Engineer, Application & Supplier Quality

Ascent Solar Technologies Inc; Thornton, Northern (CO, KY); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascent Solar is seeking an Application & Supplier Quality Engineer based in our Thornton, Colorado facility. The role blends customer-facing application engineering with supplier quality and supply-chain resilience, translating requirements into manufacturable designs while ensuring reliable supplier performance.

You will work closely with Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing and Finance to optimize designs, qualify suppliers, and manage documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of engineering experience in application engineering, product development, or related disciplines.
• Strong hands-on experience with SolidWorks or comparable 3D CAD software.
• Experience with supplier qualification, development or quality activities.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes and design-for-manufacturability.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Sales and customers to understand technical requirements, application needs and performance objectives.
• Translate customer requirements into engineering concepts, specifications, drawings and design recommendations.
• Develop, modify and maintain 3D models, assemblies, drawings and other engineering documentation using SolidWorks and related CAD tools.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing and Finance to evaluate design constraints, production requirements, costs and opportunities for design optimization.
• Support development of engineering documentation, specifications, bills of materials and other product definition materials.
• Assist in resolving technical issues that arise during product development, prototyping and production.
• Ensure customer-driven design changes are accurately documented, communicated and incorporated into applicable processes and documentation.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

SolidWorks

3D CAD modeling

Supplier quality

Engineering drawings

Communication skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering or related technical discipline

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

About the Opportunity

The Application & Supplier Quality Engineer serves as a technical bridge between Ascent Solar's customers, Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance and suppliers.

Approximately 70% of the role will focus on application engineering, translating customer requirements into technically sound, manufacturable solutions through product design and development. The remaining 30% will focus on supplier quality and supply‑chain resilience, including supplier management, alternative source qualification, supplier redundancy, lead‑time management and minimum order quantities.

The ideal candidate is a highly technical, detail-oriented engineer with strong SolidWorks/CAD experience who can effectively translate between customers, Sales, engineers, technicians and suppliers. This role will help Ascent Solar turn customer requirements into viable products while strengthening the reliability and resiliency of the supply chain.

What You’ll Do

Application Engineering & Product Development

• Partner with Sales and customers to understand technical requirements, application needs and performance objectives.

• Translate customer requirements into engineering concepts, specifications, drawings and design recommendations.

• Develop, modify and maintain 3D models, assemblies, drawings and other engineering documentation using SolidWorks and related CAD tools.

• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing and Finance to evaluate design constraints, production requirements, costs and opportunities for design optimization.

• Support development of engineering documentation, specifications, bills of materials and other product definition materials.

• Assist in resolving technical issues that arise during product development, prototyping and production.

• Ensure customer-driven design changes are accurately documented, communicated and incorporated into applicable processes and documentation.

• Other duties as assigned.

Supplier Quality & Development

• Manage and maintain strong working relationships with existing suppliers of critical materials, components and services including monitoring supplier quality, delivery, lead times, responsiveness to questions and issues and overall reliability.

• Identify supply‑chain vulnerabilities and develop strategies to reduce single‑source and supplier‑concentration risk by identifying and evaluating alternative suppliers capable of meeting Ascent Solar's technical, quality, cost and delivery requirements.

• Support supplier qualification (including new materials), onboarding and technical evaluation activities Including root‑cause analysis and corrective action activities related to supplier performance.

• Partner with Accounting, Engineering, Manufacturing and Leadership to ensure supplier capabilities align with current and future product requirements.

• Support negotiations and supplier discussions involving technical requirements, quality expectations, lead times and minimum order quantities.

• Maintain accurate supplier documentation, performance data and engineering requirements.

• Other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Bring

• Work onsite five (5) days per week in our Manufacturing facility located in Thornton, Colorado.

• Travel up to 35%

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering or a related technical discipline preferred; or equivalent relevant work experience.

• 3+ years of relevant engineering experience in application engineering, product development, mechanical design, manufacturing engineering, supplier quality or a related discipline.

• Strong hands‑on experience with SolidWorks or comparable 3D CAD software.

• Demonstrated ability to create and interpret engineering drawings, models, assemblies and technical documentation.

• Strong mechanical design and problem‑solving capabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to translate customer requirements into practical engineering solutions.

• Experience working directly with suppliers and/or supporting supplier qualification, development or quality activities.

• Understanding of manufacturing processes, material requirements and design‑for‑manufacturability principles.

• Understanding of supply‑chain concepts including supplier lead times, minimum order quantities, replenishment requirements and supplier risk.

• Exceptional attention to detail and documentation discipline.

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and move between design, supplier and customer‑related issues without losing attention to detail.

• Self‑motivated, entrepreneurial and results‑oriented mindset.

• Ability to work independently while operating effectively within a highly collaborative environment.

• Must be authorized to work in the United States. Sponsorship is not available.

Value-Add Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace, space, defense, energy, electronics, advanced manufacturing or other highly technical industries.

• Experience designing components or assemblies for manufacturing.

• Experience with thin‑film photovoltaics, solar technologies, semiconductor manufacturing or related technologies.

• Experience with supplier qualification and development programs.

• Experience developing dual‑source or alternate‑source strategies for critical components.

• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and material planning.

• Familiarity with GD&T and engineering drawing standards

• Familiarity with quality management systems and supplier corrective action processes.

• Experience performing supplier audits or technical supplier assessments.

• Experience with design‑for‑manufacturability and design‑for‑supply‑chain considerations.

• Experience working in an early‑stage, high‑growth or resource‑constrained technology environment.

• Experience supporting aerospace or defense customers and their technical requirements.