Sr. Labor Compliance Operations Specialist

Title:Senior Labor Compliance Operations Specialist
Department: Labor Compliance
Location:Houston, TX
Supervisor: Sr. Manager of IRA Compliance
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Status:Permanent, Full-time

Work Status:Hybrid

SENIOR LABOR COMPLIANCE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Hanwha Qcells USA Corp (Qcells USA), headquartered in Houston, TX, specializes in providing utility-scale modules, solar photovoltaic (PV), and battery energy storage systems (BESS) project development, along with Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services for solar and BESS projects nationwide. Qcells USA delivers comprehensive turnkey solutions encompassing the entire utility-scale project lifecycle. By choosing Qcells USA for turnkey solutions, customers can reduce uncertainty and risk, leading to enhanced investment returns and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Qcells USA’s complete turnkey solutions seamlessly integrate the expertise of our Development, Module, and EPC teams, while ensuring close coordination with other vital internal groups such as Project Finance, Systems Integration, and Legal. This collaborative approach ensures that Qcells USA projects deliver exceptional value and performance. With several multi-billion-dollar investments, Qcells is pioneering the establishment of the only complete module supply chain in the U.S., including the expansion of our Georgia module manufacturing facility, which stands as the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

As an integral part of the global Qcells brand, Qcells USA benefits from a legacy of excellence in photovoltaic manufacturing. Qcells is renowned worldwide for its high-performance, superior-quality solar cells and modules. With dual headquarters in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ), Qcells operates under the umbrella of Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 500 company and one of the top 8 business conglomerates in South Korea.

SUMMARY

The Sr. Labor Compliance Operations Specialist. Serves as the operational backbone of the labor Compliance departments, responsible for developing and maintaining the systems, processes, reporting tools, data controls, and quality assurance practices necessary to support consistent labor compliance execution across Qcells USA’s EPC portfolio. This role focuses on operational excellence, standardization, data quality, reporting, automation, system administration, quality assurance, process implementation, and departmental performance measurements. The senior labor compliance operations specialist works closely with labor compliance leadership, senior labor compliance specialists,Labor compliance coordinators, project teams, and other internal stakeholders to ensure compliance processes are scalable, documented, measurable, and consistently executed. A key objective to this position is to provide centralized operational support so project and owner facing compliance. Leads can remain focused on project execution, subcontractor management, regulatory requirements, and owner audit engagement.This position reports to the Sr. Manager of IRA Compliance or another management personnel that the CEO of the Company may designate. This position is hybrid, based out of our Houston, TX office, requiring up to 4 days per week in the office. Standard working hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm or 9:00am to 6:00pm local time. This position is expected to travel up to 20%.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITIES
Labor Compliance Operations & Process Management

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve Labor Compliance Department standard operating procedures (SOPs), workflows, templates, checklists, and process documentation.
• Establish standardized processes across projects to promote consistency in labor compliance execution.
• Identify process gaps, inefficiencies, and recurring compliance issues and develop scalable solutions.
• Support implementation of new compliance requirements, project procedures, owner requirements, and departmental initiatives.
• Maintain departmental process maps, responsibility matrices, and operational guidance.
• Coordinate process changes across Labor Compliance personnel and affected project teams.
• Support onboarding and operational training for Labor Compliance personnel.

Compliance Systems Administration

• Serve as a primary operational administrator and subject matter resource for labor compliance systems and platforms utilized by the department.
• Support configuration, implementation, and ongoing administration of certified payroll and labor compliance platforms.
• Maintain standardized system configurations, user access, project setup requirements, reporting structures, and data standards.
• Coordinate with vendors and internal technology teams to resolve system issues and implement enhancements.
• Evaluate opportunities to automate manual compliance processes and reduce administrative workload.
• Support integration and standardization of information across multiple compliance systems.

Reporting Automation & Compliance Dashboards

• Develop and maintain standardized labor compliance dashboards, departmental reports, project reporting tools, and executive-level metrics.
• Automate recurring reporting wherever practical to improve accuracy, timeliness, and efficiency.
• Develop reporting that provides visibility into key compliance indicators, including certified payroll status, prevailing wage exceptions, apprenticeship performance, subcontractor compliance, documentation status, and corrective actions.
• Support owner- and project-specific reporting requirements by developing repeatable reporting processes and templates.
• Provide leadership with clear visibility into portfolio-level compliance performance and emerging risk.

