Equipment Engineering Manager, Solar Manufacturing

What to Expect

As the Equipment Engineering Manager, you will own setup of an R&D site for solar, as well as uptime and continuous improvement of the Ingot/Wafer/Cell equipment in the pilot line. You will lead a team of equipment engineers and maintenance technicians fostering a culture of safety, innovation, and improvement. This role requires a strategic thinker with hands-on experience in solar manufacturing environments; installation, maintenance, and repair of mechanical and electrical systems; and familiarity working with chemicals and gasses.

What You’ll Do

• Perform ground-up pilot line setup, ensuring all equipment is calibrated and ready for daily operations
• Oversee daily maintenance activities across multiple shifts 24/7, ensuring efficient operation and uptime of automated pilot line equipment. Drive OEE, MTBF, MTTR, PM compliance, and Safety event response time for the solar pilot line
• Manage a local engineering and equipment maintenance team. Supervise a highly independent team of technical experts across multiple specialties
• Implement and optimize preventive/predictive maintenance programs to maximize equipment uptime and reliability
• Manage maintenance costs, spare parts inventory, and overtime to ensure cost-effective operations
• Troubleshoot complex mechanical, electrical, and automation issues, employing root cause analysis to resolve recurring problems. Own weekly maintenance review-out: uptime trends, top limiters, action plans
• Partner closely with process, equipment and manufacturing engineering, and pilot operations teams to drive continuous improvement initiatives and meet team goals
• Support new line commissioning, ramp, and rate-step changes for new product introductions in a high-volume manufacturing environment
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and promote a zero-incident workplace culture
• Support Pilot Line Operations with fast, onsite troubleshooting during equipment downtime to keep high-priority projects on track

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical engineering, Industrial Maintenance, or equivalent experience
• Experience in complete line setup and equipment installation
• 10+ years of maintenance expertise in industrial setting with 3+ years in a leadership role overseeing team
• 10+ years of expertise in cell equipment and processes or equivalent. Deep understanding of tools and equipment used in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells and/or semiconductors
• Technical expertise in semiconductor or advanced manufacturing processes—such as Laser processing, CVD, PVD, wet processing, diffusion, lithography, or metallization—is preferred
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a track record of reducing downtime through innovative solutions
• Knowledge and understanding of Mechanical Design, Solidworks and AutoCAD.
• Knowledge and experience in Engineering and SPC tools (FMEA, Tool Lockdown, etc.)
• Must have command of the English language, both written and verbal