Solar Innovation Engineer — Prototyping & Impact

M. A. Mortenson Company; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 77,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & prescription drug plans

Dental plan

401k with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Life, AD&D, and disability insurance

Mental health resources

Tuition reimbursement

Adoption assistance

Gym membership discount

Job summary

Mortenson is actively seeking an Innovation Engineer to join our Solar Team. The role targets evaluating new technologies, conducting market research, prototyping, and scaling innovative solutions for business improvement.

The candidate will collaborate with internal and external partners, manage multiple initiatives, and navigate regulatory environments while protecting IP. A technical degree and 2–5 years in related fields are expected, with travel up to 25%.

Qualifications

• Minimum two-year technical degree or bachelor's degree in mechanical/industrial/construction management.
• 2–5 years in innovation, rapid prototyping, product development, or related fields.
• Construction experience or adjacent field preferred.
• Current driver's license.
• Strong problem-identification and creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple, complex initiatives and act as a change agent.
• Strong understanding of built environment and construction challenges.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and web applications.

Responsibilities

• Review and refine objectives, business case, market viability, and development feasibility for each concept.
• Create comparative estimates to predict development costs and financial outcomes.
• Identify and partner with internal and external agents to design, manufacture, and test innovative products, processes, or systems.
• Navigate vendor, OEM, customer relationships, contracts, and regulatory environment.
• Apply legal procedures and confidentiality measures to protect intellectual property.
• Ensure innovations are functional and accepted by operations, communicating trade-offs openly.
• Promote learning by communicating failures as learning mechanisms.
• Quantify and communicate positive results and recognize team contributions.
• Build relationships across diverse backgrounds and organizational levels.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Problem solving

Project management

Communication

Travel readiness

Change agent

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

Mortenson is actively seeking an Innovation Engineer to join our Solar Team. The role targets evaluating new technologies, conducting market research, prototyping, and scaling innovative solutions for business improvement.

The candidate will collaborate with internal and external partners, manage multiple initiatives, and navigate regulatory environments while protecting IP. A technical degree and 2–5 years in related fields are expected, with travel up to 25%.