Solar Manufacturing Lead
South Park Commons is a community and early-stage venture firm that helps talented founders and technologists move from an idea (-1) to a company (0). It runs a no-cost, no-equity residency program for ideation and exploration, and provides $1M to $10M in funding for founders ready to build venture-scale companies.
About South Park Commons
South Park Commons operates a talent-dense community of technical founders, researchers, and domain experts who test ideas, find collaborators, and build conviction on what to build and how to build it. Its offering spans two stages: a six-month Residency with no cost or equity focused on ideation and exploration, and Funding of $1M to $10M for members ready to build venture-scale companies. Beyond capital, SPC provides learning forums on frontier topics (embodied AI, reinforcement learning, energy-efficient computing, AI in biotech), live programming with industry leaders, partner collaboration from a team of former founders and operators, social scaffolding to counter the isolation of early company building, and up to $1M in credits and perks from partners like Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, GCP, and AWS. SPC has spaces in San Francisco, New York, and Bengaluru, and its community has produced companies such as Render, Luma Labs, Pilot, Comun, Anthropic, Unit21, and Profound.
Skills
About the Role
You will spearhead the stand-up of an in-house solar module production line, bridging the gap between design and production and owning the vertical integration of this critical component. You will serve as the primary technical point of contact with external partners and internal engineering resources, responsible for building this capability within the facility. You will execute the lab layout, equipment procurement, and process qualification required to build the high-performance solar arrays that power spacecraft.
Requirements
- 5+ years in solar module manufacturing or high-precision electromechanical assembly (semiconductor, medical device, or aerospace)
- B.S. in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Materials, or Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience
- Deep familiarity with PV module assembly (stringing, tabbing, encapsulation, and lamination)
- Demonstrated experience in New Product Introduction (NPI) and manufacturing line establishment
- Exceptional ability to work with external partners/vendors and translate complex technical IP into internal execution
Responsibilities
- Lead the end-to-end setup of the solar manufacturing lab, including facility requirements (cleanliness, ESD, climate control), equipment installation, and workstation optimization
- Act as the primary liaison with partners to leverage external technologies to build the line
- Work closely with engineering teams to master and document processes including stringing, lamination, and assembly
- Support the procurement and commissioning of production hardware (e.g., laser cutters, laminators, solar simulators/flash testers)
- Create and maintain detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Instructions (WIs) optimized for spacecraft requirements
- Lead the transition from initial pathfinder builds to full-rate flight production
- Identify and resolve manufacturing bottlenecks and yield issues
- Implement in-line quality controls, including Electroluminescence (EL) testing and flash testing, to ensure every module meets space-grade reliability standards
- Engage and evaluate tooling vendors and suppliers to secure the supply chain domestically and internationally
Benefits
- Equity compensation
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401k retirement plan
- Short & long term disability and life insurance
- Three weeks paid vacation for new employees
- 12 paid holidays
- Unlimited sick time
- Paid parental leave