Director of Equipment Engineering - Premier PV

Job Title: Director of Equipment Engineering & Maintenance (Greenfield)

Lead equipment validation (FAT, SAT, IQ/OQ/PQ).Ensure design-for-manufacturing (DFM) alignment with product and R&D teams. Establish engineering documentation, standards, and change control systems. Maintenance System Build-OutBuild the maintenance organization from the ground up, including hiring, training, and structuring teams. Implement and deploy a CMMS for asset management, work orders, and spare parts control. Establish: Preventive maintenance programs Predictive/condition-based maintenance systems Spare parts strategy and inventory optimization Drive early equipment reliability through commissioning and ramp phases. Embed Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) culture across operations. Process & Equipment Ownership Oversee equipment performance across key processes: Combiner Boxes Automated fastening, busbar assembly, enclosure handling Electrical test systems (hipot, continuity, insulation resistance) Cable & Harnesses Cutting, stripping, crimping, sealing, routing Crimp force monitoring and pull testing Overmolded Harnesses Injection molding presses, tooling, and auxiliary systems Material drying, handling, and process control Ensure process capability, repeatability, and robust error-proofing (poka-yoke).Standardize equipment and processes for multi-line replication. Automation, Controls & Digital Infrastructure Define and implement plant-wide automation architecture: PLCs, HMIs, SCADARobotics and automated assembly cells Vision inspection systems Deploy Industry 4.0 systems: Real-time equipment monitoring Data collection and analyticsMES integration and full product traceability Ensure cybersecurity and system reliability from day one. Capital Projects & Vendor Management Own multi-million-dollar CapEx planning and execution for equipment and tooling. Select and manage OEMs, integrators, and tooling suppliers. Drive project execution from concept through commissioning and ramp. Ensure all projects meet timeline, budget, and performance targets. Reliability & Operational Excellence Establish and track key performance metrics: OEE, uptime, MTBF, MTTRLead structured root cause analysis (RCA) and CAPA processes. Drive continuous improvement in: Throughput Changeover time (SMED) Scrap reduction (especially crimping and overmolding defects) Build a data-driven reliability engineering function. Quality, Safety & Compliance Ensure compliance with: OSHA, NFPA safety standardsUL and NEC requirements for eBOS productsISO 9001 / ISO 14001 systems Implement safe equipment design and maintenance practices (LOTO, arc flash).Support audits, validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), and quality systems from startup phase. Champion a zero-incident safety culture. New Product Introduction (NPI) Build scalable equipment solutions for new combiner box and harness designs. Partner with R&D to ensure seamless transition from prototype to production. Enable rapid product launches without disrupting ramp.