Director, Product Engineering & Management – Engineered Wafers (m/f/d)

Intro

NexWafe is pioneering a new class of EpiNex® engineered silicon wafers for high-performance solar applications.

Intro

NexWafe is pioneering a new class of EpiNex® engineered silicon wafers for high-performance solar applications. You will help NexWafe understand how engineered wafer properties can be used to improve solar-cell performance and meet demanding application requirements. Working across the full engineering cycle, you will develop physical hypotheses, design experiments, analyse data and translate technical insights into manufacturable wafer and device solutions. You will collaborate closely with process, equipment and manufacturing engineers to evaluate technical trade-offs, validate concepts and support industrial implementation while remaining deeply involved in hands-on technical work. We are looking for a Senior Engineer (m/f/d) to join our Engineered Wafers team in Freiburg. In this role, you will combine semiconductor device physics, modelling, experimentation and data analysis to develop next-generation wafer concepts for high-efficiency solar-cell applications. Join our international team and contribute to the development of innovative silicon-wafer technologies that enable the next generation of solar energy solutions.

Your Mission

• Analyze and investigate solar cell performance using device physics, modelling, characterization data and targeted experiments.
• Develop engineered silicon wafer concepts and assess the impact of wafer properties on device performance.
• Build and apply physics-based models linking wafer design, process conditions and solar-cell performance.
• Design experiments, analyse results and identify root causes of performance-limiting mechanisms.
• Translate technical findings into manufacturable wafer, process and device improvements.
• Work with process, equipment and manufacturing engineers to evaluate implementation pathways and industrial feasibility.
• Collaborate with customers, research institutes and technical partners where external validation or characterization is required.
• Contribute to new technical concepts, invention disclosures and NexWafe's intellectual-property portfolio.
• Provide technical guidance to colleagues while remaining actively involved in modelling, experimentation and engineering problem solving.

Your profile

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics or a related field.
• Minumum 5 years of industrial R&D experience in silicon solar cells, semiconductor devices or a comparable semiconductor technology area. Purely academic research experience alone is not sufficient for this role.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor device physics and silicon solar-cell architectures, ideally including PERC. HJT and/or TOPCon.
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills, with a demonstrated ability to drive complex technical programs across teams and organizations without direct reporting authority.
• Strong practical understanding of semiconductor device physics and crystalline-silicon solar-cell technologies.
• Hands-on experience with HJT/SHJ, TOPCon or comparable high-efficiency solar-cell architectures.
• Experience combining modelling, experimental work, electrical characterization and data analysis to solve complex engineering challenges and translate findings into technical decisions.
• Strong communication skills written and oral and the ability to work effectively across technical disciplines while balancing physics, engineering trade-offs and business impact.
• Comfortable operating directly with senior customer engineers, scientists and technical leadership.

Why us?

• Build technology that goes beyond products: At NexWafe, we are developing and industrializing a unique gas-to-wafer manufacturing platform for the next generation of solar wafers for space and terrestrial applications.
• Solve complex engineering challenges: Work on process development, equipment design, automation and manufacturing scale-up, and see the impact of your work firsthand as innovative concepts become industrial reality.
• Attractive remuneration package: A permanent position with competitive salary, company pension scheme and upside-sharing through our VSOP program.
• Support for your wellbeing: Annual health budget and Hansefit membership.
• Expand your language skills: Language courses and continuous development opportunities.

About Us

At NexWafe, we're striving to set a new standard for the future of photovoltaic wafer production. The need for efficient, affordable and cleanly produced solar technology has never been greater – we're rising to meet that challenge.