SunPower Jobs Blog

“At SunPower we’re committed to making clean, renewable solar energy available worldwide.”

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

3971 - Sales Executive - Trenton, NJ

We are seeking an experienced Large Accounts Sales Executive to create and implement strategies and tactics to develop accounts with large, multi-location private sector companies and public agencies. Large Accounts Executives are responsible for selling new and existing, multi-site and multi-opportunity project accounts with annual revenues on the order of $10M - $50+M.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

This position will be responsible for all facets of commercial photovoltaic systems sales including but not limited to:

•Meeting personal sales goals
•Researching and analyzing target markets
•Developing tactical execution plans for coverage of assigned accounts and/or segment
•Identifying key decision makers and relationships within assigned segment that translate into new revenue opportunities
•Performing customer needs assessments and mappings
•Performing opportunity assessments based on customer needs
•Developing and presenting customer focused product and service presentations
•Accessing available solar rebates and incentives
•Completing initial location and building audits and working with proposal development team and Structured Finance team to insure best pricing with maximum margin
•Generating quotes and formal proposal packages, including leading SunPower proposal teams
•Working with in-house counsel to develop contract terms
•Working with SunPower and Client Marketing Teams on developing tandem promotional opportunities
•Leading hand-off of purchase agreements to system installation personnel
•Assessing market conditions to identify necessary product and service offering modifications
•After-Sale account management leading to future orders(Farming)

Education and Experience

•B.S. in a technical area and experience with energy related products preferred.
•Proven track record in complex and strategic sales spanning at least 10 years, selling $10M+ projects over 9 -12 month sales cycles to first-time and repeat buyers for whom multiple people make the buying decision
•Experience working with large, multi-location companies operating in multiple states
•Experience in Deal Structuring and financing is strongly preferred
•Experience selling in the energy and/or construction industry is preferred

Qualifications

•Demonstrated ability to develop new business relationships quickly and to close business
•Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
•Demonstrated ability to manage and interface effectively with cross-functional employee groups of all levels and competencies
•Ability to perform and interpret financial analysis and provide appropriate data and information
•Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills
•Excellent interpersonal and time management skills
•Ability to demonstrate photovoltaic and construction industry expertise
•Ability to deal comfortably and professionally in a wide spectrum of settings
•Fluency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

This position is based in Trenton, New Jersey with up to 40% overnight travel.

Please send resume to Carl.Welch@sunpowercorp.com.

3972 - Sales Executive - Irvine, CA

We are seeking an experienced Large Accounts Sales Executive to create and implement strategies and tactics to develop accounts with large, multi-location private sector companies and public agencies. Large Accounts Executives are responsible for selling new and existing, multi-site and multi-opportunity project accounts with annual revenues on the order of $10M - $50+M.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

This position will be responsible for all facets of commercial photovoltaic systems sales including but not limited to:

•Meeting personal sales goals
•Researching and analyzing target markets
•Developing tactical execution plans for coverage of assigned accounts and/or segment
•Identifying key decision makers and relationships within assigned segment that translate into new revenue opportunities
•Performing customer needs assessments and mappings
•Performing opportunity assessments based on customer needs
•Developing and presenting customer focused product and service presentations
•Accessing available solar rebates and incentives
•Completing initial location and building audits and working with proposal development team and Structured Finance team to insure best pricing with maximum margin
•Generating quotes and formal proposal packages, including leading SunPower proposal teams
•Working with in-house counsel to develop contract terms
•Working with SunPower and Client Marketing Teams on developing tandem promotional opportunities
•Leading hand-off of purchase agreements to system installation personnel
•Assessing market conditions to identify necessary product and service offering modifications
•After-Sale account management leading to future orders(Farming)


Education and Experience

•B.S. in a technical area and experience with energy related products preferred.
•Proven track record in complex and strategic sales spanning at least 10 years, selling $10M+ projects over 9 -12 month sales cycles to first-time and repeat buyers for whom multiple people make the buying decision
•Experience working with large, multi-location companies operating in multiple states
•Experience in Deal Structuring and financing is strongly preferred
•Experience selling in the energy and/or construction industry is preferred


Qualifications

•Demonstrated ability to develop new business relationships quickly and to close business
•Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
•Demonstrated ability to manage and interface effectively with cross-functional employee groups of all levels and competencies
•Ability to perform and interpret financial analysis and provide appropriate data and information
•Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills
•Excellent interpersonal and time management skills
•Ability to demonstrate photovoltaic and construction industry expertise
•Ability to deal comfortably and professionally in a wide spectrum of settings
•Fluency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

This position is based in Irvine, CA with up to 40% overnight travel.

Please send resume to Carl.Welch@sunpowercorp.com.

Monday, December 7, 2009

3351 - Senior Commodity Manager, PV - Richmond or San Jose, CA

The Senior Commodity Manager : PV (Photovoltaic Modules) will be responsible for the development and execution of sourcing strategies capable of delivering high quality, cost-effective materials that meet standard and custom project requirements. This position is responsible for cost, quality, and delivery of 3rd-Party PV modules supporting utility-scale solar photo-voltaic power plants and large commercial solar installations.

This position will also be responsible for all commercial and strategic supplier management for relevant commodities, developing and maintaining supplier relationships, and managing supplier performance and capability development.

This role will be responsible for monitoring all relevant trends in commodity markets, advise the business on impact of those trends, and develop strategies to maintain SunPower’s leading market position in designing and building utility scale photovoltaic power plants.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

•Develop and execute Commodity Strategies for electrical products, including transformers, switch-gear, motors, actuators, and other electrical components.
•Achieve cost, quality, and delivery goals and objectives for standard and custom products.
•Influence technical design decisions in the interest of achieving optimal cost, quality, and delivery.
•Strive to achieve competitive sourcing tension among multiple qualified suppliers through development and execution of commodity strategies.
•Develop and negotiate supply contracts
•Work closely with Systems Project Electrical Engineers and R&D to define standard and custom product requirements
•Interface w/ Planning, Marketing Program Management, R&D, Sales and Construction Management to assess current and future sourcing requirements
•Hold quarterly executive review of strategic sourcing plan that defines, among other things, the market environment, capable suppliers, and annual / quarterly strategic objectives
•Develop and manage overall supplier relationships
•Manage supplier performance and capability development
•Maintain personal knowledge of market trends including rigorous analysis of market drivers, cost structures, technical improvements and competitive landscape.
•Periodic travel to supplier’s manufacturing sites.

Education and Experience:

•10-15 Years experience in operations, manufacturing, sourcing.
•7-10 years supplier / supply chain management
•3-5 years electrical utility experience in engineering or supply chain function.
•5-7 years experience w/ direct accountability for quality/yield and capacity/throughput in manufacturing environment.
•BS degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
•MBA or MS Operations Engineering or Industrial Engineering Degree preferred.

Qualifications

•Global supply chain experience procuring “direct” material in a “hardware” product company or utility provider.
•Familiarity with world-class sourcing methods and tools.
•Proven track record in cost reduction.
•Extensive negotiation experience of large or multi-year contracts with global suppliers
•Expert knowledge in quality principles as applied to manufacturing /sourcing environment
•Knowledge of the following manufacturing processes: surface mount pcba, semiconductor fab processes, casting, extrusion, stamping, forming, bending, machining, galvanizing, injection molding, motor/transformer winding
•Knowledge and experience with Continuous Improvement and Six Sigma methodologies.
•Knowledge of NEC, UL, IEC requirements
•Experience with electrical specifications for power distribution equipment
•Experience with and understanding of general switchboard and transformer construction, including bus ampacity, voltage ratings, and circuit breaker and fuse terminology
•Knowledge and experience with ISO9000 requirements and their deployment.
•Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Fluent in English.
•Exceptional ability to solve problems and coordinate with global team members.
•Ability to work in a rapid pace, very dynamic and changing environment.
•Ability to successfully interact and positively influence at several levels within the organization to adopt and execute the sourcing strategy.
•Ability to provide innovative leadership in issues related to strategic sourcing, operating discipline, vendor relations, quality assurance and the associated measurement systems.
•Superior communication skills including executive management, staff, operating line employees, vendors, sales and external customers.
•Strong analytical skills (i.e. cost modeling, quotation analysis, supplier selection)
•Knowledge and experience in the use of ERP systems desired.
•Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
•Highly adaptable in a very dynamic and changing environment.
•Expertise in the use of Microsoft Excel required.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

