Sr. Director, Manufacturing

Nextpower•Mesa, AZ

15d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director of Manufacturing leads a multi-site factory network and is accountable for the reliability, quality, performance, safety, delivery, cost, and capacity of manufacturing operations assembling utility-scale solar and energy storage inverters. Reporting to the General Manager of the Power Conversion Business, this hands-on, data-driven leader oversees both company-operated factories and contract manufacturers, including contract manufacturers working in company-owned or leased facilities. The role is based in Mesa, Arizona, and involves domestic and international travel of up to 40%, as well as being onsite as required. The leader defines and executes the manufacturing footprint and operating-model strategy, establishes consistent data-driven manufacturing systems, and improves field reliability, first-pass yield, and cost per watt through Lean, Kaizen, automation, and design-for-manufacturability feedback. The role manages contract manufacturer performance and capacity commitments, develops manufacturing engineering and operational-excellence capabilities, and leads manufacturing innovation, factory start-ups, and capacity expansions on schedule and within budget. The position partners closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, EHS, Product Management, Sales and Customer Operations, Finance, and Legal. External partners include contract manufacturers, equipment and automation suppliers, logistics providers, certification bodies, and customers. The role also supports executive reporting, safety and regulatory compliance, product certification, customer audits, and factory performance governance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related technical discipline.
At least 12 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
At least 3 years leading multiple factories or a multi-site network in electrical, electronics, power electronics, or similar high-mix/high-volume assembly.
Hands-on leadership experience running factories directly with company-employed teams.
Demonstrated experience managing contract manufacturers, including commercial negotiation and performance governance.
Expert knowledge and hands-on experience applying statistical process control, Kaizen, and Lean factory methods to improve yield, reliability, and cost.
Strong working knowledge of quality systems, EHS, production planning, and test and validation processes.
Experience leading factory start-ups, ramps, and capacity expansions.
Data-driven decision-making experience using manufacturing data and analytics.
Strong financial acumen, including P&L, cost modeling, and capital planning.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and executive presence, with the ability to influence across functions and external partners.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 40% and to be onsite as required.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other advanced degree.
Experience with contract manufacturers operating in-plant or in co-located models.
Direct experience in inverter, power conversion, energy storage, EV charging, or solar manufacturing.
Experience with high-voltage power electronics assembly, including wiring, torque, thermal management, burn-in, end-of-line testing, and reliability.
Knowledge of UL 1741, IEC 62109, and relevant product safety and certification standards.
Experience operating in the United States and in international or low-cost regions, including cross-border supply-chain and compliance management.
Familiarity with MES, ERP, and data-driven manufacturing analytics.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent continuous-improvement experience.

Responsibilities

Lead Lean and Kaizen programs, automation initiatives, and test-time reduction to improve throughput, quality, and cost, verifying improvements through data.
Partner with Engineering on design-for-manufacturing and rapid implementation of engineering changes; promote new manufacturing technologies and process innovation.
Provide executive-level reporting on manufacturing performance, risks, and investments to the General Manager and executive leadership.
Conduct regular business reviews with contract manufacturers and hold them accountable for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and continuous-improvement targets.
Maintain transparency and control over contract manufacturer operations through audits, shared data systems, and embedded company staff when needed.
Foster a zero-harm safety culture and ensure EHS regulatory compliance across all sites.
Partner with Quality to maintain statistical process controls, test and burn-in strategies, traceability, and corrective-action systems that protect field reliability.
Ensure compliance with product safety and certification requirements, trade and customs rules, and customer audit requirements.
Own the reliability, quality, performance, safety, delivery, cost, and capacity of manufacturing operations across multiple factories.
Define and execute the manufacturing footprint and operating-model strategy, using company-run and contract-manufactured capacity.
Establish consistent manufacturing systems for standard work, statistical process control, KPIs, governance, and audits.
Drive field reliability, first-pass yield, and cost-per-watt improvements through continuous improvement, automation, and factory feedback.
Manage contract manufacturer operational performance, including capacity commitments, throughput, cost models, quality agreements, and improvement plans.
Build and develop manufacturing engineering, plant operational excellence, and continuous-improvement capabilities.
Lead factory start-ups and capacity expansions on schedule and within budget.