Reliability Engineering Manager

Job Description

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.

Job Summary:

reports to: Vice President – Quality

The Reliability Engineering Manager shall oversee the following programs:

• Reliability Test Laboratory Operations.

• Reliability Test Engineering.

• Reliability Qualification, Monitoring and Assurance.

• Company-wide Calibration.  

This role will lead, mentor and manage a team of reliability and test engineering professionals ranging from team managers, supervisors, engineers and technicians. 

This group ensures 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.

The Reliability Engineering Manager leads the strategy, development and execution of product reliability programs covering multiple solar panel product models and technology types.  This ensures that solar modules are designed, manufactured and validated to meet long-term performance requirements in demanding environmental conditions. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in reliability engineering, operational and efficiency-focused mass-scale laboratory operations, strong leadership skills and experience in solar PV, electronics, material science, or related industries.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• 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.
• As necessary, 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.
• Other duties and responsibilities that may be assigned due to criticality and urgency.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Science with 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 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.)

Illuminate USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by law.

Illuminate is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.