PV Reliability Manager

Role Purpose

The PV Reliability Manager will help Corning move from testing execution to ownership of reliability requirements, qualification strategy, and product acceptance criteria. By building a capable reliability laboratory and leading certification and reliability-improvement efforts, this role will reduce product risk, improve speed to qualification, strengthen product data packages, and help deliver durable, commercially released solar modules aligned to Corning’s product-delivery and technology-integration strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the business’ technical expert for PV module reliability, qualification, certification, and reliability-laboratory development, supporting delivery of qualified current and next-generation solar products.
• Partner across Corning and with external partners to develop and execute reliability test plans, and product acceptance criteria. Leverage Corning Reliability’s expertise in glass, mechanical, and related material-performance testing while owning module-level reliability integration within MAP.
• Lead qualification and certification planning for new products, product changes, materials, suppliers, and manufacturing changes; coordinate technical engagement with external test laboratories, certification bodies, and key industry partners.
• Establish and continuously improve Corning’s reliability lab in alignment with Corning’s product-delivery plans, including equipment and capability planning, test methods, operating procedures, calibration and verification systems, safety, laboratory quality practices, and data-management systems.
• Lead or direct module-level accelerated testing, reliability evaluations, and failure investigations—including environmental, performance, safety, and durability testing—to identify degradation mechanisms, product risks, and near-limit conditions.
• Analyze and communicate reliability results through technical reports, risk assessments, product-readiness recommendations, and certification data packages that support product release, customer needs, and compliance requirements.
• Translate reliability learning into practical improvements in module design, materials, specifications, supplier requirements, manufacturing controls, and product quality architecture across the poly-to-module value chain.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to lab personnel and cross-functional teams, while helping build scalable internal reliability capability and standard work.
• Support production quality, engineering and operations as required to address quality and reliability topics which may include technically rigorous investigations for product failures, field-return issues, near-limit results, supplier concerns, and process excursions.
• Lead root-cause analysis and structured problem solving with, Quality, Materials, Process Engineering, Manufacturing, Corning’s Technology Community, suppliers, and external partners.
• Translate test outcomes into actionable improvements to module design, materials, specifications, manufacturing controls, supplier requirements, and product architecture.

Experiences/Education - Required

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, or another relevant technical/scientific discipline.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in photovoltaic reliability, module qualification, certification, laboratory operations, product engineering, quality engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Demonstrated hands-on expertise with photovoltaic module reliability testing and environmental test methods.
• Strong working knowledge of IEC 61215, IEC 61730, and related PV module qualification, safety, and certification standards.
• Experience operating, developing, improving, or commissioning a reliability, quality, or environmental-test laboratory.
• Experience with laboratory-quality systems, controlled procedures, calibration/verification programs, equipment maintenance, and traceable technical records.
• Strong technical writing, presentation, data-analysis, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and statistical/problem-solving tools.

Experiences/Education - Desired

• Direct experience with IEC/UL 61215, IEC/UL 61730, UL 2703, UL 3703, Qualification Plus, and related PV module, mounting-system, or component standards.
• Experience leading external laboratory audits, witness testing, production-factory surveillance, certification-body interactions, or technical reviews.
• Expertise in PV degradation mechanisms, accelerated stress testing, failure analysis, reliability modeling, and field-performance evaluation.
• Experience with Minitab, JMP, DOE, FMEA/FMECA, statistical analysis, or reliability-data modeling.