--- title: 'Senior R&D Engineer, Space PV Product Design & Prototyping at Tandem PV' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-r-d-engineer-space-pv-product-design-prototyping-tandem-pv-fremont-9jvg36973rp1' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-16' --- # Senior R&D Engineer, Space PV Product Design & Prototyping at Tandem PV - **Company:** Tandem PV - **Location:** Fremont, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-10-03 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/tandempv/291fcf74-dff7-49e2-b0a3-341bf595e09b ## Job description At Tandem PV, we are a team of people who are passionate about building a more sustainable world by bringing cost effective solar panels onto the market. We’re scaling metal-halide perovskite solar technology to make best-in-class mechanically stacked tandem modules.   We have built efficient, durable cells, monolithic multi-cell submodules, and packaged modules with our scalable, low-cost process. Our next focus is expanding our team to bring our product to market at scale. Job Summary: As a Senior R&D Engineer, Space PV Product Design & Prototyping, you will turn our perovskite cell technology into prototype space power products: lightweight, flexible photovoltaic modules and test articles for spacecraft, where the figure of merit is watts per kilogram rather than watts per square meter. You will own the product design, from module layout and electrical architecture through the laminate stack, interconnects, mounting and terminations, and you will build, test and iterate prototypes hands-on with our technicians and process team. You will also be the technical interface to component suppliers and to the external partners who perform environmental testing on your designs. To be great at this role, you will: - Define prototype requirements with the program team (power, voltage, area, mass, stowage and operating environment) and translate them into design specifications and a verification plan. - Design module and coupon layouts: cell sizing and interconnect architecture, scribe and busbar patterns, string voltage and current, bypass and blocking protection, and terminations. - Design the mechanical build: laminate stack-up of cover, encapsulant, cell and substrate; edge seals; mounting to carriers, panels or flexible blankets; and harnessing and connectors, managing thermal expansion mismatch, stress and warp in low-stiffness structures. - Create and maintain CAD models, drawings, bills of materials, and mass and thickness budgets, and report performance in specific-power (W/kg) and areal-mass terms. - Build prototypes hands-on with technicians, and design the fixtures, jigs, masks and tooling needed to assemble, handle and test ultrathin and flexible parts. - Plan and run design verification (AM0 current-voltage, electroluminescence imaging, flex and bend, thermal cycling) and prepare pre-test baselines for external UV, radiation, vacuum and vibration campaigns; analyze failures and feed the findings into the next design iteration. - Work with process engineers to set design rules and tolerances that our cell deposition and laser patterning processes can reliably meet. - Own design documentation to design-review standard (requirements, drawings, DFMEA, build travelers and test reports), write build instructions and train technicians, and support government program reviews and reporting. Qualifications: - 5+ years of hands-on hardware or product design experience, including building and testing prototypes). - Degree in mechanical, electrical, aerospace or materials engineering, applied physics, or equivalent hands-on experience. - Demonstrated design ownership of electromechanical or photovoltaic hardware from concept through prototype build and test; you have taken a design through at least one full cycle of build, test, failure analysis and redesign. - Proficiency with 3D CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo or Fusion) and engineering drawing practice, including tolerancing for thin, compliant parts. - PV electrical design fundamentals: series and parallel architecture, mismatch and shading losses, reverse bias and bypass protection, and current-voltage characterization. - Thermomechanical judgement: thermal expansion mismatch across dissimilar-material joints, stress and warp in thin laminates, and why a joint that survives terrestrial cycling may not survive an orbital one. - Structured test planning and data analysis: defined acceptance criteria, controls and clear decisions from small, expensive sample sets. - Comfort working hands-on in a small team where prototypes are few and expensive, the plan has to be right before the build starts, and priorities shift as results come in. - Clear technical writing and meticulous records: drawings and build instructions others can follow correctly without you present. Preferred Experience: - Space solar array, flexible PV or spacecraft hardware design, including qualification practice (e.g., AIAA S-111/S-112 or ECSS-E-ST-20-08), AM0 measurement, ASTM E595 outgassing, thermal cycling and launch vibration. - Perovskite, thin-film or tandem PV device and module experience, including laser-scribed monolithic interconnection. - Aerospace or government R&D program experience, such as design reviews, DFMEA, configuration control and federal proposals. - Flexible circuits, interconnect welding or soldering, or hermetic and thin-film encapsulation. This position may require access to technology and/or technical data subject to U.S. export-control laws. Any eligibility or access requirements will be applied in accordance with applicable U.S. export-control laws, regulations, licenses or authorizations, government-contract requirements, and applicable anti-discrimination laws. Founded in 2016 by Stanford PhD graduates Colin Bailie and Chris Eberspacher, TandemPV is pioneering the next generation of solar technology through high-efficiency, mechanically stacked perovskite-silicon tandem panels. As an early leader in this technology, we're focused on delivering significantly greater power output than conventional solar panels while reducing costs and advancing American solar manufacturing. Headquartered in Fremont, California, TandemPV has grown to approximately 65 employees and operates a 65,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing facility. With more than $100 million in funding raised, we're accelerating the transition from breakthrough research to commercial-scale manufacturing. Our experienced leadership team has successfully executed 10 federal and state-funded projects and continues to advance strategic partnerships, product development, and manufacturing innovation. Recognized as the 2025 Best Pre-Commercial Venture by the Industry Growth Forum and named among America's Top GreenTech Companies by TIME for three consecutive years, TandemPV is helping shape the future of clean energy. We're building a team of talented, driven individuals who thrive on solving complex challenges, developing innovative technologies, and turning ambitious ideas into real-world products. At TandemPV, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact as we scale our technology, expand U.S. manufacturing, and bring next-generation solar solutions to market. Tandem PV is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. ## About Tandem PV ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Tandem PV manufactures high-efficiency perovskite-silicon tandem solar panels in the U.S., designed to deliver significantly more power than conventional silicon panels for utility-scale solar projects. