VP, Global Reliability & Risk Strategy

Nextracker; Fremont (CA); On-site; USD 300,000 - 330,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care coverage

Dental and vision

401(k) with company matching

Unlimited paid time off

Job summary

Nextpower—a leader in clean energy tech—seeks a VP of Reliability to define and lead our global reliability strategy across products and lifecycles. This executive will quantify and mitigate reliability risk while balancing innovation, cost, and brand integrity.

The Sr. Director will position reliability as a competitive advantage, align with Product, Finance, and Commercial teams, and drive bankability through robust data and methodologies. A true strategic partner for stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in reliability engineering, product engineering, or related disciplines.
• Experience in industries with high reliability and long lifecycle requirements (e.g., energy, automotive, aerospace, but solar is preferred).
• Proven track record of leading global, cross-functional technical organizations.
• Demonstrated experience influencing product release decisions and managing risk at the executive level.

Responsibilities

• Define and deploy a global reliability strategy spanning design, validation, qualification, and field performance over its lifetime.
• Standardize reliability methodologies, tools, and processes across regions and product lines.
• Embed reliability as a core pillar of product development and business decision-making.
• Own executive-level assessment of product reliability risk for new product introductions and major design changes.
• Drive and, where necessary, make go/no-go decisions under conditions of incomplete or evolving data.
• Balance tradeoffs between time-to-market, product performance, warranty exposure, and brand impact.
• Position reliability as a key differentiator in product strategy and customer value proposition.
• Partner with Product Management and Marketing teams to translate reliability performance into customer-facing benefits, including improved system economics and long-term performance confidence.
• Support bankability efforts by ensuring reliability data and methodologies meet the expectations of customers, investors, and external stakeholders.
• Use reliability insights to help make meaningful business impacts, including: Warranty reserve requirements, Lifecycle cost projections, and Margin and profitability considerations.
• Partner closely with Finance and Asset Management to align reliability assumptions with financial planning and risk management strategies.
• Serve as the central integrator across Engineering, Product Management, Quality, Asset Management, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams.
• Resolve competing priorities across performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Ensure alignment between technical decisions and business objectives.
• Oversee implementation of robust reliability processes, including: Design for Reliability (DfR) and DFMEA, Accelerated life testing (HALT, HASS, fatigue, environmental testing), Reliability growth modeling and validation frameworks, and Failure analysis and corrective action systems (e.g., FRACAS).
• Drive continuous improvement through closed-loop learning from test and field data.
• Lead global monitoring of field performance, failure trends, and product health.
• Ensure rapid identification, escalation, and resolution of systemic issues.
• Drive incorporation of field learnings into next-generation product designs.
• Serve as the leader during major product performance issues or field failures.
• Lead cross-functional "war room" responses to diagnose issues, define mitigation strategies, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Balance urgency, transparency, and risk management to protect customers, financial outcomes, and brand reputation.
• Build, lead, and scale a high-performing global reliability organization.
• Establish clear goals, metrics, and accountability frameworks.
• Develop leadership capability and technical depth across the team.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Reliability engineering

Product engineering

Executive presence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field

Job description

Nextpower—a leader in clean energy tech—seeks a VP of Reliability to define and lead our global reliability strategy across products and lifecycles. This executive will quantify and mitigate reliability risk while balancing innovation, cost, and brand integrity.

The Sr. Director will position reliability as a competitive advantage, align with Product, Finance, and Commercial teams, and drive bankability through robust data and methodologies. A true strategic partner for stakeholders.