Equipment Engineer

Position Overview

This role is at the heart of building and scaling solar panel production. The Equipment Engineer is responsible for supporting the full lifecycle of production equipment, from specification and design review through factory acceptance, installation, startup, and ongoing optimization. This role works closely with OEM suppliers, internal engineering teams, and operations to ensure all equipment meets performance, safety, and reliability standards. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical engineer with strong problem-solving skills and experience supporting automated or high-volume manufacturing environments.

Startup mindset required: speed, ownership, and continuous optimization.

Solar manufacturing experience is highly preferred or other highly automated environments.

Key Responsibilities

OEM & Equipment Lifecycle Management

• Act as the primary technical liaison with OEM providers for manufacturing lines.
• Manage and coordinate all aspects of new equipment and process implementation, from Technical specifications through full site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and final signoff
• Ensure equipment meets performance requirements, safety standards, and operational readiness prior to handoff to manufacturing.

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Equipment Integration & Startup

• Review equipment layouts, interface requirements, utilities, and integration with upstream/downstream processes.
• Support installation activities, troubleshooting, and issue resolution during startup and qualification.
• Develop installation plans, test protocols, and documentation needed for seamless equipment deployment.
• Create scalable manufacturing processes and SOPs through analytical process development
• Partner with Facility, Process, and Manufacturing Engineering teams to ensure successful integration into the production environment.

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Continuous Improvement & Support

• Drive overall safe operation of equipment
• Monitor overall operational performance and work with cross functional teams to improve throughput, yield, and uptime.
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for mechanical, electrical, automation, or performance issues.
• Implement corrective actions and preventive improvements to reduce downtime and enhance reliability.
• Drive development of overall Total Productive Maintenance
• Maintain equipment documentation, spare parts lists, maintenance procedures, and engineering change records.
• Drive proactive yield improvement, defect reduction, and cycle time optimization
• Own PFMEA, control plans, and process capability
• Work with cross functional teams to drive technological improvements in overall equipment capability to align with overall Solar Module technology roadmap

Project & Vendor Management

• Participate in vendor qualifications, equipment evaluations, and technology selection processes.
• Manage vendor communication, track action items, and ensure contractual compliance.
• Support budget planning, cost estimations, and capital project proposals.

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Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field.
• 7+ years of experience as an Equipment Engineer or similar role in a highly automated production environment.
• Hands on experience with automated equipment, electromechanical systems, robotics.
• Strong understanding of equipment commissioning, FAT/SAT processes, and manufacturing equipment validation.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, PLC interfaces, P&IDs.
• Proven ability to manage OEM relationships and support complex equipment installations.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills for mechanical, pneumatic, and electrical systems.
• Knowledge of safety standards, lockout/tagout (LOTO), and equipment compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and project management abilities.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in solar manufacturing, semiconductor, automotive, or other advanced automated manufacturing industries.
• Familiarity with automation controls, PLC programming concepts, or industrial networking.
• Experience with CMMS systems, spare part planning, or reliability engineering methods.
• Certifications such as Six Sigma Green Belt, PMP, or equivalent.

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Working Conditions

• Primarily manufacturing floor and engineering workspace.
• Ability to support equipment installation during off-hours or weekends if required.
• Occasional travel to OEM facilities for FAT, training, or technical reviews.
• Travel up to 50% of time to other manufacturing sites.