Job Description:
Position Overview
The Manager, Product Applications leads the Product Applications team responsible for validating the performance, manufacturability, installation readiness, and market readiness of Nextpower mechanical and electro-mechanical components. This role manages the personnel, priorities, test execution, documentation quality, and development of the team that conducts Form-Fit-Function (FFF) testing, evaluates new design revisions, supports vendor qualification, and develops test components and fixtures.
The Manager ensures new products, updated designs, and components from new vendors meet Nextpower engineering, quality, safety, manufacturing, and installation requirements. This position partners closely with R&D Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Field Applications, Product Management, Project Engineering, and project teams to resolve design risks early, deliver customer-ready solutions, and support successful go-to-market launches.
Key Objectives
Lead and Develop Product Applications Personnel:
Manage, coach, and develop a team of Product Applications Engineers and technicians; set priorities, assign resources, review deliverables, and maintain accountability for safe, timely, and high-quality execution.
Validate New Products:
Ensure new product concepts and prototypes satisfy engineering requirements, customer needs, installation expectations, manufacturability objectives, and safety standards before launch.
Test and Approve Updated Designs of Existing Offerings:
Confirm revisions to existing components or assemblies maintain or improve system reliability, manufacturability, compatibility with adjacent parts, and installation quality.
Qualify New Vendors and Manufacturing Sources:
Oversee supplier and first-article testing to assess whether new vendors can consistently meet Nextpower design specifications, quality requirements, and manufacturing standards.
Scale Test Methods, Fixtures, and Reporting:
Standardize test plans, fixture development, structured data collection, and professional reporting so results are repeatable, actionable, and useful for engineering and business decisions.
Core Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Personnel Management
•Manage day-to-day work, project assignments, priorities, capacity, and schedules for Product Applications personnel supporting product testing, design validation, vendor qualification, and field issue resolution.
•Coach and develop team members through goal setting, performance feedback, technical review, mentoring, and career development planning.
•Review and approve test plans, test reports, recommendations, and cross-functional communications to ensure technical accuracy, consistency, and professional quality.
•Build a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement across all testing, construction, and field activities.
•Coordinate staffing and resource needs with leadership, vendors, R&D sites, and cross-functional stakeholders to meet tight project schedules and launch milestones.
New Product Testing & Validation
•Lead the team conducting Form-Fit-Function testing on new concepts, prototypes, and pre-production assemblies to confirm alignment with design intent.
•Oversee representative test setups in the R&D yard or other test environments to simulate installation and operational conditions.
•Ensure product notes, installation manuals, engineering requirements, and acceptance criteria are sufficient, accurate, and validated through testing.
•Identify design gaps or failure modes and drive resolution with R&D Design Engineering prior to go-to-market launch.
•Ensure safety evaluations are completed on new designs and comply with internal and applicable industry standards.
•Require structured data collection, analysis, and professional reporting for all critical test activities.
Testing of Updated / Revised Designs
•Manage validation of updated designs to ensure manufacturability, mechanical performance, compatibility with system interfaces, and readiness for field implementation.
•Guide review of updated drawings, specifications, product notes, installation manuals, and design requirements for completeness and ability to achieve design goals.
•Direct testing of individual parts and full assemblies to confirm functional requirements, compatibility with adjacent components, and installation procedures.
•Provide recommendations for improving installation instructions, product notes, design features, and value engineering based on test outcomes.
•Lead replication of customer-reported issues in the R&D yard and drive data-driven, field-ready solutions with appropriate stakeholders.
Vendor Qualification & Supplier Assessment
•Oversee Form-Fit-Function testing on first-article parts from new vendors to verify compliance with Nextpower specifications.
•Ensure verification of drawings, product notes, specifications, dimensional accuracy, and compatibility with adjacent components.
•Travel to vendor facilities, customer sites, suppliers, and third-party testing facilities for onsite inspections, test reviews, and pre-production validations as needed.
•Provide structured team feedback to Supply Chain, Vendor Quality, and Engineering to support supplier qualification and sourcing decisions.
•Manage and negotiate technical priorities and expectations with vendors, customers, and internal stakeholders.
Test Fixture, Process, and Documentation Development
•Lead the development and design of test fixtures, partial product assemblies, and qualification setups for in-house testing and vendor-facility use.
•Improve testing processes, report templates, review gates, and data-management practices to increase scalability, repeatability, and accuracy.
•Support R&D tracker installation sites by coordinating test setup, construction activities, data gathering, and safe work practices.
•Drive business processes that support accurate product configuration, product readiness, and scalable global project execution.
Additional Responsibilities
•Coordinate testing priorities with cross-functional teams and communicate status, risks, decisions, and escalations clearly to leadership.
•Partner with Product Management and Project Engineering to translate customer and field needs into product requirements and new product development inputs.
•Manage multiple projects concurrently while ensuring timely completion under tight schedules and maintaining high quality standards.
•Maintain a strong commitment to safety during all testing, construction, travel, vendor, and field activities.
Qualifications
•B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline required; M.S. in engineering or a related discipline preferred; or equivalent 8 years of experience in product testing, mechanical systems, structural/mechanical engineering, quality engineering, solar trackers, PV panels, or ground-mounted solar racking systems.
•2 years of experience leading people, managing personnel, or directly supervising technical engineering/test teams preferred.
•Utility-scale solar or tracker system experience highly preferred.
•Strong proficiency interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, product notes, and GD&T.
•Experience designing test components, fixtures, and representative qualification setups.
•Hands-on experience with measurement and testing tools, including torque tools, Skidmore, 3D scanners, thread gauges, calipers, and similar equipment.
•Familiarity with Arena, Jira, SolidWorks/CAD systems, and structured engineering change or product-development processes.
•Ability to safely lift up to 40 lbs. and work in outdoor R&D field environments.
•Knowledge of Nextpower products, tracker standards, PV panel standards, and applicable structural/building codes is highly desirable.
Skills & Competencies
Leadership & People Management
•Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, develop, and hold personnel accountable in a technical environment.
•Strong judgment in assigning work, balancing priorities, removing obstacles, and escalating risks.
•Ability to build a team culture that values safety, integrity, collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.
Technical & Analytical
•Demonstrated ability to lead rigorous testing programs and interpret results accurately.
•Strong analytical skills for evaluating mechanical performance, manufacturability, constructability, compatibility, and failure modes.
•High attention to detail with strong documentation, reporting, and data-presentation capabilities.
Collaboration & Communication
•Excellent communication skills for conveying technical results, priorities, decisions, and risks to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
•Proven ability to work cross-functionally with R&D Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Field Applications, Product Management, Project Engineering, vendors, and customers.
•Customer-focused mindset with the ability to support field teams and address customer issues through data-driven solutions.
Execution & Project Management
•Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent test efforts and personnel assignments.
•Adaptability to evolving project needs, new technologies, changing design directions, and urgent field requirements.
•Ability to work under pressure while maintaining high safety, quality, and documentation standards.
At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.
We are Nextpower