Director of Testing Team
Are you a technical leader who lives for perfecting how things are measured and proven? Do you believe that robust testing and smart data are the backbone of innovation? Join Rayleigh Solar Tech as the Director of Testing, where you'll lead the team responsible for ensuring our perovskite solar modules meet and exceed their performance and reliability targets.
At Rayleigh, we're building the lowest-cost source of clean electrons on the planet. Backed by world-class investors and a powerhouse technical team, we push the limits of deep tech to make solar radically more accessible. Our culture thrives on curiosity, urgency, and the pursuit of excellence - and we're looking for someone who shares that fire.
If you're an experienced test engineering leader with a passion for data, an instinct for automation, and an unrelenting commitment to quality, you might be exactly who we need to make sure our technology doesn't just work on paper - it excels in the field.
What You'll Do
In this role, you'll build and manage our testing and data infrastructure from end to end. From procuring and commissioning state-of-the-art equipment for environmental and performance testing to developing automated data pipelines that turn hours of test data into actionable insights, you'll ensure no flaw goes undetected and no improvement opportunity is missed. You'll design rigorous test protocols (leveraging industry standards like IEC 61215 and ISOS) to validate our technology under accelerated conditions, and use advanced analytics - even AI - to predict long-term field performance from early data. By partnering with both the "Rocket" R&D teams and the Scale-Up teams, you'll create a feedback loop that drives continuous improvement in efficiency and durability. Ultimately, your efforts will prove our technology's readiness for the real world and inform the breakthroughs that make it even better.
- Build a World-Class Test Lab: Design and stand up advanced testing facilities for our solar cells and modules. You'll specify and commission equipment like solar simulators, climate chambers, mechanical stress rigs, and specialized electronics for IV measurement, ensuring we can simulate extreme real-world conditions (temperature, humidity, UV, voltage bias, etc.). Your lab will be capable of running accelerated aging tests that compress years of outdoor exposure into weeks or months
- Develop Rigorous Protocols: Establish comprehensive test protocols for both performance and reliability. This spans everything from standard IV efficiency testing to long-term stability trials (damp heat, thermal cycling, humidity-freeze, light soak, etc.), following and exceeding industry standards (e.g., IEC 61215). You won't just run the tests off a checklist - you'll define what passing means for a brand-new tech.
- Automation & Data Pipelines: Implement systems to automate tests and data collection. You'll integrate sensors and software so that tests can run 24/7 with minimal human intervention, and results flow into databases in real time. Using tools like Python or LabVIEW (and perhaps custom electronics), you will create dashboards and analysis scripts that crunch gigabytes of data - extracting degradation rates, failure distributions, and performance trends at the click of a button.
- Analyze & Inform: Lead the deep analysis of test results to derive actionable insights. When a device fails, your team performs failure analysis to figure out why (with techniques like IV curve analysis, imaging, or materials forensics). You'll correlate test data with design/process factors to pinpoint root causes of any reliability issues. Crucially, you'll communicate these findings to other teams, turning data into concrete recommendations for materials or process improvements.
- Collaborate Across Teams: Act as the bridge between testing and the rest of the company. You'll work closely with the Performance and Stability group ("Rocket" team) to incorporate the latest degradation models and to suggest new experiments. Simultaneously, you'll interface with the Scale-Up engineering teams to ensure our pilot production has built-in test points and that our manufacturing output is continuously validated. In essence, you ensure a tight feedback loop: what we learn in testing immediately informs what we build next.
- Lead and Mentor: Build and manage a team of test engineers and technicians. You'll hire talent that shares a meticulous streak, and you'll mentor them in both the art and science of testing. By instituting best practices in calibration, documentation, and experiment design, you'll foster a culture where data integrity is sacred and every test is an opportunity to learn. Over time, you'll also help team members grow into broader roles (data analysis, reliability engineering, etc.), multiplying the team's impact.
What You Bring
- Education & Experience: B.Sc. or M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field. 10+ years of experience in a testing, characterization, or reliability engineering role, including at least 3-5 years leading a team or a lab. Experience in the solar PV industry or a similar high-tech hardware field (semiconductors, electronics, battery testing, etc.) is strongly preferred.
- Testing & Reliability Know-how: Solid understanding of solar cell operation and the typical failure/degradation modes of photovoltaics (moisture ingress, thermal stress, UV degradation, interconnect fatigue, etc.). You're familiar with relevant standards and protocols (IEC 61215, IEC 61730, and various ISOS tests) and have perhaps even helped a new technology get certified or pass qualification tests.
- Hands-On with Hardware: You have direct experience setting up and maintaining test equipment - whether that's configuring a source meter and solar simulator for IV measurements, or building a custom environmental chamber setup. You can debug an electrical circuit in a test rig, replace a sensor, or tweak a LabVIEW routine when needed. If something in the lab stops working, you're the kind of person who rolls up their sleeves and fixes it (or at least knows how to get it fixed quickly).
- Data and Software Skills: Proficiency in data analysis and automation tools. You can write Python or similar scripts to automate instrument control or to process large datasets. Perhaps you've utilized machine learning to predict failures or identify patterns in degradation data. You know your way around databases and are comfortable with tools for data visualization and reporting. In short, you can turn raw data into understanding.
- Analytical Mindset: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. You approach experiments methodically - controlling variables, using proper statistics, and not jumping to conclusions without evidence. When confronted with an unexpected result, you formulate hypotheses and design follow-up tests to validate them. Your attention to detail ensures that tests are conducted properly and results are trustworthy.
- Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills. You can write clear test plans, technical reports, and slide decks that distill complex data into meaningful conclusions for different audiences (from fellow engineers to executives). When you present findings, you focus on the "so what" - what the data means for the product or the company's goals.
- Leadership & Mentorship: Proven ability to lead a team and manage projects. You know how to prioritize a testing schedule with limited equipment to maximize learning. Team members would describe you as organized, supportive, and technically credible. You create an environment where questions and curiosity are encouraged, and where rigorous work and pride in accuracy are the norm.
- Passion for Excellence: A drive to ensure that nothing leaves the lab unchecked. You take pride in catching failures before they become problems in the field. Your commitment to the mission - enabling a new solar technology - shows in the care and urgency you apply to testing. You want to be the one who confidently says "it works, and here's the data to prove it" when skeptics doubt new technology.
Why Rayleigh?
We're not just building solar tech-we're building a movement. A world where clean energy isn't a luxury, but a given. At Rayleigh, you'll find a mission you can believe in, a team that will push you to be your best, and a culture that celebrates bold ideas, deep science, and meaningful impact.
Diversity and Inclusion
At Rayleigh, we know that diversity makes a strong team. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for this position, and we will never discriminate against race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion, marital status or family status. Instead, we work to celebrate the things that make us unique and create an inclusive environment for all employees.
Don't meet all the requirements outlined above but still find yourself excited about this position and Rayleigh's mission? If you believe that you have the skills and experience to excel in this role, we would love to see your application!
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