Construction Standards Engineer

Title: Construction Standards Engineer
Department: Operation 1
Location: Ankeny, IA

Supervisor: Senior Manager of Construction Standards Engineering
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Status: Permanent, Full-Time

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

CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS 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 Construction Standards Engineer position is a managerial role that is crucial to the successful planning, execution, and completion of solar construction projects. This role reports to the Sr. Manager of Construction Standards Engineering and is involved in the generation, implementation, and continual improvement of processes that ensure all project-related tasks meet the company's standards of excellence. The Construction Standards Engineer will have a wide range of procedural responsibilities, including project coordination, material procurement, permit management, and quality control, in addition to providing direct support to site-based Construction Engineers.

The Construction Standards Engineer will always strive to maximize efficiency, ensuring minimal redundancy in processes and procedures.

This position reports to the Senior Manager of Construction Standards Engineering. This position is an office-based assignment opportunity and working hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm local time. Overtime and weekend working hours will be required as needed. This position is expected to travel up to 25%.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Engage in regular auditing of Project Teams for compliance with approved HQC policies.
• Assist in process mapping exercises for identified improvements to the HQC ways of working.
• Assist in the development of Project-specific tools and artifacts to streamline the execution, monitor and control, and closeout processes of our Solar PV Projects.
• Work with interdisciplinary teams to draft policies / procedures to ensure standardized delivery of EPC projects.
• Work with Training and Business Process departments to conduct rollouts of new systems onsite.
• Engage with site teams and provide coaching on production and productivity metrics, and tracking to ensure projects stay on-budget and on-schedule.
• Engage in the review of prepared monthly forecasts by Project Teams for sufficiency and accuracy.
• Provide support and guidance to site-based Construction Engineers as they:
  • Oversee and manage the execution of project deliverables and ensure compliance with project timelines and standards.
  • Lead procurement processes and coordinate engineering solutions in collaboration with project personnel.
  • Acquire and sustain all necessary permits and ensure rigorous adherence to project specifications.
  • Enhance team collaboration and communication across all project stakeholders, internally and externally.
  • Supervise the generation and organization of project reports and technical documents and maintain strict control over project documentation.
  • Provide operational support to superintendents, including timekeeping, resource allocation, and quality management.
  • Demonstrate leadership in safety, initiating job hazard analyses, and advocating for safe work practices throughout the project duration.
  • Enforce environmental policies by overseeing appropriate field staff training and certifications.
  • Champion professional development of Field Engineers by designing and executing development plan training and certifications.
  • Cultivate professional relationships with third parties and meet client expectations with high standards of communication.
  • Regular attendance, in accordance with company's attendance policy and supervisory assignment, is an essential job duty requirement for this position
  • Perform other duties and special projects, as assigned by Management

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, project management, or another related field, and 2 years construction experience, or;
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in related field.
• Must be competent in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Must have experience with construction scheduling, CPM logic, and best practices.
• Demonstrated experience with Earned Value Method, and other forecasting best practices.
• Demonstrated ability in supporting projects: development, planning, installation, and execution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced working environment.

EXAMPLE OF PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

• Body Position: frequently remains standing and moving up to 90% of the time in a 8-10 hour work day
• if operating equipment, be able to enter and exit equipment up to 90% of the time in a 8-10 hour work day
• Move/Traverse: frequently bend, stand, stoop and/or walk
• Carry Weight: frequently carry weight and/or lift objects (light to heavy) weighing up to 50 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/equipment/trenches upper and lower
• Travel: up to 25% as needed

EXAMPLE OF WORK ENVIRONMENT 

• Regular professional office setting, professional construction site setting
• Noise level ranges from low to moderate (if in office / office trailer 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.