Director of Quality Management

Qcells North America; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in renewable energy is seeking a Director of Quality Management to ensure the reliability and quality of their solar products. The role involves developing quality standards, overseeing manufacturing quality, and collaborating with engineering teams to enhance product reliability. The successful candidate will have extensive experience in quality assurance and strong communication skills, contributing to high product standards and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of experience in quality assurance or reliability engineering.
• Strong knowledge of reliability engineering principles and test methods.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement internal quality standards and test protocols.
• Oversee quality of manufacturing at EMS partner facilities.
• Lead root cause analysis for product quality issues.

Skills

Quality Assurance

Reliability Engineering

Problem-Solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree

Tools

Lean/Six Sigma

Job description

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Base pay range

$190,000.00/yr - $250,000.00/yr

Description

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

As a Director of Quality Management at Hanwha Q CELLS America, you will play an instrumental role in ensuring the reliability and quality of our AC modules, microinverters and energy storage systems (ESS). You will focus on product reliability assurance, field issue response, and quality control processes for cutting-edge solar + storage products that are manufactured through Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) partners. The successful candidate will be a key contributor to maintaining high product standards – working cross-functionally with specialists in engineering, product development, and customer support – to identify issues early and deliver robust solutions that meet warranty and customer expectations. This position reports to the Head of Customer Support and Engineering (or another management personnel that the President of the Company may designate). This role is based in Santa Clara Bay Area, CA, and working hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm (with flexibility to adjust to 9:00am to 6:00pm as needed). Overtime and weekend work may be required as needed. This position is expected to travel up to 30% of the time for on-site support at EMS partner manufacturing facilities and field sites for troubleshooting or quality audits or customer support

Responsibilities

• Establish Quality Standards & Reliability Targets: Develop and implement internal quality standards, test protocols, and field reliability targets for AC modules, microinverters and ESS products, aligned with warranty requirements and customer expectations. Monitor product performance data (e.g. failure rates, return rates) and ensure targets for reliability and durability are met throughout the product lifecycle.
• Manufacturing Quality Oversight (EMS Coordination): Oversee the quality of manufacturing at EMS partner facilities, ensuring best-in-class quality practices are in place. Conduct regular quality reviews with contract manufacturers, audit their production lines for compliance with Qcells standards, and drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance production yield and product consistency.
• New Product Introduction (NPI) Support: Collaborate with R&D and manufacturing teams during new product development and introduction to ensure that reliability and quality considerations are built into the design and production process. Coordinate comprehensive testing plans (e.g. reliability trials, environmental stress tests, certification tests) and lead reliability evaluations during development and mass production to validate that new products will meet their long-term performance goals.
• Root Cause Analysis & Corrective Actions: Take ownership of investigating product quality issues arising from the field or production. Lead thorough root cause analysis (using methodologies such as 8D, Fishbone, or FMEA) for failures or defects, and manage cross-functional teams (engineering, operations, EMS partners, etc.) to develop and implement corrective and preventive actions collaborating with Quality Team in Korea. Track and verify the effectiveness of corrective actions to prevent recurrence of issues.
• Independent Engineering (IE) & External Approvals: Lead efforts to secure independent engineering approvals and certifications for Qcells’ inverter and ESS products. This includes organizing structured data collection and reliability test reports, and communicating product quality and performance metrics to independent engineering firms, financiers, and third-party owners (TPOs) as well as Qcells’ internal stakeholders. Ensure that all quality documentation required by external stakeholders (e.g. bankability reports, technical due diligence questionnaires) is accurate, comprehensive, and delivered in a timely manner to facilitate product approvals and customer confidence.
• Field Performance & Issue Response: Monitor field performance of deployed products and establish feedback loops to quickly address any field issues. Coordinate with the Customer Support (CS) and Field Service teams to triage and analyze product performance concerns reported by customers. When field failures or complaints occur, drive rapid response plans including on-site troubleshooting (as needed), timely failure analysis, and transparent communication of findings and solutions.
• Customer Support Collaboration: Work closely with the Customer Support organization to support customer-facing quality discussions. Provide the CS team with technical expertise and data on product reliability, help prepare customer communications regarding quality improvements or issue resolution, and occasionally join customer calls or meetings to address high-priority quality concerns. Ensure that customer feedback and satisfaction related to product quality are integrated into internal quality improvement programs.
• Quality Reporting & Communication: Establish key quality and reliability metrics (KPIs) and regularly report on these to senior management and other stakeholders collaborating Quality Teams in Korea. Prepare clear, data-driven reports on product quality trends, warranty claim analysis, and field reliability statistics. Communicate proactively about quality status, risks, and progress on improvement initiatives both internally (to engineering, product managers, executives) and externally (to major customers or partners, as required).
• Compliance and Documentation: Ensure all products and manufacturing processes comply with relevant industry standards and certifications (e.g. UL, IEC standards for inverters/ESS). Maintain up-to-date quality documentation, including quality control plans, inspection criteria, test procedures, and reliability test results. Drive the creation of independent engineering reports, certification documents, and other quality records that support the bankability and credibility of Qcells products in the market.
• Continuous Improvement: Champion a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the organization. Identify opportunities for process enhancements in both the engineering design phase and production phase – for example, by conducting lessons-learned sessions after field issues, refining supplier quality agreements, or implementing improved monitoring methods on the production line. Stay up-to-date with industry best practices in quality engineering (from leading companies like Enphase, SolarEdge, Tesla, etc.) and introduce relevant practices or tools to Qcells to elevate our product quality and reliability.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering or a related technical field. (Master’s degree is a plus.)
• 8-10+ years of experience in quality assurance, reliability engineering, or quality control roles, with a focus on power electronics, solar inverters, microinverters, or energy storage systems. Proven track record in driving product reliability improvements and managing quality for complex electromechanical or electronics products in a production environment.
• Strong knowledge of reliability engineering principles and test methods and familiarity with failure analysis techniques for electronic systems. Hands-on experience conducting root cause analysis for product failures and guiding cross-functional teams through structured problem-solving.
• Experience preparing and reviewing technical quality documentation and reports. Comfortable analyzing large data sets of field and production data to extract insights. Ability to produce clear, well-organized reports for internal use and for external stakeholders such as independent engineers or key customers evaluating product performance.
• Proficiency in quality management systems and methodologies. Skilled in using quality tools such as statistical analysis, control charts, and Lean/Six Sigma techniques to identify trends and improve processes.
• Direct experience working with contract manufacturers (EMS) such as Jabil, Flex, or similar partners. Demonstrated ability to oversee manufacturing quality remotely and on-site – including auditing supplier processes, implementing incoming/outgoing quality controls, and driving supplier corrective actions to closure.
• Demonstrated success working in cross-functional teams and liaising between engineering, manufacturing, and customer-facing departments. Able to translate customer field issues into actionable engineering tasks, and conversely explain technical findings to non-engineers. Experience interfacing with product development teams during design phases to incorporate quality requirements and with customer support teams to address product issues.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Capable of conveying complex technical information in a clear and professional manner, both in writing and verbally. Experience communicating with external parties (suppliers, customers, auditors or independent engineers) is highly valued. Fluent in English; ability to present data and recommendations effectively to senior leadership and external stakeholders.
• Self-motivated and proactive with a strong sense of ownership and urgency when it comes to product quality. Ability to lead initiatives and, if applicable, small teams or quality engineers. Demonstrated problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to overcoming challenges in a fast-paced, high-pressure industry environment.
• Deep understanding of how product quality and reliability impact customer satisfaction, brand reputation, and financial aspects like warranty cost. A customer-centric mindset with the ability to support customer needs while balancing company quality standards. Good business acumen to appreciate the broader context of quality in B2B solar and energy storage markets (e.g., understanding independent engineering evaluations, financier requirements, and the competitive landscape for product reliability).
• Other Requirements: High level of professional integrity, attention to detail, and commitment to continuous improvement. Flexible team player with a positive attitude and the ability to adapt to evolving priorities. Must be authorized to work in the U.S. (this position does not offer visa sponsorship).
  
  

Hanwha Q CELLS America Inc. (“HQCA”) is headquartered in Irvine, CA, and handles sales for the North American region. It is a subsidiary of Hanwha Q CELLS Co., Ltd., 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 Thalheim, 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 8 business enterprise in South Korea. HQCA recently acquired Geli, a leading developer of Energy Management System software for energy storage, solar, and other renewable resources.

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. Incumbent must be able to successfully perform all of the functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Mobility

Standing

20% of time

Sitting

70% of time

Walking

10% of 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 = Never)

Turning

F

Twisting

F

Bending

O

Crouching

O

Balancing

N

Climbing

N

Crawling

N

Kneeling

N

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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Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Quality Assurance

• Industries

  Renewable Energy Semiconductor Manufacturing

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