Risk Lead

Qcells USA Corp.; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Hanwha Qcells USA Corp in Houston seeks a Risk Lead to oversee independent project-risk across EPC pursuits, with a primary focus in Execution, Cost, or Technical risk and with the ability to provide objective challenge.

You will identify material exposure, verify mitigation progress with evidence, and escalate unresolved risk. Travel up to 30%; remote work with reporting to the Houston office; standard hours Mon-Fri.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, finance, accounting, quantity surveying, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant EPC risk experience.
• Travel to offices, factories, and active project sites; authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Identify material project risks, assumptions, interfaces, triggers, impacts, owners, and response plans across EPC pursuits.
• Challenge whether risks are understood, evidenced, and reflected in plans and controls.
• Evaluate cross-functional dependencies among execution, cost, schedule, commercial, technical, quality, safety, procurement, and owner requirements.
• Verify mitigation progress and escalate exposures that are worsening or unowned.

Skills

Independent risk judgment

Executive communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical skills

Professional skepticism

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/related field

Equivalent significant field experience

Job description

Description

Title: Risk Lead
Department: Risk Management
Location: Houston, Texas
Supervisor: Director of Project Risk Management

FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Status: Permanent; Full-time

Work Status: Remote

RISK LEAD

Hanwha Qcells USA Corp (Qcells USA), headquartered in Irvine, CA, specializes in providing utility-scale modules, solar photovoltaic (PV), and battery energy storage systems (BESS) project development, along with Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services for solar and BESS projects nationwide. Qcells USA delivers comprehensive turnkey solutions encompassing the entire utility-scale project lifecycle. By choosing Qcells USA for turnkey solutions, customers can reduce uncertainty and risk, leading to enhanced investment returns and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Qcells USA’s complete turnkey solutions seamlessly integrate the expertise of our Module, Development, and EPC teams, while ensuring close coordination with other vital internal groups such as Project Finance, Systems Integration, and Legal. This collaborative approach ensures that Qcells USA projects deliver exceptional value and performance. With several multi-billion-dollar investments, Qcells is pioneering the establishment of the only complete module supply chain in the U.S., including the expansion of our Georgia module manufacturing facility, which stands as the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

As an integral part of the global Qcells brand, Qcells USA benefits from a legacy of excellence in photovoltaic manufacturing. Qcells is renowned worldwide for its high-performance, superior-quality solar cells and modules. With dual headquarters in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ), Qcells operates under the umbrella of Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 500 company and one of the top 8 business conglomerates in South Korea.

SUMMARY

The Risk Lead provides independent project-risk oversight across assigned EPC pursuits and projects. Based on business need and individual expertise, the role is assigned a primary focus in Execution, Cost, or Technical risk while supporting the broader Risk Management operating model.

Across all focus areas, the Risk Lead identifies material exposure, challenges assumptions and readiness, verifies mitigation progress, and escalates unresolved risk using objective evidence and professional judgment. Project and functional teams retain ownership of their plans, forecasts, technical deliverables, controls, mitigation actions, and business decisions; the Risk Lead provides independent challenge without assuming another function’s delivery accountability.

The Risk Lead will report to the Director of Project Risk Management of Hanwha Qcells USA Corp., or another senior management personnel that the CEO of the Company may designate. This position is remote, reporting to the Houston office, and working hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time. Overtime and weekend working hours may be required as needed. This position is expected to travel up to 30%, depending on assigned focus and project needs.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Project Risk Identification and Assessment
  • Identify and assess material project risks, assumptions, interfaces, triggers, impacts, accountable owners, and response plans across assigned EPC pursuits and projects.
  • Independently challenge whether material risks are sufficiently understood, supported by evidence, and reflected in plans, forecasts, technical decisions, controls, and leadership materials.
  • Evaluate cross-functional dependencies among execution, cost, schedule, commercial, technical, quality, safety, procurement, commissioning, and owner requirements.
  • Verify mitigation progress and residual risk, and  escalate exposure that is worsening, unowned, unsupported, or not appropriately reflected in accountable team records and decisions.
• Assigned Focus — Execution
  • Assess site readiness, constructability, access, logistics, labor, supervision, subcontractor capability, equipment, sequencing, productivity assumptions, work packaging, and field constraints.
  • Perform independent reviews of execution plans, mobilization readiness, major work-package readiness, field controls, and recovery strategies.
  • Monitor leading indicators including readiness gaps, productivity variance, rework, material shortages, subcontractor performance, delayed decisions, and interface breakdowns.
  • Challenge execution mitigation and recovery actions for feasibility, ownership, timing, evidence, and measurable effect on project exposure.
• Assigned Focus — Cost
  • Review estimates, budgets, commitments, forecasts, contingency, cash flow, margin, trends, and assumptions to identify and quantify material cost exposure.
  • Challenge estimate basis, quantities, productivity, escalation, allowances, exclusions, contingency, forecast movement, and recovery assumptions using quantitative analysis where appropriate.
  • Assess whether identified exposure is appropriately reflected in pricing, budget, EAC, contingency, forecasts, and leadership decision materials.
  • Challenge cost mitigation and commercial recovery actions for feasibility, evidence, timing, entitlement dependencies, and measurable financial effect.
• Assigned Focus — Technical
  • Identify risks related to design basis, codes and standards, owner requirements, interconnection, permitting, site conditions, technology selection, equipment compatibility, quality, and performance guarantees.
  • Perform independent risk-based reviews of design maturity, technical assumptions, interdisciplinary interfaces, constructability, equipment selections, studies, testing, and verification plans.
  • Challenge performance, availability, reliability, warranty, deviations, unresolved RFIs, late changes, and other material technical assumptions or uncertainty.
  • Evaluate downstream cost, schedule, commercial, quality, safety, commissioning, and execution consequences of technical decisions and recommend additional review or escalation when warranted.
• Mitigation, Decision Support, and Collaboration
  • Challenge mitigation actions for completeness, feasibility, accountable ownership, timing, and objective evidence of risk reduction, transfer, recovery, or acceptance.
  • Provide independent risk input to proposals, DRC reviews, contract negotiations, baseline and readiness reviews, project deep dives, recovery planning, and leadership decisions as applicable.
  • Prepare concise risk assessments, trend views, decision briefs, and executive summaries and maintain accurate records of supported risks, actions, escalations, decisions, and evidence.
  • Coordinate with project and functional teams and other Risk Management team members, capture recurring lessons learned, and recommend practical process, control, standard, planning, or governance improvements.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, finance, accounting, quantity surveying, or a related field; equivalent significant field experience may be considered for execution-focused assignments.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in EPC risk, construction, project management, engineering, estimating, project controls, commercial management, finance, quality, commissioning, or a related discipline, with demonstrated depth aligned to the assigned focus.
• Strong understanding of the utility-scale EPC project lifecycle and the interfaces among engineering, procurement, construction, project controls, commercial management, quality, safety, commissioning, and project delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to identify material failure modes or uncertainty and translate them into cost, schedule, commercial, quality, safety, execution, or performance consequences.
• Experience independently reviewing plans, estimates, forecasts, technical deliverables, readiness conditions, controls, or other complex project information relevant to the assigned focus.
• Strong analytical, documentation, facilitation, and communication skills with the ability to present concise findings to field, technical, project, and executive audiences.
• Ability to challenge teams independently and use professional judgment while maintaining effective cross-functional working relationships.
• Ability to travel to offices, factories, and active project sites and work in construction environments as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP, PMI-RMP, CCM, AACE CCP/CEP, Professional Engineer license, OSHA 30, quality certification, or another credential relevant to the assigned focus.
• Experience with utility-scale solar PV, BESS, transmission, substations, SCADA, grid interconnection, or comparable complex EPC infrastructure.
• Experience supporting independent project reviews, quantitative risk analysis, design assurance, troubled-project recovery, claims/recovery analysis, or other risk-focused work relevant to the assigned focus.

Core Competencies

• Independent judgment and professional skepticism
• Clear executive communication and concise risk escalation
• Cross-functional influence without relying on direct authority
• Structured problem solving and disciplined follow-through
• High attention to detail with a practical, action-oriented mindset
• Integrity, confidentiality, and accountability
• Functional depth and credibility within the assigned Execution, Cost, or Technical focus
• Evidence-based risk judgment, lifecycle thinking, and practical mitigation orientation

EXAMPLE OF PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Stationary Position: frequently remains stationary up to 90% of the time and sitting up to 8 hours in a day
• Move/Traverse: infrequently bend, stand, stoop and/or walk
• Carry Weight: infrequently carry weight and/or lift objects (light to heavy) weighing up to 10 pounds
• Hearing and Speech: frequently communicates with the ability to hear and talk on a regular basis with employees, coworkers, and all personnel matters; must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• Sight: frequent use of sight to detect images on computer, office documents, and office objects near and far
• Climb: occasionally ascends/descends on stairway to get to office upper and lower floors
• Travel: up to 30% as needed

EXAMPLE OF WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Regular professional, office business setting
• Noise level ranges from low to moderate (if in office setting)
• Noise level ranges from moderate to high (if on construction worksite)
• Under the Office Mobilization Plan (OMP) policy, the role may transition to an onsite or hybrid arrangement, as determined by business needs and the Head of Department

Hanwha Qcells is proud to be an at-will Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination against race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

It is important to note that the job descriptions provided by Qcells USA Corp are not intended to be comprehensive lists of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the positions. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice, reflecting our dynamic and evolving work environment.

We are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Hanwha Qcells will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodations at [e-mail].