4116 - Manufacturing/Packaging Engineer - San Jose, CA or Richmond, CA

Responsible for proper functioning of all manufacturing tools, equipment, and packaging. Active team member in the continuous improvement of manufacturing tools and processes. Participate in design-for-manufacturability of new products. Support Manufacturing Operations to enable the achievement of daily production objectives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
•Ensure production department technical procedures and documentation are complete.
•Ensure all equipment used in the manufacturing process performs within specifications.
•Participate in new product development.
•Participate in Vendor/Subcontractor qualification.
•Ensure that all equipment works properly for each manufacturing run
•Create and monitor maintenance plan for all equipment.
•Schedule equipment improvements.
•Train and certify operators in proper use of production equipment.
•Train and certify subcontractors in proper use of production equipment.
•Review all assembly procedures.
•Analyze repair data, watch for failure trends, and give recommendations on possible improvements
•Assist Inspection department during parts discrepancy.
•Coordinate with vendors when changes and improvements are done to specific parts and assemblies.
•Coordinate with design engineers regarding specific production issues. Provide feedback on equipment performance.
•Provide input on potential improvements in the areas of ergonomics, environmental health and safety, error proofing, efficiency, etc.
•Design, test, document and implement packaging for new product development in an aggressive schedule and cost conscious environment;
•Redesign and reduce cost of existing packaging materials and methods to meet established cost reduction goals;
•Maintain and support legacy designs to enable production to meet delivery and product cost goals;
•Implement automation to support cost improvement goals;
•Identify new packaging technologies/suppliers and identify cost savings opportunities;
•Support packaging requirements for multiple global manufacturing locations;

Education and Experience

Candidates must have a BS/MS in Packaging, Mechanical Engineering and 5- 10 years of experience preferably related to the design, development and commercialization of packaging equipment. Engineer must be able to support and/or manage package development of multiple projects simultaneously, in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred experience:

•Working with pneumatic powered equipment
•Working with building electric systems
•Programming CNC equipment
•Programming PLC controllers
•Working with material handling equipment
•Installing, calibrating, and troubleshooting various types of sensors and metering equipment
•Working on plumbing systems
•Working on vacuum systems

Qualifications

•Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
•5-10 years of packaging design experience in a retail, trade and OEM environment
•Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) certification preferred
•Common knowledge of standard materials, design execution, carton manufacturing and protection processes
•Common knowledge of test requirements, such as environmental, shipping performance i.e. compression, vibration, and package drop testing
•Ability to read, mark-up and make changes to general engineering documentation
•Ability to work within common engineering documentation control processes
•Familiar with Oracle and SAP ERP systems
•Lean Product Development and Design for Six Sigma certification a plus
•Demonstrated experience in project management and ability to manage multiple projects
•Ability to read plumbing and electrical schematics
•General knowledge of machinery, pumps, electric motors, electronics
•Basic AutoCAD skills
•Proficiency with hand and power tools
•Accuracy and attention to detail, Good troubleshooting and organizational skills
•Familiarity with OSHA requirements
•Strong oral and written communication skills

SunPower offers an attractive compensation package that consists of a competitive salary and equity. The company offers an array of employee benefits.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

3635 - Equipment Engineer – Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) - San Jose, CA

This position will support the R&D effort on current and next generation patterning technologies used for the fabrication of SunPower’s high efficiency solar cells.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Plan and manage equipment development projects focused on optical inspection subsystems used for precision part placement and pattern recognition (ie feature, defect, and cosmetic detection) and integrated into patterning platforms
• Develop the in-line optical inspection and defect pattern recognition tools for CD characterization and APC feedback. Images taken from coated surfaces with features in the micron range.
• Evaluate, design, test, specify and start-up high-volume manufacturing equipment
• Interface with vendors, contract engineering and contract manufacturing to develop new tool platforms including integration of AOI subsystems into patterning platforms
• Interface with production engineering, maintenance and facilities to modify tool designs
• Interface with solar cell R&D to meet performance requirements for new metrology development

Education and Experience
• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Electromechanics, Electronics and Controls, or equivalent required; MS preferred
• Knowledge of and at least 3-5 years direct experience with integrating an AOI system onto an existing tool and/or designing and developing new AOI subsystem required
• Knowledge of and previous experience with selection and application of lighting, cameras and lenses for precisions part placement, in-line optical inspection and defect pattern recognition for CD characterization and APC feedback required
• Previous experience in software application development including integration of commercial pattern recognition software required
• Knowledge and previous experience with application of statistics for assessing AOI capability and repeatability required
• Direct experience with specification, fabrication and start-up of equipment preferred
• Knowledge of and previous experience generating and modifying system code and algorithms for precision part placement, feature and defect detection preferred
• Exposure to solar or semiconductor industry a plus
• Experience with high volume manufacturing and high rate deposition process a plus
• Experience with cost analysis/modeling a plus

Qualifications
• Good knowledge of various optical platforms
• Creative problem solver
• Must be willing and able to travel, both domestic and international, a minimum of 25%

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

4076 - Sr. Project Manager, Construction Services - Trenton, NJ

This position provides overall management direction to multiple projects, establishes project objectives and policies, maintains liaison with prime client contacts, and monitors construction and financial activities through administrative direction of on-site construction manager(s).. Manages external engineers, and sub-contractors. Works closely with internal design, administration, finance, and supply chain groups to insure that projects are brought in on-schedule and on-budget and insuring 100% customer satisfaction. May personally manage multiple medium size projects or may be top on-site manager on single large, extensive project.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

•Responsible for fulfilling Company quality goals on assigned projects.
•Responsible for insuring 100% Customer Satisfaction on assigned projects.
•Oversees the management of the system design and construction process for all assigned projects.
•Coordinates resource availability and operational needs to ensure that established goals are met.
•Responsible for managing cost and schedule goals of assigned projects through project closeout.
•Creates, oversees and tracks all schedule aspects for assigned projects, from pre-approval through project close-out to ensure on-time delivery.
•Leverages knowledge of system delivery milestones to capture reduced construction costs wherever possible.
•Identifies opportunities for and initiates change orders, as required.
•Performs risk-analysis /forecasting for assigned projects in order to minimize negative impact on Company
•Responsible for overseeing document management for assigned projects.
•Ultimately responsible for compliance, safety, and performance on all assigned projects.
•Directs work of one or more assigned Construction Managers on a per project basis.
•Responsible for effective oversight of multiple subcontractors and temporary leased installation labor.
•Negotiates and manages sub-contracts.
•Is corporate representative to the Customer, permitting agencies, and other project personnel.
•May evaluate the performance of more junior projects personnel to provide accurate feedback on the level of performance within the department

Education and Experience

•Associate degree or equivalent experience required
•Bachelors degree is preferred
•7 years of commercial construction, commercial electrical contracting and/or commercial roofing experience is required.
•Additional experience with electrical systems and wiring is strongly preferred

Qualifications

•Strong technical, supervisory, and project management skills based on construction industry experience.
•Strong familiarity with construction and electrical codes
•Proven ability to successfully procure, monitor, and assess subcontracted construction functions such as electrical contractors and commercial roofers
•Strong analytical skills
•Well-developed and professional interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively with people at all levels of the organization, as well as outside customers and vendors.
•Ability to work in a team environment with a customer service focus.
•Organizational skills needed to manage time well, prioritize effectively, and handle multiple deadlines.
•Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
•Must be computer-savvy - strong knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and MS Project is required.

Physical Requirements

This position is physically demanding and can require a great deal of travel, often on short notice.

Other requirements

Valid driver’s license

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

4077 - Field Electrical Engineer - Phoenix, AZ

The Field Electrical Engineer provides technical interpretation of Design Documents in support of Project Design, Electrical Engineering, Construction Managers, and Contractors, and provides specific expertise for problem solving.

Job Responsibilities:
•This position coordinates completion of construction activities including preparation and processing RFI’s for Field issue resolution.
•Prepares a punch list and Action Item list for turn-over to the client and final system commissioning.
•Prepares and issues field directives in the form of revised drawings and/or written scope direction.
•Monitors and inspect construction operations to ensure compliance with design documents.
•Controls, distributes and files the design package and associated revisions through the construction process.
•Communicates with electrical engineer to schedule and coordinate the release of construction documents and field bulletins in support of the construction schedule.
•Monitors subcontractor’s performance to ensure design quality, conformance to project safety and conformance to the design drawings and specifications.
•Investigates and resolves engineering and technical related challenges.
•Works with O&M team to resolve technical field issues during commissioning
•Anticipated 50% - 70% of time will be spent in the field.

Job Requirements:
•Candidate must be a licensed Electrical Engineer that is well versed and experienced with the N.E.C.
•Engineering Degree required
•6 – 10 years experience as field engineer for large contractor or EPC firm.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

4078 - Senior Staff Engineer, Utility Systems - Richmond, CA

The Senior Staff Engineer (SSE) will provide senior-level engineering direction, consultation, and design in support of utility solar generation facility projects. The SSE will be responsible for developing, managing and implementing distribution and transmission interconnection projects. Projects will include medium and high voltage transmission, substation, switchgear, grid connection, and power distribution electrical design. The functional areas will include engineering, project management, financial, logistics, business development, evaluation, and assessment. The SSE will be responsible for managing and supporting technical subcontractors for equipment specification, AC system design, and interconnection requirement compliance for purposes of designing and interconnecting utility solar generation facilities. The SSE will interface and collaborate with Independent System Operator (ISO) or Transmission System Operator (TSO) representatives, electricity suppliers and other electrical agencies during the interconnection approval process and system commissioning to ensure complete system compliance.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

•Authoring technical specifications, driving communication and cross group collaboration activities. Apply technical processes to complex problems and managing intricate schedules.
•Development and coordination of outsourced engineering services including activities, plans, drawings, calculations, etc.
•Collaborate daily with internal and external customer(s) to determine specific needs and requirements and to counsel within the expertise area; including oversight and task execution.
•Oversee utility interconnect agreements, permits, and inspection. Must be adept and responsive to inquiries and internal/external customers relative to system design and interconnects.
•Develop and/or review program reports, technical papers, drawings, specifications, and procedures; organize, consolidate, and provide comments from various organizations, and prepare reports.
•Perform expert-level review, analysis, and validation of engineering specifications and design; prepare executive-level reports and briefs, as required
•Consult as industry expert with customer, advise on policy development, planning and implementation.

•Provide Transmission and Distribution support for Supply Chain/Commodity Management Team.
•Interface with various project team leaders daily to exchange information and coordinate related task performance. The responsibilities will include all activities from the inception to the close-out of projects.
•Execute project planning with attention to setting and meeting project design milestones. Work closely with the business development team to ensure that they are meeting/delivering the most complete and cost effective proposals for potential future projects.
•Position will require travel.

Education: BS degree in Electrical Engineering required (MS preferred), PE required

Required Skills:

•PE required with 10+ years experience in electrical engineering management for a large design build/EPC environment.
•Knowledge of PLSF, PSS/E, eTap Software is preferred.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Monday, November 9, 2009

3709 - Senior Performance Engineer

SunPower’s System Performance Group is responsible for characterizations and projections of installed system performance. The group creates and maintains specialized computer simulation software to model the energy output of SunPower products and systems, analyzes the long-term energy performance of a large fleet of grid-connected PV plants, and performs targeted field and lab tests to characterize the performance of both new and existing technologies.

The performance engineer’s primary focus is characterizing the performance of both new and existing technologies, from modules and mounting systems to entire operating PV systems. The position involves work within a dynamic, cross-departmental team of engineers, technicians, analysts, and internal customers to identify research needs, develop and execute analysis and test plans, and communicate research results to assist in the development of new products and services. Research will involve the use of existing data from SunPower’s operating fleet of PV systems and the acquisition of supplementary data through field testing and the design and execution of new test set-ups. Some travel and field work is required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Develop and execute research, analysis and test plans
• Develop, test, and validate engineering models of component and system performance
• Characterize system performance using remotely-acquired energy and meteorological data
• Characterize systems and components using measured field data such as I-V curves, string current and open circuit voltage tests
• Develop procedures and methods for collecting and analyzing test data
• Communicate key results of research in a timely and effective manner to supervisor and other stakeholders through memos, reports and presentations
• Support product development, sales, marketing, and finance departments on system performance-related initiatives
• Prepare reports and presentations to communicate analysis findings, research plans, or plans for product development efforts
• Plan and conduct field measurements of system performance; analyze resulting data and communicate results
• Respond to requests for information from customers and other departments on short notice
• Respond to customer and staff e-mails and phone calls daily
• Attend meetings; schedule and lead meetings

Education and Experience

• Bachelors or Masters degree in science or engineering field
• 2-3 years experience work with energy systems
• 1-2 years project engineering experience

Qualifications

• Strong time management skills
• Self-direction/initiative/ability to prioritize multiple tasks from multiple requestors
• People skills/Customer Relations skills with internal and external customers
• Strong communications skills, both verbal and written
• Advanced user of Microsoft Office suite, especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Strong knowledge of energy/power system, with knowledge of solar electric systems preferred
• Strong analytical skills, background in math and science
• Some background in climate or atmospheric science a plus
• Strong project management/organizational skills
• Strong sense of both technical and business aspects of PV industry preferred

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Friday, November 6, 2009

3481 - Senior R&D Reliability Engineer

The solar electric industry is an exciting and rapidly growing business, providing excellent career opportunities and the great satisfaction of having a positive impact on the environment. SunPower Corp. (www.sunpowercorp.com) designs, manufactures and deploys the world’s highest efficiency solar panels, and is a leading global provider of large-scale solar power systems, with over 350 megawatts contracted or in construction.

SunPower’s R&D team developed the original 20% all-back contact solar cell in 2005, released the 22% cells in 2007 and is presently working on the next generation technology. Enabling this high rate of innovation while maintaining world-class reliability requires a deep understanding what makes efficiency degrade over time. The ideal candidate is motivated by solving the highly complex puzzles embodied in the physics of cell and module degradation.

We are looking for an exceptionally smart and motivated candidate who has demonstrated a capacity for scientific innovation and leadership. This person should have experience that spans laboratory and field experiments, computer modeling, and manufacturing support.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Develop reliability qualification methods for PV cell and module products, with an initial focus on acceleration factors for the effects of UV and thermal degradation over the 25 years warranty in various field conditions.
• Manage and mentor other engineers, and lead cross-functional teams with a strong drive for results.
• Innovate, and provide technical leadership for solving challenging technical problems with a positive, solution-oriented approach.
• Develop new cutting-edge diagnostics, to support manufacturing ongoing reliability testing.
• Drive design-for-reliability principles throughout the organization, and provide clear assessments of reliability risks.

Education, Experience, and Qualifications
• PhD in Engineering, Chemistry, Material Science, Physics or related fields, plus at least 4 years related experience required.
• Demonstrated capability in experimental design, uncertainty analysis, instrumentation and statistical interpretation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage other engineers, and to lead cross-functional teams to deliver large projects to plan.
• Clear communication style, with the ability to create compelling presentations for varied audiences, from scientists and engineers to executives.
• Familiarity with silicon solar cells, characterization of PV cells and panels, degradation models, acceleration factors, etc., is preferred.
• Familiarity with semiconductor reliability physics of failure is a big plus.
• Creative, self-motivated and self-directed, and able to multi-task a large variety of projects in a fast-paced environment.
SunPower offers an attractive compensation package that consists of a competitive salary and equity. The company also offers an array of generous employee benefits.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

3641 - QA Engineer Principal

The solar electric industry is an exciting and rapidly growing business, providing excellent career opportunities and the great satisfaction of having a positive impact on the environment. SunPower Corp. designs, manufactures and markets high-performance solar electric technology worldwide. SunPower's high-efficiency solar cells and panels generate up to 50 percent more power per unit area than conventional solar technologies and have a uniquely attractive, all-black appearance. For more information on SunPower please visit the SunPower website at www.sunpowercorp.com.

Summary

Reporting to Director, Global Quality and Customer Satisfaction, Systems division, this position will deploy strategic quality initiatives to achieve end-to–end continual improvements across EPC (Construction) and Field processes linked to customers. We are looking for an experienced quality professional with outstanding track record to lead these quality efforts through systematic quality methodologies including Six Sigma, SPC and 5S. Serve as System division’s Field Quality Leader - ensure that new and existing project construction sites are monitored and built with highest quality standards, and non-conformances are corrected systemically and timely to prevent them from happening again. Team player, result oriented and hands-on contributor. Has a positive, optimistic, “can-do” attitude. Wants to win and manage effectively on both the strategic and tactical issues --- and ready to switch between the two. Possess strong leadership and team building skills, and ability to motivate others.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:
• Establish and deploy strategic initiatives to achieve quality improvements across roof top projects construction and customers.
• Develop measurable quality standards across roof top projects, and work with Operations to ensure that these standards are incorporated throughout the product lifecycle.
• Conduct Rooftop audits, record and correct any non-conformances systematically and timely.
• Learn, teach and collaborate on advanced quality methodologies – including 8D problem solving, SPC/SIX SIGMA, Poka Yoke, and 5S methodologies.
• Develop and deploy construction best practices
• Develop and implement learning and continual improvement program.

Education and Experience
• MS in Industrial/Mechanical engineering with 7+ years of Quality Management directly related to construction engineering and projects focused on solar industry.
• Demonstrated skills/background in improving field quality operations and customer satisfaction improvement programs.

Qualifications
• Solid track record of Quality Management --- and continual improvement using SPC/SIX SIGMA and 5S in a construction and project operations environment.
• Exceptional ability to solve problems and coordinate with global team members. Problem analysis/resolution at both a strategic and functional level. Ability to define problems, collects data, discern facts, root cause analysis, draw valid conclusions and influence decisions.
• In-depth understanding of NPI process.
• Team player, capable of working in a highly collaborative and dynamic environment.
• Previous experience leading and partnering cross functional teams with subcontractors.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including presentation skills. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from executives, managers, customers, subcontractors, etc.
• Experience and knowledge in a broad range of construction best practices and industry codes and standards.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

3553 - Senior Staff Engineer, Module R&D

The solar electric industry is an exciting and rapidly growing business, providing excellent career opportunities and the great satisfaction of having a positive impact on the environment.

SunPower Corp. (www.sunpowercorp.com) designs, manufactures and deploys the world’s highest efficiency solar panels, and is a leading global provider of large-scale solar power systems.

SunPower’s R&D team developed the all-back contact solar cell in 2005, just announced 20.4% efficiency modules and is presently working on the next generation technologies. The ideal candidate is motivated by understanding and solving the module materials performance and degradation, thinking out of the box and able to deliver results in a high pace environment.

We are looking for an exceptionally smart and motivated candidate who has demonstrated a capacity for scientific innovation, problem solving and leadership. In this role he/ she will be responsible for the development of next generation module technology platforms.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop, test, qualify and support introduction to manufacturing of next generation encapsulants for increased performance and reliability of PV modules
• Develop testing and qualification protocols, material specification and in-process control for new materials in modules
• Develop and optimize technologies/solutions for module manufacturing to reduce cost
• Develop and perform modeling of stresses in modules and derive critical material properties as it related to reliability of the modules
• Work closely with reliability to develop acceleration factors for new materials introduced in module.
• Develop new cutting-edge diagnostics and testing protocols to support module materials development in R&D Laboratory and Manufacturing.
• Lead the development and purchasing of new tools for material characterization and testing.

Education, Experience, and Qualifications
• Minimum PhD in Polymers, Chemistry, Material Science, Physics or related fields
• Experience in Photovoltaics and/or Semiconductor field desired
• Knowledge of polymer chemistry, formulations and failure mechanisms as it relates to 25 years reliability and warranty of PV modules in various field conditions
• Experience with electrical and optical characterization of solar cells and modules
• Experience with developing and reliability testing of encapsulants/backsheets/coatings desired
• Experience with modeling of stresses in packages (eg. Comsol) required
• Knowledge of materials (eg. encapsulant, backsheet, glass) characterization and failure analysis techniques
• Knowledge of Statistical analysis of data (eg. JMP), DOE, Labview
• Excellent communication skills, self-driven, able to drive projects to timely completion by working with multiple teams
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Hands on work experience in lab environment; able to set up new experiments
SunPower offers an attractive compensation package that consists of a competitive salary and equity. The company also offers an array of generous employee benefits.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

4034 - MRO Commodity Manager - San Jose, CA

Reporting within the Supply Chain organization, this position has the authority and responsibility to primarily focus on purchasing non-production, maintenance, repair, and operations supplies and services. This position also implements supply base optimization strategies and assists in the selection and qualification of Indirect Suppliers within and outside of the Supply Chain team.

In this highly visible role, you will be expected to develop strong relationships with key stakeholders within the corporate and divisional levels and to execute sourcing strategies to drive value and significantly impact bottom-line profitability at SunPower.

You must be able to demonstrate through concrete examples that you have strong experience in sourcing and managing one or more of the following commodities at a global level:

•Copy, Print, Fax solutions
•Travel Agency and Ticketing
•Preferred Hotel and Rental Car
•Recruiting and Staffing Services
•Corporate Credit Card Programs
•MRO/Production Supplies
•Office Supplier
•Office Furniture
•Janitorial Supplies and Services

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

•Utilizes strategic sourcing process to manage assigned commodities for multiple global locations of SunPower with defined plans for cost savings, risk assessment and mitigation, and service level agreements.
•Identify all stakeholders for each major commodity and forms cross-functional teams to define and implement strategies that reduce cost, improve quality and delivery performance to improve SunPower’s competitive position.
•Builds cases for significant change and develops consensus among key stakeholders.
•Develops expertise in assigned commodities through external research, analyzes cost drivers and life cycle costs, and provides market intelligence with commodity price trends.
•Uses Supplier Segmentation to lead MRO Sourcing Analysis & Commodity Management, assists non operations purchasers in Supplier Management and selection.
•Analyzes current spend and evaluates current suppliers. Consolidates spend across multiple SunPower locations to create leverage, analyze purchasing trends and develop sourcing alternatives.
•Identify new high potential suppliers on global basis. Manages supplier selection process and ensures supplier selections are based on sound evaluation criteria. Leads in the development and execution of negotiation strategies with suppliers, including specific targets for pricing, service, and quality
•Manages short and long term contracts with suppliers, ensuring continuity of supply strategies.
•Develops key performance measures for chosen suppliers and negotiates on multiple variables to award longer-term strategic contracts that result in significant cost reduction and improved service levels. Manage respective supplier relationships and performance.
•Manages multiple projects, coordinates activities of team and tracks progress/ schedules.
•Deliver 5% year over year net cost reductions for commodities and programd that fall within assigned responsibilities.
•Prepares Business Cases, including ROI models, and effectively presents new programs to Senior Management.
•Develops implementation and transition plans to ensure sourcing benefits are fully realized
•Identifies and pursues Continuous Improvement opportunities to increase efficiencies and processes and supports change management initiatives across a multi-location global environment.
•Continually identifies and implements new opportunities for Cost Savings and Cost Avoidance and proactively tracks progress toward these objectives.
•Manages Internal Relationships: Ensures the needs of stakeholders are holistically met while ensuring compliance to Supplier Management policies and procedures
•Uses ERP, Purchasing, & Requisitioning Systems to facilitate purchasing, analysis, and compliance to spend policies

Education & Experience:

•Bachelors' degree in business administration, logistics, finance or related discipline. Minimum 5 years of experience in sourcing function or MBA with 2 years experience
•CPM certification is a plus
•Six Sigma, Lean and DMAIC problem solving experience is a plus
•Track record of delivering significant cost reduction and service level improvements.
•Expertise in negotiation of long term contracts with safeguards against identified risks.
•Exposure to vendor provided or third party technology solutions for MRO space.

