Senior Director of Pre-construction - Qcells

Title:Senior Director of Pre-construction

Department:Operation 3
Location:Teaneck, NJ
Supervisor:Head of Operation 3, EVP
FLSA Status: Salaried
Position Status:Permanent, Full-Time

Work Status (Remote/Hybrid/In-Office): Hybrid (Remote and NJ or OH Office)

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PRE-CONSTRUCTION

Hanwha Qcells USA Corp (“HQC US”) develops, invests, and delivers solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) projects through Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) services in North America, and Operation 3 is responsible for EPC operation for US Eastern Market with Qcells Enable which is NJ based HQC US’s subsidiary.

The company brings a decade of global leadership in solar PV to deliver utility-scale power generation plants customized for local and regional energy markets. HQC US offers the full spectrum of PV solutions – from the core technology of cells and modules to large-scale project development and investment. With proven capabilities across the solar and battery storage value chain, HQC US minimizes uncertainty and risk, and helps customers achieve a higher return on their investment in renewable energy.

SUMMARY

The Senior Director of Preconstruction will lead the internal Preconstruction Team of Operation 3 and will play a vital role within the Hanwha Q CELLS USA organization to enable our vision of becoming the leading solar solution provider in the Americas. As a key member of the EPC management team, the Senior Director is expected to draw upon a fundamental construction and engineering background and direct experience to lead all preconstruction and estimating efforts in support of the successful build out of MW scale ground mount PV and ESS power plants. The Senior Director will also build and mentor a large diverse cross functional team located throughout the Americas, as well as oversee a broad network of suppliers and partners. This position reports to the EVP of Operation 3, or another management personnel that the President of the Company may designate. This position is located in home office / NJ office / OH office and working hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm or 9:00am to 6:00pm Eastern time. Overtime and weekend working hours may be required as needed. This position is expected to travel up to 40%.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITIES
 

• Manage an extensive pipeline of PV solar and ESS projects from a diverse portfolio of internal developed and third-party clients. 
• Lead and coordinate with the internal EPC departmental teams in the planning, estimating, and design of solar PV solutions in the United States;
• Continuously measure and improve operational excellence, adapt and replicate best industry practices across business units to create highly competitive EPC organization;
• Establish and maintain positive and effective relationships and communication with client, Construction Manager, project team, consultants/architect/engineers, subcontractors, adjacent community, trade unions, governmental agencies.
• Be accountable to develop and successfully execute on cost reduction programs through value engineering evaluations, optimization of project execution, people, processes, and technologies;
• Cooperation with Project Management, Engineering, and Construction teams to improve design efficiency in terms of cost reduction through value engineering and to resolve technical issues on site;
• Collaborate with the Procurement team to develop and maintain a cost history database to be used in developing budgets and estimates throughout the preconstruction phase.Working with Procurement team and process, while working closely with counterparts in other geographical regions to develop synergies and standardize components;
• Work closely with the Project Control and Cost Management teams to successfully bid and win large scale ground mount PV power plants
• Develop preconstruction schedule and monitor progress utilizing project management and scheduling software accurately.
• Provide construction expertise and insight to accurately gauge project potential and highlight key risk areas; Participate in interviews and interview preparations for negotiated bids;
• Prepare and submit contract documents for legal and risk reviews
• Manage day-to-day operations through an effective action-oriented approach, provide executive level mentorship and leadership· to employees within the Preconstruction team;
• Organize and lead the transition meeting between the project execution team and the preconstruction team and coordinate the follow-up meetings.
• Hire and actively develop pre-construction and estimating staff. Facilitate comprehensive training and development of staff for successful careers with Qcells, and in the industry.
• Facilitate operational analysis process with execution team at the end of projects to report lessons learned for implementation in future project bids.
• Provide weekly updates and summary reports of key issues and project status to top management including Korea; and
• Perform other duties and special projects, as assigned by Executive Management.
• Regular attendance, in accordance with company's attendance policy and supervisory assignment, is an essential job duty requirement for this position

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or another related field is preferred
• Graduate degree in engineering or another related field is highly preferred
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in engineering or construction
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in solar engineering or construction
• Extensive track record of successfully designing and building large scale solar power plants preferably in the Americas, and a demonstrated track record of delivering results
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of all phases of the renewables power plant development, including engineering, procurement, and construction and project management
• Experience working with project developers and understanding of the RFP process
• Have insight to highlight key risk factors and provide and deliver best EPC cost estimates
• Solid experience with current solar EPC tools and processes, and remain current on best practices and trends in the industry
• Demonstrated track record of initiating programs that lead to significant cost reduction and/or performance improvement
• Ability to manage and lead large technical organizations, including significant experience managing numerous suppliers and contractors
• Capability to interact with leadership cross-culturally, both within and outside the organization
• Have both long-term strategic perspective and near-term action orientation, strong desire to continuously improve and push limits
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong team player with high degree of professionalism in which one conducts self at all times
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally

EXAMPLE OF PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Stationary Position: frequently remains stationary up to 90% of the time and sitting up to 8 hours in a day
• Move/Traverse: infrequently bend, stand, stoop and/or walk
• Carry Weight: infrequently carry weight and/or lift objects (light to heavy) weighing up to 10 pounds
• Hearing and Speech: frequently communicates with the ability to hear and talk on a regular basis with employees, coworkers, and all personnel matters; must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• Sight: frequent use of sight to detect images on computer, office documents, and office objects near and far
• Climb: occasionally ascends/descends on stairway to get to office upper and lower floors
• Travel: up to 40% as needed

EXAMPLE OF WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Regular professional, office business setting
• Noise level ranges from low to moderate (if in office setting)
• Noise level ranges from moderate to high (if on construction worksite)

Hanwha Qcells is proud to be an at-will Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination against race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

ItisimportanttonotethatthejobdescriptionsprovidedbyQcells USA Corpare not intendedtobecomprehensivelistsof all duties, responsibilities, orqualificationsassociatedwiththepositions. Duties and responsibilitiesmaychange at any time withorwithoutnotice, reflectingourdynamic and evolvingworkenvironment. 

We are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.  As part of this commitment, Hanwha Qcells will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us to request accommodations at hr-usa@qcells.com.

Nothing in this statement shall imply implicitly or explicitly a guarantee of employment outside our at-will employment opportunity.