Senior Design Engineer

Title: Senior Design Engineer
Department: Engineering Center
Location: Teaneck, NJ
Supervisor: Director of DG Engineering
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Status: Permanent, Full Time

Work Status (Remote/Hybrid/In-Office): Hybrid

Senior Design Engineer

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 Senior Design Engineer will be responsible for the design of PV and BESS systems, starting from a 10% design and developing fully detailed, construction ready plan sets. The Senior Design Engineer will work with other design engineers, internal subject matter experts, and both internal and external stakeholders to develop an optimized system design that meets code and customer requirements and considers constructability and design efficiency.  This position reports to the Director of DG Engineering. 

This position can be hybrid (out of our Teaneck, NJ or Irvine, CA offices) or remote with up to 20% expected travel. Working hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm or 9:00am to 6:00pm local time. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITIES
 

• Regular attendance, in accordance with company's attendance policy and supervisory assignment, is an essential job duty requirement for this position
• Lead design of multiple solar PV and BESS projects simultaneously from start to finish working with internal engineers, outside consultants, project managers, procurement managers, and construction supervisors to provide a code compliant, cost-effective design that maximizes the value of the projects 
• Coordinate the development of the plan set with the project team and oversee the work of one or more Design Engineers 
• Run and/or participate in regular progress meetings and other meetings necessary to gain consensus with the team 
• Use his/her experience to assist the project team in making design decisions and build consensus within the team 
• Review and evaluate design requirements from clients, their 3rd party consulting firms, AHJ's, utilities, and others to summarize the changes from internal design standards for the project team 
• Actively participate in negotiating with our clients regarding the impacts to projects on specific client requirements that are different from Qcells Enable’s. 
• Construction administration (submittals, RFI’s, etc.) as needed as questions arise during construction 
• Evaluate design options and changes to plans during the construction phase of projects and provide clear direction to the Operations team 
• Mentor 1 or 2 Design Engineers through their career paths including participating in their evaluations 
• Own the project's design scope from start to finish on the projects he or she is assigned to; maintain the relationship with the project team 
• Take ownership of at least one of the company’s tools or SOP's and update them on a regular basis 
• Participate in team-level strategic initiatives and continuous improvement efforts 
• May be required to manage outsourced design partner's work and maintain Qcells Enable’s relationship with them. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
 

• 6+ years of relevant experience in the solar or renewables industry 

• Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or another related engineering science, with the working knowledge within several fields of engineering 

• Experience designing solar energy systems 

• NABCEP certification 

• Passionate about renewable energy and advancing the solar industry
• Strong understanding of solar PV systems and components, power systems, distribution service, and utility interconnections 
• Extensive knowledge of the National Electric Code and other industry codes and standards 
• Advanced knowledge of and proficient with AutoCAD 
• Advanced knowledge of and proficient with PVCase and PVSyst 
• Ability to organize and prioritize project work tasks against non-project responsibilities with an understanding of how each fit into the team goals and the consequences of delays. 
• Demonstrate solid understanding of construction methodologies and ability to incorporate this knowledge into lean, value engineered, technical solutions. 
• Actively seeks ways to improve how their work and the work of the teams around them is done  

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience leading the design and drafting of solar energy systems through construction level drawings 

• Experience with complete lifecycle of design-build projects 
• Proficiency with Smartsheet, Procore, and Bluebeam Revu
• Proficiency with MS Office applications Outlook, Word, Excel, Project, and Sharepoint

COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Demonstrates expert oral and written communication skills through clear and concise discussions and writing.  
• Ability to work effectively as part of a dynamic team including sales personnel, engineers, project managers, clients, consultants, product vendors, and support personnel 
• Communicates important information to necessary stakeholders immediately to prevent delays 
• Assertive and able to cope effectively with pressure 
• Seeks, gives, and receives feedback in a receptive, congenial manner, adjustments as appropriate 

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 20% as needed

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)

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 [email protected].

Nothing in this statement shall imply implicitly or explicitly a guarantee of employment outside our at-will employment opportunity.

I hereby, accept and acknowledge this job description as my own and am committing to these responsibilities and required qualifications.

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