Qualifications:
•Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral.
•Strong negotiating skills.
•Strong analytical problem solving ability.
•Capable of influencing and motivating others with new ideas and concepts.
•Proficient at thinking and acting strategically, championing change, and generating innovative solutions. •Demonstrated ability to build teams and achieve a cross-functional consensus.
•Ability to work with key stakeholders in multiple locations and at various levels.
•Must possess an understanding of basic business and value stream concepts with forecasting & planning skills of Goods and Services providing transformation of Needs into Supply.
•Project Management skills a must: Determine when projects need to be initiated in order to optimize the Supply base or value stream. Plan Supplier related projects including identification of resources required for execution. Ensure the successful close of projects through appropriate control and tracking mechanisms
•Proficiently uses Microsoft Office & Other Desktop Applications for data mining and analysis. Experience in Microsoft Office programs and Microsoft Project and Visio
•Specific knowledge of Oracle R12 is preferred.
•Previous experience in a role requiring strong influence, coaching, and change management skills is a plus
•Experience with e-procurement and auction software platforms is a plus
•Knowledge of financial accounting, strategic sourcing, and supplier management concepts.
•Must be self-motivated and work with minimal supervision.
•Strong interpersonal skills and can work well on teams with members from multiple functional areas.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

4027 - NPI Commodity Manager

The Supply Chain organization is responsible for assessing, sourcing, and managing SunPower’s module material suppliers, supporting SunPower’s module manufacturing operations located in the Philippines, China, and Mexico.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

•Work collaboratively with R&D engineers and material managers to develop and execute SunPower’s supply chain materials strategy
•Provide informational service to internal customers (R&D, Prod Development, Operations) on strategic commodities.
•Assess and select potential new material suppliers
•Identify and map worldwide/regionally for strategic materials required by SunPower.
•Plan, develop and implement tailored development plans for strategic supplies from potential suppliers
•Monitor and report progress. Suggest and implement corrective measures to ensure success in a timely manner.
•Exercise business acumen to analyze and manage the financial impact of various alternatives (i.e. calculate NPV/ROI for alternate supplier strategy)
•Project manage the introduction of new toolsets including spec development, manufacturing Have superior communication skills to handle all facets of strong Supplier relationships.
•Prepare and Conduct presentations for technical interface with strategic Suppliers
•monitoring, tool delivery, and installation
•Achieve cost, quality, and delivery goals and objectives for SunPower modules.
•Strive to achieve competitive sourcing among multiple qualified suppliers through development and execution of commodity strategies
•Develop and negotiate supply contracts
•Develop and maintain productive business relationships with key executives at suppliers
•Design and execute enhanced new product introduction business processes
•Manage supplier performance and capability development
•Travel required as needed 30% (in Region)

Experience & Skills

•10+ years experience in a procurement, manufacturing operations, or sales environment
•5+ years supplier / supply chain management
•Experience assessing and rating the financial and operational capability of companies
•Ability to work independently, prioritize work and make decisions regarding formatting of work.
•Knowledge and experience in the use of ERP system (Oracle)
•Experience in the use of Microsoft Office required
•Track record of cost reduction through innovative sourcing effort High demand for presentations.
•Exceptional ability to solve problems and coordinate with global team members
•Highly adaptable in a very dynamic and changing environment
•Active understanding of the solar Supplier and equipment base. Material control and inventory management experience a plus.

Education

•BS/BA degree required; Engineering degree preferred
•MBA,MS/MA desired.

Qualifications

•Demonstrated ability to work successfully in a highly matrixed environment
•Ability to successfully interact and positively influence at all levels within organizations, included executive levels
•Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Fluent in English.
•Ability to assess the financial condition and operational capability of suppliers
•Strong business acumen
•Outsourcing experience a plus
•Strong analytical skills (i.e. cost modeling, quotation analysis, supplier selection)
•Proven track record in cost reduction.
•Extensive negotiation experience of large or multi-year contracts with global suppliers
•Expert knowledge in quality principles as applied to manufacturing /sourcing environment
•Knowledge and experience with Continuous Improvement and Six Sigma methodologies.
•Knowledge of NEC, UL, IEC requirements
•Ability to work in a rapid pace, very dynamic and changing environment.
•Ability to successfully interact and positively influence at several levels within the organization to adopt and execute the sourcing strategy.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

4035 - Supply Chain Planner - Richmond, CA

We are looking for an experienced, results oriented Supply Chain Planner to join our team in our Richmond, CA office. Working part time from our San Jose, CA office may be available.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Primary Responsibilities
•Manage and schedule delivery of materials to customer sites according to material availability
•Work internally within Operations with Logistics, Purchasing, and Manufacturing teams to prioritize material deliveries according to your schedule
•Act on behalf of the customer to manage and solve critical issues within Operations that affect customer satisfaction
•Manage allocation of constrained material between customers by brokering agreements between the different field personnel and management if necessary to best benefit SunPower and the customers
•Maintain on time delivery of material and customer lead time performance at or above stated goals
•Manage and resolve exceptions using Oracle’s Advanced Supply Chain Planning and Global Order Promise application
•Maintain accurate scheduling dates in Oracle’s Order Management application
•Contribute to continuous improvement of Operations by alerting management of key process issues, including root causes, suggestions for improvement, and implementation

Requirements
•4-6 year s experience in a related field
•Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related discipline
•Excellent written and verbal communication skills
•Ability to be extremely proactive and drive for results
•Ability to be flexible and go beyond the everyday job requirements to get a problem solved
•Ability to solve issues independently, but prioritize and escalate appropriate issues when necessary
•Advanced MS Excel skills and proficiency in MS Office applications
•Proficiency in an ERP application such as Oracle or SAP

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

SunPower Announces the Most Powerful Solar Tracker for Power Plant Applications

SunPower Announces the Most Powerful Solar Tracker for Power Plant Applications
Tuesday October 27, 8:00 am ET


SunPower T20 Tracker Evolution Delivers Maximum Energy with 128-cell, 400-Watt High Efficiency Solar Panel

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At the Solar Power International 2009 conference today, SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWRA - News, SPWRB - News), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, launched the next generation of its SunPower® T20 Tracker (T20 Tracker). It is the most powerful solar tracker on the market today, incorporating SunPower's high-efficiency 128-cell, 400-watt solar panels for maximum energy output.

SunPower's newest T20 Tracker is a single axis, ground mounted tracker that follows the sun to deliver the highest system performance. It is pre-assembled for a fast, simple and scalable installation and offers customers a choice of design options to meet specific site needs. With fewer moving parts and refined mechanical structure, the T20 Tracker provides increased reliability, durability, less maintenance, and better wind resistance than conventional trackers. Each T20 Tracker unit generates up to 3.7 kilowatts of power and, by following the sun, delivers up to 30 percent more energy than a fixed tilt system of the same capacity.

"The superior design of the latest SunPower T20 Tracker evolves from our experience in deploying more than 200 megawatts of solar photovoltaic (PV) tracking systems worldwide," said Tom Werner, SunPower's CEO. "This tracker is at the core of SunPower's advanced PV power plant technologies which deliver the lowest levelized cost of energy for utility power plants today."

This next generation T20 Tracker also features the new SunPower TMAC Advanced Tracker Controller (TMAC), the most innovative PV tracker control system on the market today. Its features include real-time tracker status updates, remote monitoring and control, proprietary energy production optimization algorithms, and superior reliability even in harsh environments. In addition, the TMAC enables power plant operators to wirelessly monitor the status of the T20 Tracker in real-time through the SunPower power plant SCADA control system, giving them the option to control the array from a central operations center.

SunPower will begin constructing power plant projects using the new T20 Tracker beginning in early 2010.

About SunPower

Founded in 1985, SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA - News, SPWRB - News) designs, manufactures and delivers the planet's most powerful solar technology broadly available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's experience and proven results to maximize return on investment. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.