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A & Venture Capital backed) - **Headquarters**: San Jose, California, United States - **Founded**: 2016 - **Founders**: Colin Bailie (CTO), Chris Eberspacher (Managing Director) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Renewables & Environment, Advanced Solar Manufacturing, Clean Energy Technology - **Target customers**: Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for utility-scale solar deployments; established solar manufacturers seeking to integrate perovskite technology into their existing silicon panel designs - **Mission or purpose statement**: To accelerate to net zero with perovskite solar panels, restoring U.S. leadership in clean energy, driving down the cost of power, and fueling the next wave of innovation, including the AI revolution. ## Products & Services - **Tandem Perovskite-Silicon Solar Panels (Utility-Scale)**: High-efficiency, standard-size solar panels that combine a silicon base with a thin-film perovskite layer. They deliver roughly 40% more power than conventional panels in the same form factor, reducing labor, installation, and land costs. Designed for high-volume U.S. manufacturing. - **Technology Licensing & Partnership**: Tandem PV partners with established solar manufacturers to integrate its perovskite layer and process expertise into existing panel designs, enabling manufacturers to commercialize higher-efficiency tandem modules without reinventing their manufacturing stack. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (Private company). - **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$87 million** (combining venture capital, debt, and government grants) raised from leading investors and agencies. Estimated annual revenue of **$5.4 million** (per LinkedIn). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Eclipse Ventures (lead), Constellation Energy, Trellis Climate, Bioeconomy Capital. Government & research partners include the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, California Energy Commission, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. - **Growth Signals**: - Recently opened a commercial demonstration factory in Fremont, California. - Employee headcount has grown **67.9% year-over-year** (to 33 employees). - Commercial panels expected from the Fremont facility soon, with a target for high-volume manufacturing in 2028. - Holds a portfolio of 11+ patents in core perovskite-layer technology, system design, and durability. - Awarded 16 government grants. ## Competitive Advantages - **Proprietary Tandem Technology**: The company's patented perovskite-silicon tandem panels have demonstrated **30% efficiency** in labs with a clear path to further gains, significantly outpacing the ~22% efficiency of standard silicon panels. - **Demonstrated Durability**: Unlike many perovskite contenders, Tandem PV has shown less than 1% annual degradation in accelerated testing, meeting the lifetime expectations for long-term solar deployment. - **Manufacturing Integration Expertise**: The company's technology is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing solar manufacturing supply chains, lowering the barrier to commercial scale. - **U.S.-Based Manufacturing**: A key differentiator in the current clean energy policy environment, focusing on domestic production and energy security. ## Strategic Focus - **Commercialization & Scaling**: Moving from lab breakthrough and pilot production to commercial manufacturing at the new Fremont demonstration factory, targeting high-volume production by 2028. - **Cost Leadership**: Focusing on delivering more power per panel at a similar cost-per-watt, which lowers the total cost of ownership (balance of system costs) for utility-scale developers. - **Partnership Development**: Actively seeking to license its technology to established solar manufacturers to accelerate market penetration. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-Driven Impact**: Employees work on a technology that directly addresses climate change, energy security, and the massive energy demands of AI and electrification. - **Cutting-Edge Science & Engineering**: The company is at the forefront of materials science and solar technology, offering a chance to work on a true breakthrough from the lab through to mass production. - **Strong Backing & Trajectory**: Backed by $87 million in funding, a new demo factory, and double-digit headcount growth, indicating strong momentum and stability. - **Collaborative & Lean Team**: The company is described as a "close-knit team," and the current size (~33 employees) suggests opportunities for outsized impact and visibility across disciplines. - **Locations**: Headquarters in San Jose, CA. Currently hiring roles including a Director of Space Solar Technology (suggesting an adjacent venture), Quality Engineer, and R&D Technician. ## Sources 1. [Tandem PV Official Website](https://www.tandempv.com/) 2. [Tandem PV About Page](https://www.tandempv.com/about) 3. [Tandem PV Careers Page](https://www.tandempv.com/careers) 4. [Tandem PV LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tandem-pv) 5. [CB Insights - Tandem PV Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/tandem-pv) ## Other roles at Tandem PV - [Process & Quality Engineering Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/process-quality-engineering-technician-tandem-pv-fremont-s0ahr7tgvbj4) — Fremont, CA - [HTL Materials Synthetic Chemist](https://feeny.ai/job/htl-materials-synthetic-chemist-tandem-pv-fremont-gv9w0gadyrxv) — Fremont, CA - [Senior R&D Technician, Space PV Prototyping](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-r-d-technician-space-pv-prototyping-tandem-pv-fremont-5z0x7fdf7rzj) — Fremont, CA - [R&D Technician (Swing Shift)](https://feeny.ai/job/r-d-technician-swing-shift-tandem-pv-fremont-krtey9k5agqq) — Fremont, CA