Sr. Manager, System Test and Validation

The System Integration and Architecture Team is seeking an experienced technical leader to serve as Sr. Manager, System Test and Validation and lead Qcells’ System Test team.

This role will own the end-to-end system validation strategy for Qcells’ current and next-generation energy products, including AC modules, inverters, energy storage systems (ESS), energy management platforms, and integrated software solutions for the North American market.

The Sr. Manager will lead a multidisciplinary team of hardware, systems, and software engineers and will be responsible for developing scalable test methodologies, expanding laboratory capabilities, and increasing test automation. Working closely with Product Management, Development, QA, Deployment, and external test partners, this leader will ensure Qcells products meet functional, performance, reliability, and user requirements from early development through product release.

This position reports to the Head of the System Integration and Architecture Team and is based at the Qcells R&D Center in Santa Clara, CA. Travel of up to 20% is expected to Qcells offices and test facilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define, document, and execute comprehensive end-to-end system test and validation strategies for current and next-generation Qcells products.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team of hardware, systems, and software engineers focused on system testing and validation.
• Establish test plans, procedures, reporting standards, and records management processes that support product development and release.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, software, systems, and QA teams to define and execute system-level test requirements.
• Partner with Product Management to develop objective Alpha test plans based on user acceptance criteria, product requirements, and customer needs.
• Collaborate with Deployment teams to define and execute Beta test programs and incorporate field feedback into validation strategies.
• Lead the expansion of test laboratory capabilities in Santa Clara and other Qcells laboratory facilities.
• Identify and implement opportunities to increase hardware and software test automation, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.
• Develop scalable and repeatable test processes that improve coverage, efficiency, reliability, and speed of product validation.
• Collaborate with external laboratories, certification bodies, and third-party testing partners as required.
• Stay current on industry testing standards, regulatory requirements, technologies, and validation methodologies.
• Provide technical leadership across complex system-level issues, root-cause investigations, and cross-functional problem solving.
• Foster a team culture centered on accountability, collaboration, innovation, technical excellence, and continuous learning.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field; M.S. preferred.
• 5–10+ years of technical experience in energy storage systems, solar inverters, distributed energy resources, solar products, microgrids, power conversion systems, or other complex grid-connected/off-grid energy systems.
• Demonstrated experience with end-to-end product and system-level testing of complex hardware, firmware, and software systems.
• Strong understanding of system integration, functional validation, performance testing, and product-level verification.
• Experience developing test plans and validation strategies based on product requirements, user stories, and user acceptance criteria.
• Experience working across hardware, firmware, software, systems engineering, and product development organizations.
• Experience with hardware and software test automation methodologies and best practices.
• Knowledge of hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing principles and system simulation environments.
• Experience with IoT communications, data acquisition, databases, and command-and-control systems used in energy or connected products.
• Experience testing applications, user interfaces, or software tools that interact with connected hardware products.
• Proficiency in Python or a comparable scripting/programming language used for automation, testing, or data analysis.
• Experience analyzing large datasets and using data to identify trends, performance issues, and system-level anomalies.
• Demonstrated leadership experience guiding multidisciplinary engineering teams, projects, or technical programs.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root-cause problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to engineering teams, cross-functional partners, and executive leadership.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced product development environment.
• Strong decision-making, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively with global and multinational teams across different functions, cultures, and time zones.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience leading or managing multidisciplinary engineering or system test teams.
• Experience with team budgeting, resource planning, and technical program forecasting.
• Experience designing, expanding, or managing engineering laboratory infrastructure.
• Hands-on laboratory and outdoor product testing experience.
• Experience with regulatory compliance, certification, and safety testing for solar, ESS, inverter, or related energy products.
• Experience testing integrated systems with third-party hardware, software, or energy products.
• Field engineering, applications engineering, deployment, or customer-facing technical experience.
• Experience working with installers, O&M providers, field service organizations, or other end users to incorporate field requirements into product testing.
• Experience taking complex hardware/software products from early development through validation, commercialization, and deployment.
• Experience working in a startup, high-growth, or rapidly evolving engineering environment.
• Experience working within a global organization and collaborating with multinational engineering teams.
• Experience working effectively with colleagues whose primary language may differ from your own.