Founding Director, Space PV Systems R&D

Qcells North America; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 219,000 - 329,000; Full time

Job summary

Hanwha Qcells Technologies, Inc. is establishing its first U.S.-based Space Photovoltaic Systems R&D organization in Atlanta, colocated with Georgia Tech Research Institute.

The Senior Director will be the founding leader, owning the technical roadmap, people, budget, and partnerships to execute the strategy. The ideal candidate will bring director-level experience in aerospace or high-reliability hardware, with hands-on R&D across electrical and mechanical domains, and a track record of

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in electrical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a closely related field.
• U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident due to government programming involvement.
• 10+ years of progressive R&D and engineering leadership in aerospace/defense/high-reliability hardware.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary hardware R&D organizations (electrical and mechanical).
• Track record delivering hardware from early R&D to qualification-ready configurations.
• Experience managing multi-million-dollar R&D budgets and headcount.
• Proven success with government-funded R&D programs (NASA/DOD).
• Depth in photovoltaic device physics or space power systems; strong communication at executive level.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the U.S.-based Space PV Systems R&D organization and partnerships.
• Own the annual operating budget, capital equipment plan, and headcount plan; report to CTO.
• Represent the U.S. team within global Space Solar Development; align with German and Korea teams.
• Set system-level architecture for PV modules and spacecraft interfaces; approve key design decisions.
• Lead from bench prototype to qualification-ready hardware with clear milestones.
• Drive technology development for SSTEF-1 and follow-on flight programs.
• Develop collaborations with Georgia Tech, GTRI, NASA, DOE and industry partners.
• Translate radiation research findings into design guidance for module engineering.

Skills

Leadership

Executive communication

Budget management

Program management

R&D leadership

Cross-disciplinary coordination

Education

MS or PhD in electrical engineering or related field

Job description

Hanwha Qcells Technologies, Inc. is establishing its first U.S.-based Space Photovoltaic Systems R&D organization in Atlanta, colocated with Georgia Tech Research Institute.

The Senior Director will be the founding leader, owning the technical roadmap, people, budget, and partnerships to execute the strategy. The ideal candidate will bring director-level experience in aerospace or high-reliability hardware, with hands-on R&D across electrical and mechanical domains, and a track record of