Product Applications Engineer - Tools

Job Description:

Job Description

Position: Product Applications Engineer - Tools
Department: Application Engineering
Reports To: Sr. Manager, Product Applications
Location: Fremont, CA
Position Overview / Role Purpose

The Product Applications Engineer - Tools plays a critical role in testing, validating, and qualifying tools, fasteners, and related installation equipment used with Nextpower tracker products. This role ensures that approved tools and fasteners are compatible with Nextpower tracker systems, meet engineering and quality requirements, and support safe, repeatable, and efficient field installation.

By conducting Form-Fit-Function testing, tool and fastener qualification testing, compatibility assessments, and vendor qualification testing, the Product Applications Engineer helps ensure that Nextpower tracker products can be installed reliably using approved tools, fasteners, torque methods, and field procedures. This role partners closely with R&D Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Field Applications, and Installation teams to identify risks early, validate installation methods, and deliver customer-ready solutions.

Key Objectives
Qualify Tools and Fasteners for Nextpower Tracker Products

Test and approve tools, fasteners, and installation equipment to confirm compatibility with Nextpower tracker components, assemblies, installation requirements, and field-use conditions.
Validate New Products and Installation Interfaces

Ensure new product concepts, prototypes, and tracker components satisfy engineering requirements, customer needs, installation expectations, tool access requirements, fastener performance criteria, and safety standards.
Test and Approve Updated Designs of Existing Offerings

Confirm revisions to existing components, assemblies, tools, or fasteners maintain or improve system reliability, manufacturability, installation repeatability, and compatibility with adjacent tracker parts.
Qualify New Vendors and Manufacturing Sources

Assess whether new suppliers of tools, fasteners, and related components can consistently meet Nextpower's design specifications, quality requirements, installation needs, and manufacturing standards.

Core Responsibilities
Tool and Fastener Qualification Testing

• Conduct qualification testing of tools, fasteners, torque equipment, and related installation hardware used with Nextpower tracker products.
• Evaluate compatibility between tools, fasteners, and Nextpower tracker components, including access, fit, torque performance, clamp load, installation repeatability, and field usability.
• Test torque tools, sockets, bits, drivers, Skidmore equipment, gauges, and other installation or measurement tools to confirm suitability for approved installation processes.
• Validate fastener performance across relevant tracker assemblies, including engagement, seating, torque behavior, joint integrity, reusability where applicable, and compatibility with mating parts.
• Develop and execute structured test plans for tool and fastener qualification, including acceptance criteria, sample sizes, test conditions, and documentation requirements.
• Identify tool or fastener failure modes, installation risks, ergonomic concerns, and compatibility issues before release to field teams or customers.
• Provide recommendations for approved tool lists, fastener specifications, torque requirements, installation methods, and service procedures.

New Product Testing & Validation

• Conduct Form-Fit-Function testing on new concepts, prototypes, pre-production assemblies, tools, and fasteners to confirm alignment with design intent and installation requirements.
• Build representative test setups in the R&D yard to simulate tracker installation, tool usage, fastening operations, and operational conditions.
• Evaluate whether product notes, installation manuals, fastener specifications, torque requirements, and engineering requirements are sufficient and accurate.
• Confirm that Nextpower tracker products can be safely and repeatably installed using approved tools, fasteners, and installation methods.
• Identify design gaps, tool access issues, fastener compatibility concerns, or installation-related failure modes and partner with R&D engineering to resolve issues prior to GTM launch.
• Perform safety evaluations on new designs, tools, and fastener applications, verifying compliance with internal and industry standards.
• Document all test results through structured data collection, analysis, and professional test reports.

