Reliability Engineering Manager

Illuminate USA•Pataskala, OH

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Illuminate USA, located in the heart of Central Ohio, is transforming solar panel manufacturing from our cutting-edge facility in Pataskala. As a new standalone joint venture established by two global leaders in renewable energy, we’ve rapidly grown to over 1,600 associates and are now fully operational in our 1.1 million-square-foot factory. Our vision is to establish one of the largest solar panel manufacturing operations in the Western Hemisphere. This is an exciting time to join Illuminate USA as we continue to grow and innovate. We’re not just building solar panels, we’re building a team of dedicated, passionate associates eager to make a real impact. If you’re looking to be part of a collaborative, people-focused, and forward-thinking workplace, we want to hear from you! We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and continuous opportunities for career growth. Come join us on this journey to create a brighter, more sustainable future in the Columbus area.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Science
12+ years manufacturing experience in one or more of the following industries: solar, electronics, semiconductor or automotive.
10+ years of experience in reliability leadership role, with focus on reliability engineering investigations and large-scale lab operations
5 years minimum handling medium-sized teams.
Strong knowledge of accelerated testing, reliability modeling, statistics and validation methodologies.
Proficiency in tolls such as Weibull Analysis, FMEA, Minitab/JMP, DOE and root cause analysis.
Excellent leadership, written and verbal communication and project management skills
Demonstrated capacity for rapid learning, self-discipline, continual improvement to meet organizational goals effectively.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Engineering or Science
Experience with IEC/UL PV module testing and laboratory accreditation (e.g., ANAB, CNAS or UL DAP Program).
Knowledge of solar manufacturing processes: soldering, lamination, post-lamination processes, AI/EL inspection, etc.
Familiar with IEC 61215 and UL 61730.
Experience in high-volume data management and reporting platforms (Power BI, Tableau, etc.)

Responsibilities

Oversee Reliability Test Laboratory Operations.
Oversee Reliability Test Engineering.
Oversee Reliability Qualification, Monitoring and Assurance.
Oversee Company-wide Calibration.
Lead, mentor and manage a team of reliability and test engineering professionals ranging from team managers, supervisors, engineers and technicians.
Ensure the highest operational and technical standards/methods in solar panel reliability engineering to ensure that products are properly qualified and tested to support a 30-year power performance warranty.
Lead the strategy, development and execution of product reliability programs covering multiple solar panel product models and technology types.
Ensure that solar modules are designed, manufactured and validated to meet long-term performance requirements in demanding environmental conditions.
Operate and optimize the reliability laboratory to run in full-scale mode to serve internal and customer-related test requests, while maintaining compliance to laboratory management systems (i.e., ISO/IEC 17025).
Lead the planning and execution of reliability laboratory expansions, including equipment selection and procurement, facility layout optimization, capability development and long-term infrastructure planning.
Build and scale laboratory capabilities by developing new test methods, expand stress testing capacity and ensuring the lab meets current and future qualification needs.
Partner closely with R&D, Quality, Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering and Production to support initiatives in NPI, product qualification and on-going reliability testing, in compliance with IEC 61215, UL 61730 and other product standards.
Lead reliability assurance activities and root cause analysis for reliability qualification and/or product test failures using structured problem solving and experimentation methodologies such as 8D, DOEs, FMEA and Weibuill Analysis; identify reliability risks and implement corrective actions.
Interface with Quality and other cross-functional teams to drive the company-level calibration program and ensure that inspection and measurement tools are calibrated on a timely basis.
Interface with customer representatives or third-party auditors to support customer-required laboratory testing.
Maintain and analyze reliability KPIs, trend data and power degradation metrics, present reliability findings and recommendations.
Perform other duties and responsibilities that may be assigned due to criticality and urgency.