Head - Quality - Solar Cell Manufacturing

Head of Quality Solar Cell Manufacturing

Location: Gopalpur, Odisha

Reports To: Plant Head / COO

Experience: 15-20 years

About the Role:

Saatvik Solar is building an integrated solar cell manufacturing facility and is looking for a Quality Head to own the Quality Management System (QMS) end-to-end from incoming material to shipped product. This is a leadership role for someone who has run quality on a high-volume cell line before, ideally with greenfield commissioning experience, and wants to shape quality strategy and culture from the ground up.

What You'll Own:

- QMS Strategy & Governance: Design and implement the plant-wide QMS aligned to ISO 9001/14001/45001, building the framework rather than just maintaining it.

- Process Quality (IQC/IPQC/OQC): Full ownership of incoming, in-process, and outgoing quality across Texturing, Diffusion, LPCVD/PECVD, Laser, Metallization, Firing, and Testing & Sorting.

- Continuous Improvement: Drive SPC, Six Sigma, Lean, RCA, CAPA, and FMEA programs to reduce variation and defects; institutionalize a data-driven quality culture.

- Supplier & Customer Quality: Lead supplier quality audits and development, manage customer quality interfaces, and represent the plant in customer/third-party audits.

- NPI & Technology Transfer: Partner with engineering on commissioning, new product introduction (NPI), and TOPCon/N-type technology transfer, embedding quality gates from day one.

- Team Leadership: Build, mentor, and scale the QA/QC organization; develop a culture where quality is owned on the line, not just inspected at the end.

What You Bring:

- B.E./B.Tech or M.Tech in Electronics, Chemical, Mechanical, Metallurgical, or Materials Engineering.

- 15-20 years in manufacturing quality, with 8-10 years specifically in solar cell (preferably TOPCon/N-type) manufacturing.

- Hands-on expertise in SPC, Six Sigma, Lean, CAPA, 8D, FMEA, APQP, DOE, and Cp/Cpk analysis.

- Working knowledge of reliability testing standards for PV cells/modules.

- Greenfield plant commissioning experience strongly preferred.

- Proven track record leading customer and certification body audits.

Success Looks Like:

- FPY (First Pass Yield) sustained above target.

- Customer complaints and supplier PPM trending down quarter over quarter.

- COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality) reduction.

- Cp/Cpk maintained within control limits across critical processes.

- Strong audit scores (customer, ISO, internal).

- CAPA closure within defined SLA.

- High customer satisfaction scores.