NPI Quality Engineer

Qcells USA Corp.; Cartersville (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Hanwha Q CELLS in Cartersville, GA, seeks an NPI Quality Engineer to own the reference cell and module system, including selection, build, verification, deployment, and re-verification. You will operate and calibrate solar simulators to ensure accurate, traceable power measurements across production lines and labs.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field, 3+ years in metrology or calibration, strong data analysis, and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• Minimum 3 years in quality, measurement/metrology, calibration or test engineering.
• Understanding of PV cell/module electrical characteristics and I-V measurement principles.
• Strong data analysis skills including SPC, correlation analysis, and MSA.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical and communication abilities.
• Team-oriented, proactive and able to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the reference cell and module system with criteria and rules.
• Plan new reference cells/modules aligned with product and tech changes.
• Select candidates and evaluate power performance and stability (I-V, EL, visual).
• Determine reference values via external labs and internal checks; deploy to sites.
• Maintain reference databases and lifecycle records for traceability.
• Monitor storage conditions and inspect reference cells/modules for defects.
• Operate and calibrate cell and module solar simulators and related I-V systems.
• Coordinate calibration strategies and correlate in-house testers with external labs.
• Analyze measurement uncertainty factors and drive reduction activities.
• Plan round-robin tests across sites and analyze results.
• Investigate root causes of deviations and propose corrective actions.
• Develop and revise operation guidelines for global sites.

Skills

Reference cell calibration

Data analysis SPC/MSA

I-V measurement principles

Problem-solving & teamwork

Communication abilities

Self-motivation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related

Job description

Description

NPI Quality Engineer – Solar Simulator & Calibration

Location: Cartersville, GA

SUMMARY

The NPI Quality Engineer – Solar Simulator & Calibration will own the reference device system that underpins power measurement across solar cell and module production. This position manages the full lifecycle of reference cells and reference modules (golden and standard modules) – from selection, build and verification through deployment, periodic re-verification and replacement – and operates and calibrates cell and module solar simulators (cell testers and flash testers) to keep power measurement accurate, consistent and traceable across production lines, global sites and accredited external laboratories.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish and maintain the reference cell and reference module system, including selection criteria, build and verification processes, and the intended use and management rules for each reference tier.
• Plan new reference cells and modules in line with new products and technology changes (e.g., TOPCon, bifacial, tandem).
• Select reference cell and module candidates and perform initial evaluation of power performance and stability (I-V, EL and visual inspection).
• Determine reference values through accredited external laboratory measurements (e.g., NREL, TÜV, Fraunhofer ISE) and internal cross-checks, and manage registration and deployment to production sites.
• Maintain the reference cell/module database and lifecycle records (build date, reference values, assigned site/line, calibration, re-verification and replacement history) to ensure full traceability.
• Monitor storage and handling conditions (temperature, humidity, light exposure) and inspect reference cells and modules for cracks, corrosion or power drift.
• Operate, calibrate and maintain cell solar simulators (cell testers) and module solar simulators (flash testers), including related I-V measurement systems.
• Manage cell-level measurement calibration, including reference cell calibration, spectral mismatch and irradiance/temperature control, and verify consistency between cell and module power measurements (cell-to-module).
• Collect and trend daily, weekly and monthly reference cell and module measurement data, using SPC to detect anomalies early and analyzing long-term stability and degradation.
• Analyze correlation between in-house cell/module testers and external laboratories, identify scale gaps between sites, lines and testers, and develop calibration strategies.
• Analyze measurement uncertainty factors (temperature, irradiance, spectrum, non-uniformity) and drive uncertainty reduction activities.
• Plan and execute round robin tests of reference cells and modules across sites and lines, and analyze the results.
• Investigate root causes when measurement deviations or out-of-tolerance reference values occur, and propose corrective actions.
• Develop and revise reference cell/module operation guidelines and support their implementation at global production sites.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Engineering, etc.).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in quality, measurement/metrology, calibration or test engineering roles.
• Understanding of PV cell and module electrical characteristics and I-V measurement principles.
• Strong data analysis skills, including statistical methods (SPC, correlation analysis, MSA).
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Outstanding teamwork and communication abilities.
• Ability to work under pressure, self-motivated, and driven team player.
• Proactive approach toward various issues.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Hands-on experience operating or calibrating cell and/or module solar simulators (cell testers, flash testers)
• Experience in solar product industries
• Knowledge of PV measurement standards (IEC 60904 series, IEC 60891) and ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory practices
• Experience with measurement uncertainty evaluation or Gage R&R studies
• Experience working with accredited external laboratories or running inter-laboratory round robin tests
• Quality certifications (ISO, Six Sigma, CQE/CRE etc.).
• Bilingual in Korean and English

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to stand and walk the production area throughout the workday
• Capable of reaching, pushing, pulling, or lifting as required within limits set by QCells
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

Hanwha Q CELLS provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics.