Product Manager

At Canadian Solar, our vision is to make lives better by bringing electricity powered by the sun to millions of people worldwide. As a leading manufacturer of solar panels, inverters, and energy storage solutions, we’ve been an industry front-runner since our founding in 2001. Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in all parts of our organization as we navigate the complexities of a booming industry.

Throughout Canadian Solar’s subsidiaries, e-Storage, Recurrent Energy, MSS and CSI Solar Co., we invest in our employees’ growth. Our training programs and promotional opportunities ensure we all can continue to learn. We understand the importance of work-life balance and provide various flexible work options to support our employees’ well-being. Join our team to “Make the Difference” by creating a lasting positive impact on the world and the communities where we operate.

The Product Manager is part of the engineering team responsible for leading a team that develops and delivers utility-scale energy storage solutions in the USA and globally. The Product Manager is tasked with defining the overall integrated energy storage solution, including gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, defining the product vision, and working closely with engineering, execution, and business development teams. The ideal candidate will have detailed knowledge of current battery energy storage technologies and experience in integrating batteries, inverters, and plant controls.

Responsibilities:

• Implement operational improvements by establishing robust procedures and systems.
• Empower teams through effective delegation and leadership.
• Foster strong partnerships with both vendors and internal departments.
• Mentor and develop new recruits to build a strong team.
• Motivate and inspire team members to achieve their best.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer to ensure the continuous growth and success of the business.

Product Development and Qualification:

• Direct product roadmaps and market analysis; perform technical due diligence of equipment as part of the supplier validation process, including acceptance tests of the products.
• Develop BESS NPV and energy density models, quantifiable risk and margin models, and flexible capacity models.
• Drive the development of competitive and forward-looking BESS solutions with string inverters as a cornerstone of our core technology.
• Develop BESS solution management and customization for optimized BESS control, efficient O&M support, diversified integrated and certified energy station combinations, and diversify inverter and EMS supply.
• Develop technical product requirements for the qualification process and make supplier recommendations.
• Assist procurement and engineering teams in technical review of proposals submitted and assist with negotiating technical requirements with suppliers.
• Follow codes and certifications as they develop, analyze their impact on the market and specific products, and make recommendations on how to leverage these developments.
• Communicate acceptance criteria, expected behaviors, and performance metrics to the QA team.

Business Development Support:

• Manage elements of the existing and future US and Americas product portfolio and its life cycle from strategic planning to tactical activities, including creating, maintaining, and updating product roadmaps.

• Main product focus: Central and String Battery Inverters.
• General Battery System knowledge.

Research, analyze, and draft market requirements for existing and new products by communicating with customers and sales teams, reading other information sources, and transferring these requirements into product and roadmap proposals. Present proposals to internal stakeholders to gain approval.

Act as an internal advocate for customer needs and requirements.

Drive new product ideas through the product development and/or system integration process. Interact with and influence other product leaders. Drive all related go-to-market and launch activities.

Work with the marketing team to launch and communicate new products and their features and measure the introduction and sales success of existing and new products.

Ability to travel up to 35% of the time, including international travel, and perform other related duties as assigned by management.

Requirements:

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related engineering discipline; preference given to postgraduate degrees in engineering.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in engineering and/or product development in inverters or the energy storage industry.
• Strong understanding of power electronics and battery technologies.
• Understanding and application of financial product calculation – product cost and product sales price definition, analysis, and recommendation.
• Ability to convincingly and effectively communicate with customers, independent engineers, laboratories, industry working groups, and regulatory authorities.
• Articulate with strong writing and presentation skills in person and remotely via webinar tools.
• Excellent social and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with others, both locally and across multiple time zones and different cultures.

Compensation & Benefits:

Canadian Solar offers a competitive salary plus fully comprehensive benefits and performance bonus package based on an annual objective achievement. Our generous benefits package includes a 401(k) Retirement Plan, medical/dental/life/disability program, vacation, and sick days. Canadian Solar Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.