Qcells North America · 1 day ago
Director, Software Product Strategy
San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$220K/yr - $260K/yr
12+ years expQcells North America is a leader in the solar photovoltaic industry, and they are seeking a Director of Software Product Strategy to lead their software product portfolio within the residential energy ecosystem. This role involves defining the vision for software products, developing roadmaps, and ensuring that software is integral to enhancing energy solutions.
Renewables & Environment
Responsibilities
Define an ambitious vision and strategy for the suite of software products that support our energy solutions
Develop a clear roadmap for each major software offering from mobile apps for system owners and installers to cloud-based monitoring, analytics, and grid integration services. Ensure the roadmap addresses customer needs and keeps us ahead of competitors’ software capabilities
Implement a “Single-Threaded Owner” model for software projects, assigning dedicated product owners (managers) for key software products or features. Mentor and guide these product managers to take end-to-end ownership of their domains, while ensuring their work aligns with the overall product strategy. Maintain oversight on how each product owner’s roadmap interconnects, eliminating silos and ensuring a cohesive ecosystem
Act as the chief product liaison with software engineering, UX/UI design, and CS teams. Work closely with these teams to translate product requirements into development plans, and be deeply involved in the software development lifecycle from sprint planning to feature testing
Ensure that requirements are well understood and that engineering efforts remain tightly aligned with product goals. Drive cross-functional alignment by coordinating with firmware/hardware teams for features that span hardware-software
Engage with users of our software (installers using the commissioning app, homeowners using the monitoring app, etc.) to gather feedback and identify pain points or opportunities. Stay informed on industry trends in energy management software, such as home energy automation, AI-driven energy insights, or utility demand response programs. Translate these insights into software requirements and innovative features that keep our products on the cutting edge
Qualification
Required
12+ years of product management experience with a focus on software products with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity (director or equivalent). A track record of leading product strategy for complex software or cloud-based services, ideally in domains like energy management, or IoT software. Prior experience delivering mobile applications and web platforms through multiple release cycles is essential
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). Strong understanding of modern software development practices (cloud architectures, APIs, agile methodologies) and the ability to engage with architects and engineers on technical trade-offs
Solid grasp of the energy industry as it pertains to software including awareness of home energy monitoring solutions, installer operational software, and grid services platforms. Understanding of concepts like Virtual Power Plants, demand response, net metering, and how software interfaces between residential systems and utility grids. Knowledge of relevant protocols or standards (for example, OpenADR, IEEE 2030.5, SunSpec Modbus, etc.) is a plus
Demonstrated ability to set a strategic vision for software products and then drive execution to achieve it. Proven success in defining product roadmaps and delivering results that moved key metrics. Can balance long-term strategic projects with short-term iterations/improvements
Experience managing and mentoring product managers or product owners. Able to inspire and motivate a team, provide clear direction, and foster a high-performance culture. Comfortable delegating ownership to team members (in line with STO principles) while maintaining appropriate oversight
Excellent collaboration skills, with experience working in a matrixed environment. Able to synthesize input from design, engineering, data science, marketing, and operations into a coherent plan. Experience coordinating work across different geographic locations or time zones is important (e.g., U.S. and Asia development teams)
Strong proficiency in analyzing product data and using metrics to guide decisions. Familiar with tools for product analytics (Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.) and A/B testing frameworks. Able to set and track KPIs for software products and derive insights from them
Given the fast-evolving nature of software and the energy tech domain, must be quick to adapt and continuously curious. Stays up-to-date with emerging technologies (AI, edge computing, UI/UX trends) and evaluates how they could apply to our products
Strong understanding of North American solar and ESS market dynamics and regulatory frameworks
Preferred
Direct experience at a company that develops software for solar/energy. This could provide valuable insight into user needs and pitfalls in this space
Experience working in or implementing an STO-type model. Understanding how to drive focus and ownership in a product team structure will be advantageous
A good eye for user experience and design. While not a designer, a successful product leader in this role appreciates what makes a great user interface and user journey. Any experience closely collaborating with UX teams or conducting user research is a plus
If APIs and integrations are part of the product scope, experience building products for developers or engaging with open-source communities can be useful. It indicates an ability to think about external developers as customers and create platforms that others can build upon
Deep knowledge of PV, Microinverter, ESS, Fleet Management, API, and grid integration technologies
Experience in strategic planning, product commercialization, or sales in the North American solar and ESS market
Company
Qcells North America
Qcells is a renowned complete energy solutions provider in solar cell and module, energy storage, downstream project business and energy retail.
501-1000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Qcells North America has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (11)
2024 (14)
2023 (8)
2022 (15)
2021 (4)
2020 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Danielle Merfeld
EVP and Global Chief Technology Officer
Taerim Kim
HR Generalist (Global CTO Org)
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