SunPower Jobs Blog
Friday, November 6, 2009
3553 - Senior Staff Engineer, Module R&D
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
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
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
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'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
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
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.