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Qcells Europe · 4 months ago

Sr. Director, Global EMS Operations

United States

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

15+ years exp

Qcells is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and providers of solar photovoltaic products and solutions, rapidly expanding its business in North America. They are seeking a highly experienced Sr. Director of Global EMS Operations to lead and optimize global production and contract manufacturing partnerships for residential energy systems, ensuring operational execution and cost performance across manufacturing sites.

ElectronicsEnergyEnergy StorageIndustrial EngineeringIndustrial ManufacturingManufacturingRenewable EnergySolar

Responsibilities

Serve as the strategic owner of EMS partnerships, accountable for total cost, production readiness, and long-term strategic competitiveness across multi-site global operations

Lead end-to-end operational management of EMS partners across both Vietnam and U.S. production sites, ensuring performance, capacity alignment, quality, and cost control

Own EMS commercial contracts, including volume agreements, service level expectations, markup/TLA terms, and change order processes

Lead senior-level negotiations with EMS partners to establish long-term strategic agreements, ensuring competitiveness in cost, quality, and capacity

Take full responsibility for total cost performance of EMS operations, working with both EMS vendors and internal purchasing teams to benchmark pricing, optimize sourcing, and lead negotiations for cost competitiveness

Define annual cost targets for EMS operations and lead initiatives to achieve them through sourcing optimization, vendor negotiations, and process improvements

Lead and track EMS operational KPIs (on-time delivery, yield, cost, scrap, throughput, capacity utilization), and resolve escalations in delivery, quality, or manufacturing readiness

Drive site transition strategy: manage production ramp-down in Vietnam (e.g., Combiner, Hub) and ramp-up in the U.S. (e.g., Microinverter, ESS)

Provide technical oversight and drive alignment with EMS engineering teams on process readiness, SOP compliance, yield improvement, and line qualification

Collaborate with internal manufacturing engineering teams to ensure production processes meet design, certification, and scalability requirements

Participate in design for manufacturability (DFM) discussions and lead early engagement with EMS vendors for engineering validation and pilot builds (EVT/DVT/PVT)

Lead execution of New Product Introduction (NPI) at EMS sites, including production ramp planning and launch readiness

Participate in and help lead the Global S&OP process; translate demand forecasts into executable manufacturing and supply plans

Own PSI alignment across Sales, Supply Chain, and Operations to ensure balanced production, sales, and inventory planning that meets business and market targets

Provide functional leadership and coordination across cross-regional teams located in the U.S., Korea, and Vietnam

Continuously improve EMS operating models to enhance cost competitiveness, quality, and agility

Lead and mentor cross-regional teams (U.S., Korea, Vietnam), ensuring clear accountability, alignment of priorities, and strong execution discipline across sites and functions

Qualification

EMS operations leadershipContract negotiationsManufacturing engineeringCost reduction strategiesSupply chain managementNew Product IntroductionGlobal sourcing strategiesStakeholder alignmentCommunication skillsLeadership skills

Required

15+ years of progressive leadership experience in supply chain operations, manufacturing program management, or EMS/contract manufacturing leadership (20+ years preferred for senior-level global EMS operations)

Proven success managing multi-site, multi-product EMS vendors with both operational and commercial accountability

Deep knowledge of EMS cost structures, global sourcing strategies, and complex contract negotiations

Strong background in manufacturing engineering, including process setup, certification, yield improvement, and large-scale production ramp-up

Demonstrated leadership in cross-geographic production transitions and New Product Introduction (NPI) execution

Solid knowledge of demand planning, S&OP, production scheduling, and supply chain risk management

Demonstrated ability to lead PSI/S&OP processes and translate them into executable EMS operations

Proven track record of cost leadership, including setting and achieving multi-million-dollar cost reduction targets

Exceptional communication, commercial negotiation, and stakeholder alignment skills

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or related field (Master's preferred)

Preferred

Proven experience in solar, ESS, or power electronics industries, with deep exposure to EMS and contract manufacturing partnerships

Experience benchmarking EMS operating models against leading industry players and implementing best practices

Strong familiarity with certification and compliance processes (UL 9540, UL 1741, ISO/IATF) and integrating them into EMS operations

Track record of leading globally distributed teams across the U.S. and Asia ensuring operational alignment and performance

Exceptional negotiation and influence skills, capable of engaging with senior EMS executives to secure long-term strategic agreements

Company

Qcells Europe

Glassdoor3.2

Qcells is a renowned complete energy solutions provider in solar cells and modules, energy storage solutions, downstream project business, and distributed energy solutions business.

Founded in 1999

Wolfen, Sachsen-Anhalt, DEU

1001-5000 employees