*Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. The Company will not sponsor or take over sponsorship of any employment visa, including without limitation, H-1B, O-1, E-3, TN status, or I-485 job portability or similar immigration processes.*

Development Engineer – Combiner Boxes & Load Break Disconnects

Location: Onsite — Chapel Hill, NC (relocating to Timberlake, NC in late 2026)
Department: Energy Storage
Employment: Full-Time / Exempt
Reports to: Chief Technology Officer

About the Role

We’re seeking a Combiner Box Designer to design, validate, and industrialize DC combiner boxes and load break disconnect solutions for utility-scale solar systems (up to 1,500 Vdc). You will own the product lifecycle—from concept and requirements through detailed design, testing/certification, supplier launch, and continuous field improvement.

This role blends electrical and mechanical design, thermal and reliability engineering, and NEC/UL compliance. You’ll work closely with engineering, field construction, suppliers, quality, and certification partners to deliver safe, reliable, and installer-friendly BOS products.

Key Responsibilities

Product Architecture & Requirements

• Convert stakeholder needs into Product Requirements Documents (PRDs).
• Define electrical architecture for 1,000/1,500 Vdc systems including string inputs, grounding, SPDs, and monitoring.
• Balance cost, performance, reliability, and installation ease.

Design & Engineering

• Own schematics, wiring diagrams, enclosure layouts, and component selection (fuses, busbars, disconnects, SPDs, sensors).
• Perform thermal, short-circuit, and electrical clearance/creepage analysis.
• Engineer busbars, conductor sizing, and load break disconnect integration.
• Design NEMA 3R/4/4X enclosures and cable entry/exit solutions.

Compliance & Certification

• Ensure compliance with NEC 690/705 and UL standards (UL 1741, UL 98, UL 508i, UL 1449, UL 50/50E, UL 486A-B).
• Develop and execute test plans (temperature rise, dielectric withstand, short-circuit, ingress/IP/NEMA).
• Create safety analyses, labels, DFMEA/PFMEA, and certification documentation.

Industrialization & Supplier Support

• Work with suppliers on tooling, busbar fabrication, sheet metal, and assembly processes.
• Define inspection criteria, PPAP/FAI requirements, and process controls.
• Drive value engineering, modular design, and part count reduction.

Field Support & Continuous Improvement

• Support pilot builds, FAT/SAT, and field deployments.
• Lead root cause analysis for issues like hot spots, loose terminations, or water ingress.
• Incorporate field learnings into updated standards and designs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering (preferred) or Mechanical/Mechatronics with strong electrical background.
• 3–7+ years designing power distribution products, switchgear, PV BOS, or industrial electrical enclosures.
• Experience with 1,000/1,500 Vdc systems, combiners, disconnects, busbars, and thermal considerations.
• Strong working knowledge of NEC, UL standards, and working with NRTLs (UL/ETL/TÜV).
• Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks/Inventor/Creo; schematics/wiring tools) and documentation control.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with UL 1741, UL 98, UL 508i, UL 50/50E, UL 1449, UL 486A-B.
• Hands-on busbar design, high-current joints, and thermal modeling.
• Familiarity with grounding/bonding and arc-mitigation principles.
• Enclosure design for harsh outdoor environments.
• Knowledge of DFM/DFA/DFR, PPAP/APQP, quality systems, and supplier development.
• Experience integrating monitoring electronics or industrial communications (Modbus/TCP, RS-485).

???????Work Environment

• 100% onsite role
• Office environment with occasional field and supplier travel (up to 25%)
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. (no visa sponsorship available)