Testing of Updated / Revised Designs

• Validate updated designs of existing products to ensure manufacturability, mechanical performance, installation repeatability, and compatibility with system interfaces, tools, and fasteners.
• Review updated drawings, specifications, product notes, fastener requirements, and installation instructions for completeness and ability to achieve design goals.
• Test individual parts and full tracker assemblies to confirm they meet functional requirements, installation procedures, torque requirements, and approved tool compatibility.
• Assess the impact of design revisions on tool access, fastener fit, assembly sequence, field installation time, and installation quality.
• Provide recommendations for improving installation instructions, product notes, fastener specifications, approved tool lists, or design features based on test outcomes.
• Replicate customer-reported tool, fastener, or installation issues in the R&D yard and develop data-driven, field-ready solutions.

Vendor Qualification & Supplier Assessment

• Conduct Form-Fit-Function and qualification testing on first-article tools, fasteners, and related components from new vendors to verify compliance with Nextpower specifications.
• Verify adherence to drawings, product notes, fastener specifications, material requirements, dimensional tolerances, and compatibility with adjacent tracker components.
• Evaluate new vendor tools and fasteners for performance, consistency, durability, installation repeatability, and suitability for field deployment.
• Travel to vendor facilities for onsite inspections, test reviews, tool/fastener evaluations, and pre-production validations as needed.Provide structured test feedback to Supply Chain, Vendor Quality, and Engineering to support vendor qualification and sourcing decisions.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support R&D tracker installation sites by assisting with test setup, construction activities, tool trials, fastener evaluations, and data gathering.
• Lead or assist in building test fixtures, partial product assemblies, and representative tracker sections for tool and fastener evaluation.
• Coordinate testing priorities with cross-functional teams and communicate status updates clearly.
• Review, update, and validate installation manuals to ensure accuracy and alignment with tested tool, fastener, and tracker assembly results.
• Support the creation and maintenance of approved tool lists, fastener qualification records, test reports, and installation validation documentation.
• Manage multiple projects concurrently, ensuring timely completion under tight schedules.
• Maintain a strong commitment to safety during all testing, construction, tool operation, fastening operations, and field activities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in product testing, mechanical systems, fastening systems, tool qualification, quality engineering, installation engineering, or related field; or a BA/BS in engineering or related discipline.
• Strong proficiency in interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, GD&T, product notes, fastener requirements, and installation documentation.
• Hands-on experience with measurement and testing tools, including torque tools, Skidmore equipment, 3D scanners, thread gauges, calipers, sockets, bits, drivers, and related installation equipment.
• Experience testing or qualifying fasteners, torque methods, mechanical joints, installation tools, or field assembly processes is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with Arena, Jira, SolidWorks/CAD systems.
• Ability to safely lift up to 40 lbs. and work in outdoor R&D field environments.
• Knowledge of Nextpower tracker products, solar tracker installation methods, tools, and fastener applications is highly desirable.
• Availability for travel to vendor facilities and project sites up to 25% of the time.

Skills & Competencies
Technical & Analytical

• Demonstrated ability to conduct rigorous tool, fastener, and product testing and interpret results accurately.
• Strong analytical skills for evaluating mechanical performance, fastening behavior, compatibility, installation quality, and failure modes.
• Ability to assess tool access, torque application, fastener fit, assembly sequence, and field usability in tracker product applications.
• High attention to detail with strong documentation, reporting, and data-presentation capabilities.

Collaboration & Communication

• Excellent communication skills for conveying technical test results to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Field Applications, Installation, and Vendor Quality teams.
• Customer-focused mindset with the ability to support field teams and address customer tool, fastener, and installation issues.

Execution & Project Management

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent tool, fastener, and product test efforts.
• Adaptability to evolving project needs, new technologies, new tools, alternate fasteners, and changing design directions.
• Ability to work under pressure while maintaining high quality standards.

Nextracker offers a comprehensive benefits package. We provide health care coverage, dental and vision, 401(K) participation including company matching, company paid holidays with unlimited paid time off, generous discretionary company bonuses, life and disability protection and more. Employees in certain positions may be eligible for stock compensation. All plans are in accordance with relevant plan documents. For more information on Nextracker's benefits please view our company website at www.nextracker.com

Pay is based on market location and may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education and other job-related reasons. The annual salary range for this position is $100 to $110K.