Reliability Engineer

Swift Solar • San Carlos, CA

50d • $110,000 - $150,000 • Onsite

About The Position

At Swift Solar, our mission is to unlock the full potential of solar energy. We believe that solar energy has vast untapped potential to power our lives, fuel economies, and strengthen supply chains, while protecting planetary health in the face of global climate change. The reality is that today's solar technology is good, but not good enough. Swift Solar is making solar better with its breakthrough tandem technology that harnesses the power of perovskite materials to create solar solutions that are not only more efficient than traditional technology but also more versatile, enabling applications ranging from space solar to utility-scale power generation. Swift Solar is a mission-focused startup supported by the US government and backed by world-class investors. It’s a long journey to bring a new clean energy technology to market, and we’re in it for the long haul, together. Join our extraordinary team building the cutting-edge solar technology that will shape the future of the global solar industry.

A day in the life As a Reliability Engineer at Swift, you’ll drive cell-package interactions and module-level reliability, addressing the unique challenges of a first-generation technology moving from concept through certification and towards manufacturing. On a typical day, you might schedule and execute reliability tests on tandem mini-modules and full modules—spanning environmental, thermomechanical, and accelerated life tests such as damp heat, thermal cycling, UV, and outdoor exposure—then evaluate the results. You might perform failure analysis on tandem modules, design a non-standard accelerated stress protocol to reproduce a field failure, or coordinate third-party testing with external labs. You’ll contribute a reliability perspective, collaborate with the Product Management team on lifetime modeling, and develop hypotheses you communicate clearly to the Materials R&D, Process Engineering, and Product Development teams. As an early hire, you’ll help shape how the reliability function operates as the team grows and interacts with every part of the company along the way.

Requirements

• 3–5 years of experience in PV module reliability, spanning from R&D to third-party validation and certification.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose failure mechanisms and translate findings into data-driven insights for cross-functional teams.
• Experience working with external testing labs to define and complete testing.
• Solid understanding of PV cell and module device physics.
• Proven ability to work well with cross-functional teams (R&D, Product Development, Engineering, Manufacturing), showing strong communication and empathy.
• Proficient in statistical analysis software (e.g., JMP) and the application of statistics to reliability analysis.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with more than one PV cell type.
• Experience developing non-standard accelerated testing protocols for a first-generation technology.
• Familiarity with reliability engineering tools (e.g., FMEA, 8D, RCA, DFR).
• Experience sourcing reliability test equipment.
• An understanding of why solving climate change is an urgent and critical challenge.
• Genuine enthusiasm for the challenges that come with working at a startup.

Responsibilities

• Drive cell-package interactions and module-level reliability, addressing the unique challenges of a first-generation technology moving from concept through certification and towards manufacturing.
• Schedule and execute reliability tests on tandem mini-modules and full modules—spanning environmental, thermomechanical, and accelerated life tests such as damp heat, thermal cycling, UV, and outdoor exposure—then evaluate the results.
• Perform failure analysis on tandem modules.
• Design a non-standard accelerated stress protocol to reproduce a field failure.
• Coordinate third-party testing with external labs.
• Contribute a reliability perspective.
• Collaborate with the Product Management team on lifetime modeling.
• Develop hypotheses and communicate them clearly to the Materials R&D, Process Engineering, and Product Development teams.
• Help shape how the reliability function operates as the team grows and interacts with every part of the company.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Equity
• 100% of your monthly premiums for HMO / PPO group healthcare plan options covered
• 75% of your dental and vision insurance premiums covered
• 401(k) matching
• Commuter benefits
• Meaningful equity
• Support for attending conferences
• Support for taking online courses

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed