Senior Team Lead / Manager, Design & Construction Quality

Palmetto Finance is a branch of Palmetto focused on the democratization of the renewable energy industry. We provide homeowners with financial products to benefit from solar power, home efficiency products, and energy storage systems. We empower solar sales professionals and solar installation companies with access to our proprietary platform, financing, customer management system, and milestone submission system. Our #1 focus is a phenomenal experience for our customers and partners, evidenced in our growing financial product adoption. Palmetto Finance is growing rapidly and is prepared to continue growth.

Summary of Role

The Senior Team Lead / Manager, Design & Construction Quality, Palmetto Finance is responsible for leading a team of Quality Control Technicians located both inside and outside of the United States that are responsible for approving the deployment of quality, code compliant residential solar and storage installations by LightReach Certified Installers.

This role, in conjunction with Program Management, adjacent Manager(s) and Department Leadership is responsible for the training and allocation of team members to the Installation and Activation motions of the approval process, meeting and exceeding throughput metrics and service level agreements (SLA), while also keeping an eye towards continuous improvement of the team, process and policy.

This role will also be responsible for engaging Certified Installers at a regular cadence, in conjunction with Quality Control team and Relationship Management team members in order to communicate and cultivate best practices.

About You!

• You are obsessed with residential solar and storage construction best practices.
• You work well in a fast-paced environment and are nimble to adapt to new challenges.
• You are a professional communicator and able to navigate high-pressure technical conversations with internal personnel and Certified Installers.
• Ability to ruthlessly identify issues and work collaboratively to identify and / or craft solutions
• You’ve got a passion for servant leadership, willing to do whatever it takes to build a world class quality technician team.

Success Defined

• Team performance

• SLA (service level agreement) – Project review within 48 hours
• Accuracy – Drive accuracy of project reviews across all criteria points through training & process improvement
• Project Completion Rate – 95% completion rate against weekly throughput goals
• Drive feedback loops with EPCs and Relationship Management to improve success rates

Location

This role is based in Charlotte, NC or Charleston, SC (preferred).

Strategic & Tactical Responsibilities:

Pipeline, Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Oversee the detailed review of residential PV + storage construction project plans, designs, specifications and project construction execution
• Provide oversight of working queues; review approval and rejection queue volume, age and functionality and provide guidance to QC Team management to improve processes or platform efficacy.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to individual throughput and quality of work.
• Analyze performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and optimization.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives in quality assurance processes with Program Management and department Leadership
• Identify opportunities for efficiency gains and cost savings without compromising quality.
• Identify opportunities for team and individuals to increase industry and technical knowledge that supports both individual, team and business growth and objectives.
• Actively participate in issue resolution, both internal and external by working collaboratively with Relationship Management, Program Management and Leadership.
• Partner with Relationship Management and meet with partners to review quality and throughput metrics, field concerns and work to overcome hurdles.
• Implement corrective actions to address quality and financial concerns promptly.
• Ensure that QC practices contribute to overall Installer satisfaction by delivering reliable and consistent communications, reasonable requirements and transparent review practices
• Ensure that projects meet quality standards and financial guidelines.
• Conduct audits of team and vendor work to ensure a high degree of accurate application of criteria standards against project deliverables
• In collaboration with adjacent Manager(s) oversee and ensure the case management and partner chat support system is properly managed by ensuring adequate staffing and rotation and team understanding of engagement criteria and etiquette.
• Maintain, expand and iterate guiding documentation that comprises SOPs, training material and technical documentation, in conjunction with Program Management, adjacent Managers and department Leadership.
• In partnership with analytics, provide performance analytics on milestone completion rate, speed to completion, and common quality issues on a partner and portfolio basis.
• Establish and maintain strong lines of communication with People & Culture and support organizations which facilitate the engagement and management of employees outside of the United States.

Project Compliance

• Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations and company criteria related to solar installations.
• Establish processes for cost-effective quality assurance without compromising on project integrity.
• Stay informed about changing code regulations related to solar energy + storage projects in conjunction with Program Management
• Ensure the QC team is well-versed in the latest industry standards and code requirements.

Stakeholder Management:

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (Program Management, Tech, Leadership) to align quality goals with business objectives and goals.
• Communicate the importance of quality assurance in preventing costly rework and ensuring long-term project success.
• Collaborate in the evaluation and management of relationships with vendors and partners to ensure they meet quality and financial expectations in conjunction with Program Management.
• Collaborate on the implementation of processes to hold vendors accountable for performance in conjunction with Program Management.

Team Management

• Ensure thorough staffing and support of; review queues (Installation & Activation), staffing allocation based on strategic deployment of resources against payment timelines and support of internal communication methodologies.
• Ensure new hires are onboarded and trained in the responsibilities and SOPs of their roles to ensure robust and efficacious engagement.
• Provide training to the QC team on both quality assurance practices and financial considerations specific to PV projects.
• Ensure the team is equipped to identify quality issues that may impact financial outcomes.
• Manage vendors that work in the Activation queues
• Manage vendors that input project details post Activation
• Manage timesheets, time off requests, overtime and related requests and activities in accordance with Palmetto and team mate country of origin requirements

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Solar Energy Engineering
• Manager

• 5+ years of experience in a technical or construction based solar role
• 3+ years leading teams within the solar industry, particularly in a quality control

• 3+ years of experience in a technical or construction based solar role
• 1+ years leading teams within the solar industry, particularly in a quality control