Staff NPI Engineer
Job Description
Our Mission
SPAN is enabling electrification for all ⚡
We are a mission-driven company designing, building, and deploying products that electrify the built environment, reduce carbon emissions, and slow the effects of climate change.
Decarbonization is the process to reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, from entering our atmosphere.
Electrification is the process of replacing fossil fuel appliances that run on gas or oil with all-electric upgrades for a cleaner way to power our lives.
At SPAN, we believe in:
Enabling homes and vehicles powered by clean energy
Making electrification upgrades possible
Building more resilient homes with reliable backup
Designing a flexible and distributed electrical grid
The Role
SPAN is looking for a Staff NPI (New Product Introduction) Engineer to help lead and execute the design transfer of panel manufacturing lines to production. The Staff NPI Engineer will bring hands-on expertise and extensive knowledge regarding manufacturing of electromechanical products. The Staff NPI Engineer will have ownership of the internal and external manufacturing processes and drive continuous improvement to increase quality, delivery, and reduce cost, partnering with hardware engineering, operations, and quality. This role is at the intersection of design and manufacturing and therefore involves collaboration with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to identify potential issues, develop solutions, and implement processes for a smooth New Product Introduction (NPI)
This position will report directly to our Director of Manufacturing Engineering and be an integral part of the SCM Organization (Supply Chain & Manufacturing).
In this position, you will be responsible for:
Lead the design transfer of the SPAN product lines, including setting up and optimizing the manufacturing lines
Apply DFx principles: Design for Cost (DFC), Quality (DFQ), Manufacturability (DFM), Reliability (DFR), and Test (DFT).
Enhance the internal manufacturing process by improving the assembly fixture designs and documentation (MPI, SOP, visual aids) to maximize the line capacity, throughput and highest first pass yield
Lead the pFMEA analysis, equipment and process qualifications activities, including writing protocols and reports
Perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions to mitigate and prevent field issues/escapes
Collaborate with suppliers to implement process control plans and resolve quality issues
Propose new insights and improvements, identify and review design requirements, and drive crucial program decisions.
Generate and release the product Bill of Material (BOM) and assembly procedures.
Drive the development of the alignment/test tooling and packaging that are required to build and ship assemblies from our vendors to our manufacturing facility and the field.
Support the field service team by coordinating the assembly, testing and shipment of fieldreplaceable units (FRU).
Investigate and resolve issues with new designs and prototypes through assembly, testing, and system integration.
Create, review, and submit engineering change orders (ECOs) to release design and process changes to improve manufacturability/serviceability.
Evaluate technical readiness before release and conduct Technical Readiness (TR) reviews with cross-functional teams.
Conduct BOM risk assessment, component testing, second sourcing, and manage Product Change Notifications (PCN) and qualifications.
Improve manufacturing operations to enhance efficiency, consistency, and cost-effectiveness while ensuring high product quality.
Debug complex system-level issues, perform root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions.
Oversee new product releases and manage technical changes through BOM management, ECO, and deviation processes.
Lead Defect Reduction Team (DRT) initiatives to identify and resolve product issues.
Investigate and implement new manufacturing technologies to improve processes and product performance.
Drive value engineering and cost reduction activities to optimize product lifecycle costs.
Develop and maintain manufacturing process documentation and best practices.
Work cross functionally to support supplier audits and component sourcing
Lead process capability analysis (Cpk) to identify improvements in the processes
Requires frequent travel to visit suppliers and CMs during NPI and ramp
About You
Required Qualifications
We are seeking a highly capable New Product Introduction Engineer who has:
BS or MS in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering or equivalent discipline
8 years experience in industry or equivalent
Expertise in electrification products related to load centers, panel boards, inverters, energy storage and EV chargers
Proficiency in DFx principles: DFM, DFT, DFQ, DFR, DFC.
Strong knowledge of complex system-level debugging and root cause analysis.
Expertise in ECO, BOM, and deviation processes (Arena experience is a plus).
Knowledge of manufacturing, test, quality, and reliability best practices.
Ability to establish technical direction through the investigation and evaluation of new manufacturing technologies.
Strong working knowledge of industry manufacturing standards such as IPC and JEDEC.
Manufacturing process expertise including cable assembly, molding, machining and stamping
Expertise performing process characterization/ development, IQ/OQ/PQs, and pFMEA.
Extensive experience with root cause analysis and problem solving for both technical and process issues.
Working knowledge of CAD (Solidworks or other) software.
Bonus Qualifications
Experience with automation technologies and robotics in manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and scalability.
Six Sigma Black Belt, or Lean Manufacturing certification.
A demonstrated ability to develop NPI strategies and structures that yield long-term success in rapidly growing engineering environments.
PCBA process experience is a plus
Life at SPAN
Headquartered in San Francisco’s vibrant SoMa neighborhood, we are an eclectic group of creative thinkers who value open communication, teamwork, and a ‘make it happen’ approach to addressing complex challenges.
SPAN embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
We’re hiring talented individuals who are driven by success and are passionate about shaping the future of renewable energy. If that sounds like you, we’d love for you to consider joining the rapidly growing team at SPAN.
The Perks:
⚡ Competitive compensation + equity grants at a well-funded, venture-backed company
⚡ Comprehensive benefits: 100% employee premiums for base plans on medical, dental, vision with options for additional coverage. Parental leave up to twenty four (24) weeks depending on eligibility
⚡ Comfortable, sunny office space located near BART and Caltrain public transit
⚡ Strong focus on team building and company culture: Employee Resource Groups, monthly social events, SPANcakes recognition breakfast, lunch, and learns
⚡ Flexible hours, one holiday per month, and flexible time off
Interested in joining our team? Apply today and we’ll be in touch with the next steps!
Company Information
Location: San Francisco, CA
Type: Hybrid