity improvement plans
- Lead and support cost reduction & efficiency efforts
- Update the S&OP process by taking care of demand from sales and communicating the Master Production Schedule with Global Operation Center and System Operation Plan department
- Review, analyze & manage process risk in the manufacturing environment (PFMEA) & associated mitigation
- Manage equipment suppliers through all phases of projects
- Manage project implementation in setting up the production line for new products
- Coordinate with other disciplines (engineering, product management, project managers, manufacturing reps, and other stakeholders
- Oversee the validation and qualification of manufacturing equipment and processes leveraging standard qualification approaches
- Oversee the development of the manufacturing jigs and fixtures with their supporting HW, FW, and SW
- Identify and implement new manufacturing technologies and processes by working with our EMS as well as third-party vendors
- Work with the Quality group to ensure that the team follows appropriate Manufacturing Processes 
- Perform audits of suppliers to ensure production process and quality meet the requirements
- Responsible for maintaining compliance with the quality system (per UL, NFPA, IEC, IEEE, IEC, etc.) including corrective action closure, discrepant material dispositions, and ECO implementation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

- Minimum BS/MS degree in an applicable engineering discipline.
- Minimum of 10 years of engineering experience manufacturing complex power electronics-based products. 
- Ability to communicate effectively and professionally across a range of technical disciplines with a broad slate of stakeholders, including management, peers, customers, and suppliers.
- Cross-functional team environment experience preferred.
- Self-starter” attitude and comfort in a hands-on environment, where a person can demonstrate an ability to work with other engineers to influence product design to improve reliability.

EXPERIENCE PREFERRED AND QUALIFICATION:

- Fundamental understanding of process engineering, equipment, test, and the manufacturing environment
- Identify, diagnose, and resolve fab & assembly process-related problems.
- Troubleshooting/root cause mindset – the ability to systematically and effectively break down a system or process into subparts to identify failures
- Experience in the application of Lean engineering principles such as Six Sigma. (Green/Black belt certified)
- Experience in UL 1741, IEEE 1547, and NFPA 70.
- Experience setting up new manufacturing processes.
- Proven ability to self-manage and deliver on time to budget.
- Experience in rapid 3D & quick-turn machining prototype
- Experience with building power electronics PCBAs
- Experience with manufacturing data collection and cloud storage and analysis using statistical and AI means. 
- Experience with PLC control systems and ladder logic code in industrial applications
PHYSICAL, MENTAL & ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS:
To comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the essential physical, mental, and environmental requirements for this job are listed below. These are requirements normally expected to perform regular job duties. Incumbents must successfully perform all job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. 

Mobility
Standing 20% of the time 
Sitting70% of the time 
Walking10% of the time 

Strength
Pulling up to 10 Pounds 
Pushing up to 10 Pounds 
Carrying up to 10 Pounds 
Lifting up to 10 Pounds 

Dexterity (F = Frequently, O = Occasionally, N = Never)
Typing: F
Handling: F
Reaching: F

Agility (F = Frequently, O = Occasionally, N = Nev-er)
Turning: F
Twisting: F
Bending: O
Crouching: O
Balancing: N
Climbing: N
Crawling: N
Kneeling: N

Dexterity (F = Frequently, O = Occasionally, N = Never)
Typing: F
Handling: F
Reaching: F