Department: Global Quality / Supplier Quality
Reports to: Senior Director, Supplier Quality
Location: Nashville, TN | Travel required
Employment Type: Full-time | Exempt
Level: Senior individual contributor / technical lead
Primary Scope: Inverters, battery energy storage systems, power electronics, controls, and related supplier-manufactured assemblies
Nextpower is seeking a technically strong Senior Supplier Quality Engineer to lead supplier quality performance for inverter and battery technologies supporting our utility-scale solar tracking and energy infrastructure product portfolio. This role will own quality execution across supplier selection, design transfer, qualification, production ramp, sustaining operations, and field performance.
The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of power electronics, energy storage, manufacturing, reliability, and commercial execution. They will prevent escapes before they become warranty events, build supplier capability rather than simply inspect supplier output, and drive fact-based corrective action when performance misses the mark.
Inverters and battery systems are safety-, reliability-, and performance-critical assets. Supplier quality directly affects availability, commissioning, warranty cost, customer confidence, and project margins.
Nextpower is scaling a complex product ecosystem. The role establishes repeatable quality controls across suppliers, factories, contract manufacturers, and project sites.
This position provides technical leadership without waiting for organizational permission. It is expected to identify risk early, create alignment quickly, and close the loop from supplier process to field outcome.
Own supplier quality strategy and performance for assigned inverter, battery, power conversion, and related electrical/electronic commodities.
Segment suppliers by technology, risk, volume, and business impact; establish surveillance, audit, inspection, and improvement plans.
Serve as the primary quality interface to strategic suppliers, contract manufacturers, internal engineering, operations, sourcing, and project teams.
Define supplier quality objectives, scorecards, escalation criteria, and executive-level reporting.
Lead supplier quality deliverables through APQP, PPAP, design transfer, pilot builds, production readiness, and ramp-up.
Review and approve process flows, PFMEAs, control plans, inspection plans, work instructions, test methods, and reaction plans.
Translate product requirements into CTQs, special characteristics, acceptance criteria, and traceability requirements.
Plan supplier qualification, process audits, run-at-rate, first article inspection, validation builds, reliability testing, and capability studies.
Evaluate manufacturing and test processes for inverter assemblies, battery modules and packs, BMS hardware, power electronics, thermal management, enclosures, harnesses, busbars, sensors, and controls.
Assess electrical safety, insulation resistance, dielectric withstand, grounding, creepage and clearance, thermal performance, EMC/EMI, vibration, ingress protection, and battery abuse risks.
Review validation evidence for capacity, performance, reliability, environmental durability, and end-of-line test coverage.
Ensure traceability at unit, lot, serial number, and component level as needed for warranty, regulatory, and field-failure investigation.
Lead supplier NCR, SCAR, 8D, and root-cause activities, with disciplined containment and verified effectiveness.
Drive measurable improvement in DPPM, first-pass yield, PPAP timing, NCR cycle time, supplier escapes, field failures, and cost of poor quality.
Use 8D, DMAIC, fault tree analysis, DOE, SPC, and other structured problem-solving methods.
Audit suppliers against ISO 9001 requirements, customer requirements, internal standards, and applicable electrical, battery, and product safety expectations.
Senior Supplier Quality Engineer - Inverter and Battery Technology
Bachelor’s degree in electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, quality engineering, or related technical field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
8+ years of progressive supplier quality, manufacturing quality, product quality, or quality engineering experience, with meaningful work in power electronics, inverters, batteries, energy storage, EV, industrial controls, or related technology.
Demonstrated experience leading supplier qualification, APQP/PPAP, process audits, production readiness, and corrective action with global suppliers or contract manufacturers.
Strong working knowledge of control plans, PFMEA, MSA, SPC, capability analysis, sampling plans, nonconformance systems, and change control.
Experience reading electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, mechanical drawings, specifications, test requirements, and manufacturing documentation.
Ability to interpret reliability, validation, electrical safety, and end-of-line test data and convert it into risk-based decisions.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally, typically 20-30%, for supplier, factory, and project-site visits.
Experience with utility-scale solar, battery energy storage systems, power conversion systems, industrial automation, electric vehicles, or grid-connected equipment.
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Supplier Quality Professional, Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or comparable certification.
Experience with battery cell/module/pack manufacturing, BMS, inverter test systems, thermal management, high-voltage safety, or energy storage commissioning.
Working knowledge of UL, IEC, IEEE, UN 38.3, EMC, grid interconnection, battery transport, and environmental requirements.
Experience with ERP, QMS, PLM, supplier portals, Power BI, or similar systems.
Technical judgment: understands how design, process, test, and supplier variation interact to create product risk.
Supplier influence: raises the bar while preserving productive relationships. Diplomacy is useful. Avoiding the issue is not.
Execution discipline: turns open actions into owners, dates, evidence, and verified closure.
Systems thinking: looks beyond the failed part to the process, specification, measurement system, and feedback loop.
Communication: explains complex risk clearly to engineers, operators, suppliers, executives, and customers.
Leadership: leads cross-functional teams and technical decisions without relying on direct authority.
Supplier PPAP and production-readiness deliverables are complete, risk-based, and on time before volume production or shipment.
Supplier DPPM, repeat defects, escapes, and field-related quality events show sustained improvement.
NCR and SCAR actions close within agreed targets, with verified effectiveness rather than administrative closure.
Critical suppliers demonstrate improved process capability, audit performance, traceability, test coverage, and change discipline.
Quality risks are visible early through accurate dashboards, documented escalation, and clear executive communication.
Internal: Supplier Quality, Quality Systems, Design Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Firmware and Software, NPI, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Sourcing, Service, Commissioning, Warranty, EHS, and Project Delivery.
External: Inverter and battery OEMs, component suppliers, contract manufacturers, test laboratories, logistics partners, and customer representatives.
This role is an opportunity to shape the quality system behind technologies that make renewable energy more dependable, scalable, and bankable. You will have visible impact on product performance, supplier capability, customer experience, and the company’s ability to grow without allowing complexity to become an excuse.
Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and we are committed to providing an inclusive workplace for all employees and applicants.
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.
Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Nextpower™ (formerly Nextracker) designs, engineers, and delivers an advanced energy technology platform for solar power plants, innovating across structural, electrical, and digital domains. Our integrated solutions are designed to streamline project execution, increase energy yield and long-term reliability, and enhance customer ROI. Building on over a decade of technology and market leadership, the company delivers intelligent power generation systems and services to meet rapidly expanding global electricity demand. Nextpower partners with the world’s leading energy companies to power what’s next.
