Application Engineer

Qcells North America; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 139,000; Full time

Job summary

Qcells North America in Santa Clara, CA, seeks an Application Engineer for the PV Engineering team. You will own compatibility topics between PV and BOS, provide pre-sales and after-sales support for Resi, C&I, and Utility projects, and lead system simulations with tools like Aurora and PVsyst.

This role requires deep PV knowledge and the ability to work with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and customers, with up to 20% travel.

Qualifications

• BS or MS/PhD in Engineering or Physical Sciences with PV industry experience (2–3 years, or 1–2 years with MS/PhD).
• In-depth knowledge of simulation software (Aurora, PVsyst).
• Strong expertise in PV, inverter, racking, and BOS compatibility for residential, C&I, and utility applications.
• In-depth knowledge of reliability testing, certification, listing, codes, and standards for PV systems.
• Hands-on experience developing, applying, testing, and deploying PV products.
• Proven success in technical sales engineering or sales support in a fast-paced tech environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work with cross-functional teams and communicate effectively with internal teams and customers.
• Excellent business acumen and ability to align technical issues with business results.
• Self-motivated with reliability, work ethic, and urgency.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to influence diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own PV application topics, including racking compatibility and system design.
• Serve as internal and external contact for expert advice, compatibility sign-off, and design assistance on mechanical, structural, and electrical topics.
• Provide pre-sales application engineering support to internal teams and customers, test application cases, create notes, and assist in closing deals.
• Show deep understanding of simulation tools (Aurora, PVsyst) and validate yield results with software vendors.
• Ensure successful introduction and implementation of PV products, including third‑party qualifications and product listings.
• Develop and manage customer relationships with timely, customer-centric actions for inquiries, complaints, and claims.
• Influence design and product development to meet customer needs and market demands.
• Represent Qcells North America at trade shows and conferences.
• Maintain knowledge of industry trends and participate in technical meetings and events.
• Contribute as an individual contributor for hands-on engineering tasks when needed.

Skills

PV engineering

System simulations

Technical sales engineering

Cross-functional teams

Communication skills

Aurora

PVsyst

Education

Engineering or Physical Sciences degree

Tools

Aurora

PVsyst

Job description

Position Description

We are seeking an Application Engineer for our PV Engineering team. This role will be the primary owner of compatibility topics between PV and BOS (Eg, racking, tracker, inverter, MLPE, etc), as well as providing pre-sales and after-sales support to customers. The ideal candidate supports the North American market in all segments, Resi, CCI, & Utility. This position demands a deep understanding of PV technologies and experience in system simulations (Eg. Aurora, Pvsyst, etc).

Description

This role will be based in Santa Clara, CA, requiring up to 20% travel.

Responsibilities

• Own PV application topics, including racking compatibility, inverter compatibility, module-level power electronics compatibility, code compliance
• Be the internal and external contact person for expert advice, compatibility sign-off, and system design assistance on mechanical, structural, and electrical system design topics;
• Pre‑sales application engineering support to the internal teams and customers, including testing application cases, creating application notes, providing application guidance to customers, and assisting in closing sales deals
• Have deep understanding in simulations tools (ex. Aurora, Pvsyst, etc) and work with simulation software companies to validate yield results
• Ensure the successful introduction and implementation of PV products, including third‑party qualifications, product listings, and product documentation.
• Develop and manage customer relationships, providing timely and customer‑centric actions for inquiries, complaints, and claims.
• Influence design and product development to meet customer requirements, ensuring that product offerings are aligned with market demands.
• Represent Qcells North America at trade shows and conferences.
• Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends and emerging technologies, participating in technical meetings and industry events.
• Contribute as an individual contributor for hands‑on engineering tasks when necessary.

Required Qualifications

• A BS or MS/Ph.D. in Engineering or Physical Sciences (Electrical, Mechanical, Physics, etc.) with 2-3 years (or 1-2 years with MS/Ph.D.) of relevant experience in the PV solar or renewable energy industry.
• In‑depth knowledge of simulation software (ex. Aurora, PVsyst, etc.)
• Strong expertise in PV, inverter, racking, and BOS compatibility for residential, C&I, and utility applications.
• In‑depth knowledge of reliability testing, certification, listing, codes, and standards for PV systems.
• Hands‑on experience in developing, applying, testing, and deploying PV products.
• Proven success in technical sales engineering or sales support in a fast‑paced technology environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work with cross‑functional teams and communicate effectively with both internal teams and customers.
• Excellent business acumen, with the ability to align technical issues with business results.
• Self‑motivated with a proven track record of reliability, work ethic, and urgency.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to influence and build relationships with diverse stakeholders
• A BS or MS/Ph.D. in Engineering or Physical Sciences (Electrical, Mechanical, Physics, etc.) with 4-6 years (or 2-3 years with MS/Ph.D.) of relevant experience in the PV solar or renewable energy industry.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience working in PV manufacturing, R&D, engineering, or applications.
• Experience in managing or influencing customer‑facing sales engineering processes.
• Familiarity with the renewable energy market and technologies.

Compensation

In accordance with applicable pay transparency laws, the anticipated annual base salary for this position is:

• Zone 1 (Bay Area, NYC): $117,600 – $139,000
• Zone 2 (CA, NJ, NY): $107,800 – $127,400
• Zone 3 (All others): $98,000 – $115,800

The applicable salary range is based on the employee’s primary work location. Individual compensation will be determined based on qualifications, relevant experience, education, skills, internal equity, and other business‑related factors.

Hanwha Q CELLS America Inc. ("HQCA") is a Qcells company, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and providers of solar photovoltaic (PV) products and solutions. Headquartered in Irvine, California, HQCA has been rapidly expanding its business in North America through the expansion of products and solutions, including distributed energy solutions, direct‑to‑homeowner solar sales and financing, and EPC services. We provide an opportunity to be part of an exciting and growing world‑class global business in an interesting and expanding industry of the future.

This position requires the ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. Periodic travel and site visits may be required.

The salary range is required by the California Pay Transparency Act and may differ depending on the location of those candidates hired nationwide. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to, skill set, education, licenses and certifications, essential job duties and requirements, and the necessary experience relative to the job’s minimum qualifications.

• This target salary range is for CA positions only and should not be interpreted as an offer of compensation.

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