Manager, Operational Excellence

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Hanwha Renewables, headquartered in Irvine, California, a member of Hanwha Group, a FORTUNE Global 500 firm that is among the eight largest business enterprises in South Korea. Hanwha Renewables designs, builds and manages renewable energy solutions. The company brings a decade of global leadership in renewable energy to North America, combining best-of-world technology, processes, and partnerships to deliver utility-grade energy solutions customized for local energy markets.

Hanwha Renewables offers the full spectrum of energy solutions – from power plant development, design, construction, operations, and maintenance. With proven capabilities across the renewable energy value chain, Hanwha Renewables minimizes uncertainty and risk, and helps customers achieve a higher return on their investment in renewable energy.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Manager, Operational Excellence supports the establishment and execution of a newly formed OE function within the COO organization.

This role focuses on cross-functional coordination, independent validation, and operational discipline across the project lifecycle — from development and planning through execution and delivery.

The OE Manager works closely with Development, Pre-Construction, PMO, IPP, SCM, and EPC partners to ensure that key decisions are consistent, well-governed, and execution-ready

, while providing structured analysis and visibility to the COO organization.

The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested by management.  All duties will be assigned in accordance with applicable laws and company policies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Stage-Gate & Process Compliance Support
• Support the operation and monitoring of Stage-Gate processes across projects
• Track and verify whether required deliverables, assumptions, and approvals are properly completed at each stage
• Support validation of RACI alignment across cross-functional teams
• Identify gaps, misalignments, or process deviations and escalate appropriately
• Independent Cross-Check & Validation
• Perform independent cross-checks on key project inputs, including: Cost estimates and major CapEx assumptions
• Project schedules and milestone logic
• Long Lead Items (LLI) procurement plans
• Safe Harbor-related timing and risk considerations
• Support of key risks, open items, and mitigation actions
• Long Lead Item & Risk Tracking
• Assist in tracking and reviewing critical long-lead equipment
• (e.g., MPTs, BESS, Breakers, HV equipment)
• Maintain visibility into procurement status, lead times, and execution risks
• Support coordination between SCM, Pre-Con, PMO, and EPC teams to ensure alignment
• KPI & Operational Performance Monitoring
• Support definition, tracking, and reporting of operational KPIs
• Monitor KPI performance and highlight trends, deviations, and improvement opportunities
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Act as a coordination point between HQ and project teams to ensure information consistency
• Support collaboration with EPC partners (including Qcells) through structured data and issue tracking
• Executive & Management Reporting Support
• Prepare concise materials, summaries, and dashboards for COO and management meetings
• Support issue tracking and follow-up to ensure action items are closed
• REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or related field
• 5–8 years of experience
• EPC, or project-based organizations
• Exposure to utility-scale solar PV and/or BESS projects preferred
• Basic understanding of: Project Lifecycle and Stage-Gate concepts
• Cost, schedule, and risk management fundamentals
• Long Lead Item procurement and execution risks
• Strong analytical and documentation skills
• Bilingual in Korean and English
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, and project tracking tools

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in Pre-Construction, Project Controls, PMO or Corporate Planning
• Familiarity with Safe Harbor, ITC, or IRA-related considerations
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in matrix organizations
• Prior experience supporting executive-level reporting or governance processes