Sr. Director, Global EMS Operations

Description

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

We are seeking a highly experienced and execution-oriented Sr. Director of Global EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services) Operations to lead and optimize global production and contract manufacturing partnerships for residential energy system products, including Microinverters and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). This role is responsible for overseeing operational execution across EMS manufacturing sites in Vietnam and the U.S., managing cost and contract negotiations, driving production transitions, and ensuring supply readiness in alignment with product roadmaps and forecast demand.

In addition to production management, this role will have full accountability for total cost performance of EMS operations, including leadership in sourcing strategy, price benchmarking against internal purchasing teams, and direct involvement in commercial negotiations to drive cost reduction. It also requires strong understanding of manufacturing operations and engineering principles, enabling close collaboration with EMS partners on process readiness, quality control, and production ramp-up.

The Sr. Director will provide leadership across globally distributed teams in the U.S., Korea, and Vietnam, aligning priorities, execution timelines, and organizational responsibilities across sites and functions. The ideal candidate brings deep EMS experience, production strategy expertise, strong commercial and negotiation skills, and proven leadership in a global manufacturing environment.

This position is based out of Auburn Hills, Michigan, with 20% business travel (domestic and international).

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the strategic owner of EMS partnerships, accountable for total cost, production readiness, and long-term strategic competitiveness across multi-site global operations
• Lead end-to-end operational management of EMS partners across both Vietnam and U.S. production sites, ensuring performance, capacity alignment, quality, and cost control
• Own EMS commercial contracts, including volume agreements, service level expectations, markup/TLA terms, and change order processes
• Lead senior-level negotiations with EMS partners to establish long-term strategic agreements, ensuring competitiveness in cost, quality, and capacity.
• Take full responsibility for total cost performance of EMS operations, working with both EMS vendors and internal purchasing teams to benchmark pricing, optimize sourcing, and lead negotiations for cost competitiveness
• Define annual cost targets for EMS operations and lead initiatives to achieve them through sourcing optimization, vendor negotiations, and process improvements.
• Lead and track EMS operational KPIs (on-time delivery, yield, cost, scrap, throughput, capacity utilization), and resolve escalations in delivery, quality, or manufacturing readiness
• Drive site transition strategy: manage production ramp-down in Vietnam (e.g., Combiner, Hub) and ramp-up in the U.S. (e.g., Microinverter, ESS)
• Provide technical oversight and drive alignment with EMS engineering teams on process readiness, SOP compliance, yield improvement, and line qualification
• Collaborate with internal manufacturing engineering teams to ensure production processes meet design, certification, and scalability requirements
• Participate in design for manufacturability (DFM) discussions and lead early engagement with EMS vendors for engineering validation and pilot builds (EVT/DVT/PVT)
• Lead execution of New Product Introduction (NPI) at EMS sites, including production ramp planning and launch readiness
• Participate in and help lead the Global S&OP process; translate demand forecasts into executable manufacturing and supply plans
• Own PSI alignment across Sales, Supply Chain, and Operations to ensure balanced production, sales, and inventory planning that meets business and market targets.
• Provide functional leadership and coordination across cross-regional teams located in the U.S., Korea, and Vietnam
• Continuously improve EMS operating models to enhance cost competitiveness, quality, and agility
• Lead and mentor cross-regional teams (U.S., Korea, Vietnam), ensuring clear accountability, alignment of priorities, and strong execution discipline across sites and functions

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in supply chain operations, manufacturing program management, or EMS/contract manufacturing leadership (20+ years preferred for senior-level global EMS operations)
• Proven success managing multi-site, multi-product EMS vendors with both operational and commercial accountability
• Deep knowledge of EMS cost structures, global sourcing strategies, and complex contract negotiations
• Strong background in manufacturing engineering, including process setup, certification, yield improvement, and large-scale production ramp-up
• Demonstrated leadership in cross-geographic production transitions and New Product Introduction (NPI) execution
• Solid knowledge of demand planning, S&OP, production scheduling, and supply chain risk management
• Demonstrated ability to lead PSI/S&OP processes and translate them into executable EMS operations
• Proven track record of cost leadership, including setting and achieving multi-million-dollar cost reduction targets
• Exceptional communication, commercial negotiation, and stakeholder alignment skills
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or related field (Master’s preferred)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven experience in solar, ESS, or power electronics industries, with deep exposure to EMS and contract manufacturing partnerships
• Experience benchmarking EMS operating models against leading industry players and implementing best practices
• Strong familiarity with certification and compliance processes (UL 9540, UL 1741, ISO/IATF) and integrating them into EMS operations
• Track record of leading globally distributed teams across the U.S. and Asia ensuring operational alignment and performance
• Exceptional negotiation and influence skills, capable of engaging with senior EMS executives to secure long-term strategic agreements

Hanwha Q CELLS America Inc. (“HQCA”) is a Qcells company, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and providers of solar photovoltaic (PV) products and solutions. Headquartered in Irvine, California, HQCA has been rapidly expanding its business in North America through the expansion of products and solutions, including distributed energy solutions, direct-to-homeowner solar sales and financing, and EPC services. We provide an opportunity to be part of an exciting and growing world-class global business in an interesting and expanding industry of the future.

The salary range is required by the California Pay Transparency Act and may differ depending on the location of those candidates hired nationwide. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to, skill set, education, licenses and certifications, essential job duties and requirements, and the necessary experience relative to the job’s minimum qualifications.

• This target salary range is for CA positions only and should not be interpreted as an offer of compensation.

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