Data Quality & Quality Assurance

• Establish and maintain data-quality standards across Labor Compliance systems and reports.
• Conduct recurring quality assurance reviews to identify incomplete, inconsistent, or inaccurate compliance information.
• Develop QA/QC processes for certified payroll records, apprenticeship data, subcontractor documentation, employee classifications, wage determinations, and other compliance records.
• Coordinate correction of data-quality issues with Labor Compliance Specialists, Coordinators, subcontractors, and project teams.
• Develop controls to ensure information used for owner reporting, audits, and compliance certifications is complete and supportable.
• Perform periodic internal reviews to evaluate adherence to departmental SOPs and compliance processes.

Department Metrics & Performance Management

• Establish, maintain, and report departmental key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational metrics.
• Track project and portfolio compliance trends to identify areas requiring additional resources, process changes, or management attention.
• Develop metrics related to reporting timeliness, payroll review status, apprenticeship utilization, subcontractor performance, corrective-action closure, and data completeness.
• Prepare recurring operational reports for Labor Compliance leadership.
• Assist leadership with workload forecasting, staffing analysis, and resource planning based on project volume and compliance requirements.

Operational Support

• Provide centralized operational support to Senior Labor Compliance Specialists and other project-facing compliance personnel.
• Assist with complex reporting requests, audit preparation, data validation, document collection, and compliance reconciliations.
• Support preparation of documentation requested by owners, auditors, tax-equity stakeholders, legal counsel, and internal management.
• Maintain standardized department records and documentation practices to support audit readiness.
• Coordinate special projects and department-wide initiatives assigned by Labor Compliance leadership.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by Management.

• Regular attendance, in accordance with company's attendance policy and supervisory assignment, is an essential job duty requirement for this position.
• Perform other duties and special projects, as assigned by Management.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
 

·          Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Construction Management, Data Analytics, Finance, Human Resources, Compliance, Information Systems, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

·          5+ years of progressive experience in compliance operations, construction compliance, project controls, business operations, data/reporting, payroll compliance, or a related function.

·          Demonstrated experience developing and implementing SOPs, workflows, process controls, or quality assurance programs.

·          Strong experience working with large datasets and performing data validation, reconciliation, and quality-control reviews.

·          Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.

·          Experience developing dashboards, recurring reports, and performance metrics.

·          Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to identify process gaps and implement practical solutions.

·          Ability to manage multiple priorities across a portfolio of active projects.

·          Strong written and verbal communication skills.

·          Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with project teams, operations, finance, legal, technology, and senior leadership.

·          High degree of organization, attention to detail, accountability, and operational discipline.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

·          Experience with IRA Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship (PWA) requirements.

·          Experience with Davis-Bacon Act or other federal/state prevailing wage requirements.

·          Experience supporting utility-scale solar, BESS, renewable energy, EPC, or large construction projects.

·          Experience with certified payroll and labor compliance management platforms.

·          Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or similar data visualization/reporting tools.

·          Experience with workflow automation or process automation tools.

·          Experience supporting internal or external compliance audits.

·          Knowledge of registered apprenticeship requirements and construction craft classifications.

·          Experience developing department-level KPIs and executive dashboards.

EXAMPLES OF PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Stationary Position: frequently remains stationary up to 90% of the time and sitting up to 8 hours in a day
• Move/Traverse: infrequently bend, stand, stoop and/or walk
• Carry Weight: infrequently carry weight and/or lift objects (light to heavy) weighing up to 10 pounds
• Hearing and Speech: frequently communicates with the ability to hear and talk on a regular basis with employees, coworkers, and all personnel matters; must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• Sight: frequent use of sight to detect images on computer, office documents, and office objects near and far
• Climb: occasionally ascends/descends on stairway to get to office upper and lower floors
• Travel: up to 20% as needed

EXAMPLES OF WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Regular professional, office business setting
• Noise level ranges from low to moderate (if in office setting)
• Noise level ranges from moderate to high (if on construction worksite)
• Under the Office Mobilization Plan (OMP) policy, the role may transition to an onsite or hybrid arrangement, as determined by business needs and the Head of Department

Hanwha Qcells is proud to be an at-will Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination against race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

It is important to note that the job descriptions provided by Qcells USA Corp are not intended to be comprehensive lists of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the positions. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice, reflecting our dynamic and evolving work environment.

We are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.  As part of this commitment, Hanwha Qcells will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us to request accommodations at

hr-usa@qcells.com