Director, Manufacturing Excellence

Job Description:

Director, Manufacturing Excellence

Location: Mesa, Arizona / Hybrid as required

Employment Type: Full-time

The Director of Manufacturing Excellence & Reliability is responsible for developing and executing the manufacturing quality and reliability strategy for utility-scale inverter products produced by contract manufacturing partners. This leader oversees Manufacturing Excellence, Quality & Supplier Excellence, and Reliability & Product Integrity to ensure products consistently meet safety, quality, performance, cost, and reliability objectives throughout their lifecycle.

Key responsibilities

• Define the organization's manufacturing excellence strategy
• Develop annual objectives and key results (OKRs) aligned with business goals
• Build a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence
• Lead and mentor engineering teams
• Establish manufacturing readiness requirements
• Approve production readiness for new products
• Oversee manufacturing process capability
• Drive automation and process optimization
• Own supplier and contract manufacturer quality performance
• Lead executive supplier reviews
• Ensure robust CAPA and quality management systems
• Own product reliability strategy
• Review qualification programs
• Drive warranty reduction initiatives
• Monitor field performance
• Own the customer relationship for Manufacturing, Quality, and Reliability engagements, including hosting customer visits, audits, technical reviews, factory acceptance activities, and executive meetings.
• Manage departmental budget
• Support customer quality reviews
• Report executive KPIs

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering
• 12+ years in power electronics manufacturing
• Experience with contract manufacturers
• Leadership experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Proficient in APQP, FMEA, SPC, Lean, Six Sigma, and reliability engineering

Ideal candidates will have 12+ years of experience in power electronics manufacturing, contract manufacturing, quality, reliability, and multidisciplinary engineering leadership. They should possess strong expertise in APQP, FMEA, SPC, Lean, Six Sigma, reliability engineering, supplier management, and customer-facing executive engagement.

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we are building the foundation for the world's next generation of clean energy infrastructure.

Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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