Friday, October 16, 2009

3971 - Sales Executive - Trenton, NJ

We are seeking an experienced Large Accounts Sales Executive to create and implement strategies and tactics to develop accounts with large, multi-location private sector companies and public agencies. Large Accounts Executives are responsible for selling new and existing, multi-site and multi-opportunity project accounts with annual revenues on the order of $10M - $50+M.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

This position will be responsible for all facets of commercial photovoltaic systems sales including but not limited to:

•Meeting personal sales goals
•Researching and analyzing target markets
•Developing tactical execution plans for coverage of assigned accounts and/or segment
•Identifying key decision makers and relationships within assigned segment that translate into new revenue opportunities
•Performing customer needs assessments and mappings
•Performing opportunity assessments based on customer needs
•Developing and presenting customer focused product and service presentations
•Accessing available solar rebates and incentives
•Completing initial location and building audits and working with proposal development team and Structured Finance team to insure best pricing with maximum margin
•Generating quotes and formal proposal packages, including leading SunPower proposal teams
•Working with in-house counsel to develop contract terms
•Working with SunPower and Client Marketing Teams on developing tandem promotional opportunities
•Leading hand-off of purchase agreements to system installation personnel
•Assessing market conditions to identify necessary product and service offering modifications
•After-Sale account management leading to future orders(Farming)


Education and Experience

•B.S. in a technical area and experience with energy related products preferred.
•Proven track record in complex and strategic sales spanning at least 10 years, selling $10M+ projects over 9 -12 month sales cycles to first-time and repeat buyers for whom multiple people make the buying decision
•Experience working with large, multi-location companies operating in multiple states
•Experience in Deal Structuring and financing is strongly preferred
•Experience selling in the energy and/or construction industry is preferred


Qualifications

•Demonstrated ability to develop new business relationships quickly and to close business
•Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
•Demonstrated ability to manage and interface effectively with cross-functional employee groups of all levels and competencies
•Ability to perform and interpret financial analysis and provide appropriate data and information
•Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills
•Excellent interpersonal and time management skills
•Ability to demonstrate photovoltaic and construction industry expertise
•Ability to deal comfortably and professionally in a wide spectrum of settings
•Fluency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word


This position is based in Trenton, New Jersey with up to 40% overnight travel.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Where the clean-tech jobs are

Where the clean-tech jobs are
by Candace Lombardi

General unemployment may be on the rise, but the clean-tech sector should be a bright spot for job seekers, according to a report released Thursday by Clean Edge research.

The clean-technology sector was one of the largest recipients of venture capital last year, raising about $3.35 billion in the U.S., according to New Energy Finance statistics in the the "Clean Tech Job Trends 2009" report (PDF).

Unlike most reports from research firms, this one is free to download in full.

The 29-page report, which also draws on statistics from other organizations such as the Pew Charitable Trusts, includes a plethora of useful information for the clean-tech job hunter, including schools offering green career training, job posting and social media sites dedicated to clean-tech jobs, a list of the largest clean-tech employers, and a list of the best green-tech blogs.

Based on the number of job postings and placements, and public and private investment, the report found the solar industry to be the leading clean-tech sector, followed by biofuels and biomaterials, conservation and efficiency, smart grids, and wind power.
(Credit: Clean Edge)

For those willing to move for a job, the report lists the 15 areas in the U.S. where people are likely to find the most clean-tech job activity, as well as a separate list for global clean-tech hotspots.


"Unlike the early days of computers and IT, the clean-tech economy is a highly dispersed phenomenon, with no single place, industry, or professional demographic controlling the sector," Ron Pernick, co-founder and managing director of Clean Edge, said in a statement.

Not surprisingly, the San Francisco and Los Angeles greater metropolitan areas topped the U.S. list at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The greater New York metropolitan area (which includes northern New Jersey and Long Island) was No. 3 for clean-tech jobs. Here's the breakdown:

1. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
2. Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County
3. New York-northern New Jersey-Long Island (N.Y.-N.J.-Conn.-Pa.)
4. Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton (Mass., N.H.)
5. Washington, D.C.-Baltimore (Md., Va., W.V.)
6. Denver-Boulder-Greeley
7. Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton
8. Portland-Salem
9. Chicago-Gary-Kenosha (Ill., Ind., Wisc.)
10. Sacramento-Yolo County
11. San Diego
12. Austin-San Marcos, Texas
13. Phoenix
14. Detroit-Ann Arbor
15. Houston-Galveston-Brazoria

The report also contains a comprehensive spreadsheet detailing the type of clean-tech jobs available, the typical degree level required, and the median pay levels. The jobs range in median pay from $36,100 to $106,000.

And while some jobs like project developer or geothermal power engineer required a bachelor's degree or even a specified engineering degree, most of the jobs on the list were true "green-collar" jobs in that they only require a high school diploma. Those jobs included HVAC service technician, journeyman lineman for smart grid, network operations center technician for smart grid, solar fabrication technician, and solar energy system installer.

Friday, September 25, 2009

SUNPOWER CORPORATION'S VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

3826 - Project Designer

The Project Designer-Ground creates site-specific designs for the deployment of SunPower Systems products, applying design guidelines and working with internal and external customers to define and meet unique project requirements for large -scale ground mounted solar arrays. Generates full sets of construction documents or oversees one or more drafters to execute construction drawings, and generates bills of material, specifications, and other documents in support of the in-house construction project management team. Manages external engineering sub-consultants; assists salespeople and construction Project managers with design related questions; responds to Requests For Information (RFIs) from the field during construction.

Job duties include the following:
•Leads in defining a project’s functional and spatial requirements. Estimates costs and develops schedules for the design of rooftop and ground mounted solar arrays.
•Prepares mechanical, electrical, civil and structural designs for free standing ground-mounted solar arrays
•Oversees one or more drafters who execute construction drawings
•Schedules and leads Design Review meetings; assists project manager in updating overall project schedule and budget
•Updates and maintains design schedule dates in Excel or MS Project. Creates new schedules as needed.
•Leads multiple project designs simultaneously; manages competing priorities and overcomes obstacles to successfully meet submittal dates
•Creates Scopes of Work for engineering consultants and modifies and updates the boilerplate scopes as needed
•Creates and updates CSI format specifications unique to project and site requirements
•Manages engineering consultants for calculations, drawing packages, professional stamps
•Meets with external customers and construction subcontractors to discuss design options, address concerns, and reduce costs
•Uses understanding of construction logistics, material and labor costs to optimize designs
•Is local expert to Salespeople and construction Project Managers with design related questions, responding to RFIs from the field
•Mentors more junior engineers
•Reviews and approves Bills of Materials for all product types;
•Effectively directs and utilizes administrative resources in repetitive tasks such as generating plots and updating schedules
•Assists in updating and maintaining drawing set templates based on updates from product design or other sources of new information

Education and Experience
•Bachelors degree in Civil or Mechanical Engineering, or a Masters degree in Architecture
•5-7 years experience in the design field
•PE or equivalent foreign certifications are a plus; professional development is encouraged

Qualifications
•Excellent, demonstrated civil design skills
•Ability to delegate and prioritize work of drafters, technicians, and interns
•Strong AutoCAD skills and proven ability to generate accurate, highly-detailed construction drawings
•Strong familiarity with construction and electrical codes
•Proven ability to successfully procure, monitor, and assess subcontracted consultants
•Strong analytical skills
•Well-developed and professional interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively with people at all levels of the organization, as well as outside customers and vendors.
•Ability to work in a team environment with a customer service focus.
•Sufficient organizational skills to manage time well, prioritize effectively, and handle multiple deadlines.
•Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
•Must be computer-savvy - strong knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Level descriptors:
•An experienced professional who has substantial understanding of the job and applies knowledge and skills to complete a wide range of tasks. As a skilled specialist, resolves a wide range of issues in resourceful and creative ways.
•Works on assignments requiring considerable judgment and initiative. Understands implications of work and makes recommendations for solutions. Builds productive internal and external working relationships.
•Normally receives little instruction on day-to-day work, general instructions on new assignments.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

3817 - Senior Construction Manager

This position is the on-site field representative for SunPower’s large scale commercial construction projects. The Construction Manger coordinates all of the materials deliveries and subcontractors’ work; ensures that the systems are installed correctly and provides feedback to the design team. Senior level Construction Managers may manage multiple medium to large installations or one mega installation at any given time.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

•Pre-plans the installation of the SunPower product and related items and reviewsthe contract documents to ensure compliance with all required provisions.

•Provides on-site oversight of contractors and trades

•May oversee more junior construction managers on a per project basis

•Provides main day-to-day customer interface

•Manages site safety program; includes holding safety tailgates, carrying out accident investigations, and ensuring contractor compliance with SunPower, customer, and government safety guidelines

•Arranges for the delivery of the SunPower products; schedules and coordinates the installation of the products with the customer, subcontractors and inspectors.

