Job Description

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Quality Assurance, the Hardware Validation Engineer leads the product validation and equipment qualification of ConnectDER meter socket adapter products, including test case generation and execution, data analysis and reporting, and calibration. This role will also provide comprehensive product verification against established standards and industry best practices to ensure quality product behavior and requirement compliance.

**This is an onsite role which requires 5 days a week in our Philadelphia, PA office**

Core Functions/Duties

• Work with Electrical and Mechanical Engineering teams to design, develop, document and execute Test Strategies and methodologies for functional and performance testing, including test fixtures and instrumentation to plan, budget, and equip an in-house validation test lab.
• Working from the Product Requirements and Applicable Standards, define sets of validation test cases to execute during test cycle for new products and engineering or material changes. Provide detailed Test Plans and Test Reports, and maintain a repository of applicable test scenarios and results.
• Develop and execute Reliability/Life Cycle/Environmental testing, including ALT/HALT/HASS/HAST, Rain, Salt-Spray, Vibration, Shock, Drop, and Transportation.
• Develop, plan and manage external certification processes against applicable safety and quality standards – UL (414, 916, 489), ANSI (C12), NEC (2020), etc., including working with external test labs and on-site witness testing, scheduling, and performing certification tests.
• Plan and coordinate all product validation activities, including test priorities, material availability, test resource scheduling, troubleshooting and root cause analysis, defect assessments, remediations, and re-testing strategies Participate as required in project activities such as reviews of requirements, specification, code, design, construction, manufacturing. Be the champion for Design for Test within the team.
• Review product specifications, analyze defect trends, and provide feedback into the design engineering and requirements process to improve reliability and manufacturability of future products and product enhancements.
• Design and implement test automation strategies to improve the efficiency and repeatability of the test execution.
• Establish and document company-wide performance, quality, and reliability criteria, tracking products in development and in the field; Report performance quarterly.
• Prepare and maintain testing equipment, including equipment calibration certificates, and that damaged equipment is promptly repaired.

Compensation range for this role begins at $100,000 + bonus + equity

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualifications

WHO YOU ARE

PASSION – you thrive on creativity and invention and you understand how your work can impact the greater good.

ACCOUNTABILITY – people can count on you to do what you say, to take ownership of your performance, and to work hard to accomplish your goals.

INTEGRITY – you act with sound judgment, honesty, dependability, and consistency.

INCLUSION – you create an environment which fosters authenticity, diversity, innovation, collaboration, and respect.

ENTREPRENEURIAL – you enjoy working in a continuously evolving environment where everyone’s contribution is valued and essential.

MISSION-DRIVEN – you’re excited about renewable energy and you have a passion for clean technology.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering preferred

Required Experience

• 10 + years of experience in hardware testing
• Previous experience as a validation engineer or in a similar role
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and safety regulations
• Experience in system integration testing and hardware reliability testing of electrical and/or electromechanical systems
• Experience in test automation and developing custom automated solutions for validating hardware using Labview, C, Python, and/or JavaScript
• Experience in writing clear, concise and comprehensive test plans, test strategies, test cases and test reports
• Strong knowledge of QA methodologies, tools and processes
• Strong knowledge with ANSI and UL standards and testing procedures. Specific experience with UL414, ANSI C12.1, UL746C, UL2745, UL1449, UL489, and IEC 60068-2 are a plus
• Experience with environmental (temperature, rain, vibration, etc.) and/or reliability (ALT/HALT/HAST/HASS) testing and equipment

Preferred Experience

• Experience in test development and/or certification for Electric Meters, Meter Sockets and Adapters, Circuit Breakers or AC power management applications
• Knowledge of residential Solar installation, including PV and Inverter, and/or Electric Vehicle charging are a plus
• Experience testing Injection Molded Enclosures
• Knowledge of statistical software analysis (e.g. MATLAB)
• Previous experience working with Test Management tools
• Experience with Jira and Zephyr Scale a plus
• Previous experience working in Six Sigma Quality Standard environments

Key Competencies

• Works well independently
• Strong attention to detail
• Able to accurately document report findings
• Curious
• Process oriented
• Great communication skills

Work Environment/Physical Demands: Must have the ability to work on a computer for extended periods of time with or without accommodation.