•Provides feedback to product development.

•Closes out the project and turns it over to Customer Service.

•Mentors more junior Construction Management Staff


Education and Experience

•Associate degree or equivalent experience
•6+ years of commercial construction, carpentry, and/or roofing experience
•Experience with electrical systems and wiring is strongly preferred

Qualifications

•Strong Familiarity with construction and electrical codes
•Strong analytical skills
•Well-developed and professional interpersonal skills; ability to interact effectively with people at all levels of the organization, as well as outside customers and vendors.
•Ability to work in a team environment with a customer service focus.
•Organizational skills needed to manage time well, prioritize effectively, and handle multiple deadlines.
•Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
•Must be computer-savvy - strong knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); familiarity with MS Project a plus

Physical Requirements

This position is physically demanding and can require a great deal of travel, often on short notice. Construction Managers may regularly lift up to 40 pounds and be required to work in hot or cold weather.

Other requirements

Valid drivers license

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

3927 - Residential Channel Manager, North America

SunPower Corp. (www.sunpowercorp.com) manufactures the world’s highest efficiency solar cells and solar panels. Our products are preferred by customers worldwide by virtue of best-in-class performance and superior appearance. SunPower has a rapidly expanding international presence. The SunPower Residential and Light Commercial (RLC) Business Unit is responsible for worldwide sales to solar installer / resellers serving the residential and small commercial markets. The Residential Channel Manager will lead the North American RLC Business Unit efforts to develop the residential dealer channel. The position reports to the Director of Channel Development.

This role would suit a self-motivated, results-oriented individual who is comfortable in an entrepreneurial culture within a big company. The ideal candidate is someone capable and interested in forming and implementing an aggressive channel strategy via driving and coordinating internal stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

To succeed in this role the candidate will possess a combination of big-picture vision, creativity with detail-oriented execution skills and the ability to convince external and internal stakeholders of the validity of the approach.

Responsibilities
•Manage channel strategy formation and execution including developing dealer growth models to set dealer and network performance targets, respond to emerging competitive threats and continually enhance existing channel programs.
•Direct the product and service launch process into the channel including product and service forecasts, penetration strategy, internal communication and planning/execution new launches and transitions.
•Analyze channel competitive data to form competitive response plans based on detailed share analysis by region and sub-region and in-depth analysis of competitive offers and marketing programs
•Manage channel pricing strategy
•Lead the channel planning process including interfacing with finance as part of a long term forecast plan and interfacing with sales operation on near term tactical issues
•Manage tactical channel issues including managing channel conflict, channel communication strategy and execution
•Interface with policy on channel related policy matters

Related Experience & Educational Requirements
Required
•Minimum of 10 years of marketing or business development experience with 3 years of channel experience from a global company with a dealer network.
•MBA or Masters from a top-tier school
•Strong skills in financial analysis, modeling, forecasting
•Energetic and forward-thinking with a demonstrated track record of exceptional judgment.
•Aggressive in pursuing new opportunities and is never satisfied with the status quo
•Ability to remain calm in the face of often chaotic market conditions and developing internal systems
•Vision and strong leadership with an ability to balance and prioritize competing interests
•Ability to drive collaboration across function and level within the business, including effectively driving action from colleagues in higher level positions. Efficient and effective communicator.

Other
•Up to 25% domestic / international travel

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

3928 - Product Marketing Manager

This position will be responsible for defining the market requirements for North American residential products and services. As the internal voice of all residential customers, including end customers, dealers and internal customers , you will be responsible for understanding residential customer needs, channel needs, product technology trends (module, inverter, mounting, monitoring), competitive trends and policy changes in order to form short and long term roadmaps and solution requirements for the Residential and Light Commercial Business Unit. You will work in the Channel Development Department, and you will work closely with channel management, R&D product line managers, operations and marketing to create market leading solutions. You will drive formation of the initial project funnel, own the MRD requirements, work with R&D & Ops to meet General Release Dates & collaborate with Channel Management on product transitions including end of life.

RESPONSIBILITIES
-Determine the North American residential customer segmentation.
-Identify segment market sizes, trends and product and service requirements.
-Assess residential product & services competitive thru a deep understanding of current and emerging technology trends (external & internal).
-Translate region-specific solar incentives and financial dynamics into product and service requirements and marketing strategies.
-Own customer cost model for system solution
-Manage new concepts funnel (pre Stage Gate 0) & propose new product concepts(SG0)
-Write & gain management approval on Market Requirements Documents (SG1)
-Own Voice of Customer (VOC) through frequent customer interaction on their needs
-Communicate solution roadmap & general release dates to internal customers
-Channel, trade show & training support for major product and service launches
-Facilitate customer feedback and collaboration with the SunPower engineering team on future technology development when appropriate
-Support the Corporate Strategy Group to assess partnership/M&A activities.
RELATED EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Required
-MBA and BS/MS in technical field (electrical engineering, computer science or equiv)
-Minimum 10 years of consumer product marketing experience.
-Minimum 5 years experience in developing product roadmaps & strategic plans.
-Travel domestically to customers and vendors. Occasional international travel.
-Position will be based in San Jose, CA

Preferred
-Experience in dealer networks.
-Experience in home improvement product sectors or experience in solar.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Monday, September 21, 2009

3803 - Senior Electrical Engineer

The Senior Electrical Engineer is responsible for the electrical design from PV modules to utility point of interconnection on projects ranging from 100kW to 10MW. The role involves project design and oversight of designs of junior level engineers. The Senior Electrical Engineer is expected to have a wide range of experience, varying from building industry and Code-based knowledge, to applied electrical engineering in DC and AC distribution. Candidates will have strong problem solving skills, being able to apply professional concepts and company objectives to resolve complex issues and unexpected engineering barriers. Candidates will have strong design, communication, and creative problem solving skills.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
•Preparation and oversight of project electrical design drawings complete with supporting calculations, including single line schematics, DC wiring schematics, electrical site plans, and equipment layouts.
•Oversee and manage a group of junior electrical design engineers to complete multiple projects. Manage several electrical design consultants to meet project workload.
•Project development activities: Site audits, identification of electrical design opportunities and constraints, preparation of proposal and project specification documents, evaluation and recommendation of major electrical components.
•Interaction with electric utilities to become familiar with specific codes to interconnect PV solar plants to the national grids.
•Interaction with existing and prospective vendors of major equipment, such as inverters, transformers, switchgear, electrical cable, etc.
•Evaluation of new commercial and utility PV industry products, including inverters and combiner boxes.
•Interaction with electrical contractors on job sites to answer questions, review change requests, revise designs as needed to accommodate unanticipated field conditions, etc.
•Support operation and maintenance personnel with electrical related expertise
•Interaction with field inspectors and plan checkers to evaluate proposed design methodology, with thorough Code knowledge and application

Education and Experience
•Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering or Architectural Engineering with an emphasis in power systems
•Minimum 10 years experience in Power Systems Design
•PV Commercial and utility scale power industry experience preferred
•PE license required
Knowledge/Skills
•Thorough knowledge of the NEC as it relates to commercial and industrial power systems design
•Knowledge of NEC Article 690 preferred
•Knowledge of electrical design, materials and methods of installation in power systems
•Knowledge of distribution and/or transmission design is a plus
•Proficient in power systems analysis software is a plus
•Proficiency with AutoCAD and generating detailed construction drawings
•Ability to coordinate and manage group of junior engineers to meet project deadlines
•Ability to evaluate, hire, and manage consultants for design of multiple projects
•Highly organized and capable of working on multiple projects
•Good communication skills

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

3957 - Sr. Design Manager

The Sr. Design manager is responsible for managing and mentoring the North American Design Department Managers, Group Leads, and Staff Engineers. This position reports to the Director of Global Design Services.

Job Responsibilities:

The Sr. Design Manager will be responsible for scheduling and managing multiple projects and technical teams. The Sr. Design Manager will also help Design Engineering Department Managers, Group Leads, and Staff Engineers organize, plan and schedule assigned tasks for their group to meet the Systems Organization deliverables. The Sr. Design Manager will interface with our internal Construction, Sales, Product Design, and Supply Chain organizations.

Job Requirements:

The Sr. Design Manager position requires that the candidate be a Licensed Architect or a Registered Professional Engineer who has 15+ years of project design experience. The Sr. Design Manager is also knowledgeable in design engineering related work and has project management experience leading technical design groups.
The Sr. Design Manager must have Land Permitting, Power Systems, or Industrial Building Design experience.
Candidate must also have strong communication, interpersonal and networking skills. Candidate must be able to foster a positive team-focused working environment.
Other experience necessary for this position include:

•Process management from proposal stage, project design through construction completion.
•Manage, track, collect and evaluate data from schedules and metrics to improve workflow process.
•Extensive working experience with building and electrical codes, standards, and specifications.
•Experienced in creating scopes of work for consultants.
•Coordinate work in a highly collaborative environment with other disciplines and consultants to meet overall project objectives.
•Proficient in reviewing and processing submittals and RFI’s.
•Proficient in AutoCAD and Microsoft Office
•Capable using Project Portfolio Management software Oracle & Primavera
•Responsible for Design Engineering Department budgets.
•Ability to set and meet aggressive design and engineering schedules.

Candidate will work in an office environment that requires occasional travel.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Friday, September 18, 2009

3888 - Senior Embedded Linux Software Engineer - Richmond, CA

This senior role is responsible for embedded systems firmware and software design and development as well as guiding and mentoring other team members in developing embedded systems. The successful candidate will be able to translate customer requirements into an embedded firmware and software architecture, create clear architectural specifications, and then implement the designs. This individual must communicate effectively with engineers from different disciplines as well as cross functional team members. A particular focus on systems level issues is required to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Participate in the development of product requirements for various projects. Create firmware and software architectures that support the product requirements. Be an advocate for best engineering practices and best software development processes. Participate in cross discipline engineering design reviews. Recommend development tool chains and other development equipment.
The successful Senior Embedded Software Engineer will implement firmware and software designs, including coding, coordinating with internal developers, and managing external resources. They will work proactively to find solutions to problems that arise during development, production, or deployment.

Education, Experience, and Qualifications
•Minimum 10 years embedded systems development experience with a strong focus on Linux firmware and software development. Hardware development experience a plus.
•BS or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. MS preferred.
•Complete mastery of state-of-the-art embedded Linux software development and a knowledge of embedded hardware development workflow. Solid understanding and knowledge of embedded operating systems, hardware platforms, electronic schematics, networking, and data communications.
•Experience interfacing into databases. Familiarity with developing Web applications and web services software.
•Experience managing external contract resources for development.
•Strong leadership ability, and an ability to manage a technical staff.
•Strong interest and skill in developing technical teams.
•Established track record of completing projects in a time- and resource-effective manner.
•Excellent written and verbal skills.

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

3743 - Performance Technician - Richmond, CA

This position is responsible for providing engineering test support for Photovoltaic system and component testing and evaluation projects in the Performance Group. SunPower’s Performance Group evaluates the performance of PV plants installed all over the world and to assist in the development of new module and systems technologies.

The position will support Performance Group research projects through the execution of various field tests, and through the set-up, assembly, and construction of experimental apparatus and equipment. The position will assist in designing experiments for performance-related research projects, and may assist in routine data analysis tasks. The position will also be responsible for the design, procurement, installation, programming and maintenance of custom monitoring systems. The position will be responsible for procurement and care of all necessary tools and equipment for monitoring and testing and for experimental set-ups.

The ideal person will have experience in testing and experimental design and set-up, and with running tests in both laboratory and field settings. The ideal candidate would also have experience with the configuration, installation, and maintenance of remote data acquisition systems. The candidate should have good analytical skills and highly-developed troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities. Some background in energy or electronics is preferred.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate with the group manager and other engineers to design and implement projects, tests and experiments
• Contribute to development of project plans, schedules and budgets.
• Work with external vendors and consultants and internal resources to complete projects and tests on time and within budget
• Design and build test set-ups
• Operate and maintain laboratory and field test equipment, including high-voltage
measuring equipment such as portable IV curve tracers, digital multi-meters, inspection equipment, etc.
• Specify, build, program, calibrate and commission custom in-house and remote data acquisition systems
• Perform daily monitoring and initial data analysis of data received from on-site and remote data acquisition systems; take action to troubleshoot and correct problems when they are detected
• Remove and replace meteorological sensors for calibration. Perform calibrations of monitoring equipment
• Perform product electrical performance characterization testing
• Prepare and write test reports, procedures, and other documentation
• Communicate results clearly through written reports and verbal communication

Education, Experience, and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in quantitative field (engineering, physics, math) preferred. Alternately, formal training at a Technical Institute (2 year degree) plus a minimum 2 years experience working in a Test Lab or engineering development environment.
• Able to read, and interpret mechanical drawings, electronic schematics, and test reports (CAD experience a plus)
• Capable of managing multiple tasks and driving to completion
• Capable of troubleshooting, analyzing, and identifying product failures or problems
• Mechanically adept at creating and designing test set-ups
• Capable of working with little supervision
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Able to work with multi-disciplined teams to obtain a common goal
• Strong organizational skills for maintaining quality records
• Able and willing to travel to customer or vendor facilities
• Computer knowledge (MS Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access)
• Impeccable attention to detail
• Machine shop or construction experience preferred

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Manager, System Design and Engineering - Richmond, CA

The System Design and Engineering Manager (SDEM) will be responsible for designing and engineering residential photo-voltaic systems for SunPower’s New Homes division. The SDEM will be responsible for developing and managing a team of design managers and engineers that will execute engineering design of residential photo-voltaic systems. This role includes developing division strategy for managing advanced system designs and technologies of components used in these systems. It also involves working with cross-functional development teams on new PV system products, and delivering accurate designs to builder customers on time. Ideally, this role will include developing and maintaining a knowledge base of PV electrical system technology and regulations (existing and pending), incorporating new technologies into designs, and developing cost effective methods that will deliver accurate designs on time.

The ideal person will have a deep understanding of engineering principles, concepts, and industry practices and wide-ranging experience in designing PV electrical systems, and modern inverter technology. Experience with industry standards and regulations for electrical generating systems required. Knowledge of object oriented programming and databases is considered a plus.

RESPONSIBILITIES
• Establish a Scalable Team
o Assess design needs of the SPNH group and identify the most cost effective resources or tools to address business needs
o Develop standardized operational procedures
o Train all existing and new hires to ensure that standardized procedures are being followed
o Develop and track metrics for all operational tasks that the group performs
• Develop cost effective and efficient PV system designs
o Maintain a knowledge base of PV system technology and components
o Maintain a knowledge base of regulations
o Develop and maintain processes and procedures for residential PV system design
o Own and manage the road map for the design automation tool.
o Primary liaison between NewHomes and SunPower’s software development team to maintain design automation tool and its database.
• Primary liaison between SPNH and Internal customers/functional leads
o Collaborate with other teams to launch new sales initiatives and to streamline current operations
o Collaborate with other teams to launch new products
o Primary contact for status on designs, and other major initiatives
• Government Contracts
o Support NewHomes group to develop proposals for government grants
o Lead and manage tasks pertaining to design on existing grants
• Other Responsibilities
o Authoring technical specifications, driving communication and cross group collaboration activities. Apply technical processes to complex problems and managing intricate schedules.
o Collaborate daily with internal and external customer(s) to determine specific needs and requirements and to counsel within the expertise area; including oversight and task execution.
o Develop and/or review program reports, technical papers, drawings, specifications, and procedures; organize, consolidate, and provide comments from various organizations, and prepare reports.
o Consult as industry expert with customer, advise on policy development, planning and implementation.
o Interface with various project team leaders daily to exchange information and coordinate related task performance. The responsibilities will include all activities from the inception to the close-out of projects.
o Execute project planning with attention to setting and meeting project design milestones.

QUALIFICATIONS
• 7-12 years experience in electrical engineering design or product design
• Hands-on prototyping capability
• Demonstrated ability to develop creative and innovative design solutions
• BS in Electrical Engineering or related technical field, MS beneficial, PE required.
• PE in electrical eng
• CAD skills
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Self motivated, with ability to work both independently and with multiple teams

Please send resume to David.Sneed@sunpowercorp.com.