Steve Reed

Experience

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  Genasys II, Inc

  Apr 1992 - Aug 1999

  Programmer I

  GIS Software CompanyUNIX programming, GUI development, database management, digitizing and data entry. Software testing, using a testing framework of my own design. Prepared product backdrops for sales demos, as each customer was unique and desired specific layouts and options.

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  Black Diamond Equipment

  Jun 1999 - Jul 2000

  Manufacturing Lead

  Responsible for the well being of an entire product line, denoted FCE. Broadly, this includes, but is not limited, to ordering raw materials, production output and efficiency, troubleshooting and equipment maintenance, health and safety issues and quality control and assurance. Increased production output by 52% in the course of seven monthsImplemented ISO 9001 procedures for the FCE division. Ensure that FCE operations are in compliance with OSHA regulations. Responsible for the activities of 4-5 operators on any given day. Show less

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  Celestica, Inc

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2005

  Technical Manager and Senior Process Engineer

  Resolved all technical production problems on-shift and provided 24-hour on-call support for primary equipment. Directed the activities and projects of the manufacturing engineers and the equipment maintenance technicians. Worked with both groups to set and meet goals, drive improvements and review individual and team performance. Organized training and addressed employee needs and concerns. Troubleshot and programmed stencil printers, chip shooters, fine pitch and BGA placement, optical inspection, wave and selective solder, label printers and testing and rework equipment.Responsible for supporting the site Six Sigma program, including green belt training, mentoring and project management. Responsible for three Black Belt projects per year. 2004 Black Belt savings were $1.2 million.Reduced downtime due to catastrophic failure by 60% on the fine pitch placement equipment (GSM) through standardization and capability measurement and improvement. Implemented a site-wide, electronic ESD check-in system for ISO 9001 standards compliance. Created the software and database to merge vendor software with the in-house system.Part of a three person team which designed, created and implemented the site’s auto-escalation and SPC system, specifically provided applications implementation and support (visual basic and vb.net, ORACLE). Show less

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  MGC, LLC

  Oct 2005 - Jun 2007

  Custom Construction and Carpentry

  Custom framing, siding and trim.

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  Abound Solar, Inc

  Jun 2007 - Jul 2012

  Directed a team of more than 25 people including program managers, product, applications, reliability and failure analysis engineers to deliver quality photovoltaic products. Engaged cross-functionally and externally in the design, prototyping, integration, processing, training, production and product testing efforts to ensure product quality. Led a cross-functional team to define and maintain the product and product applications road maps. Represented the company regarding product issues and technical updates. Selected Accomplishments-Resolved several legacy product failures with major customers through successful corrective action resolutions and eliminated $25M/ year in potential product liability.-Constructed a product testing facility comprised of 100kW outdoor test array, a failure analysis and reliability lab resulting in step-function improvement in product performance and reliability.-Delivered monthly aggregate technical updates for executives, board members and the Department of Energy.-Aligned product road map with targets set by the sales, marketing, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing operations and finance departments. Show less Led and participated in the development of Abound’s proprietary semiconductor tool and process and associated characterization tools. Performed advanced measurement, data analysis and presentation functions. Coordinated the activities of a diverse technical team and provided the resources necessary to complete their objectives.Selected Accomplishments-Successfully scaled the semiconductor film size by 300X, documented process parameters, material specifications, control limits and maintenance and operation instructions and transferred the chemical vapor deposition process to production.-Led the decommissioning of an original research and development building, including cadmium abatement and asset transfer, recycling and disposal. -Developed the semiconductor characterization lab, including the assessment and acquisition of profilometry, AFM, SEM, QE, PL, and JV equipment as well as basic chemical containment solutions such as fume hoods and chemical containment stations.-Led on-going technical process and product review to drive improvements and to facilitate commissioning of technical assets during the production ramp. Show less

  • Director of Product Design

    Oct 2010 - Jul 2012

  • R&D Operations Manager

    Jun 2007 - Oct 2010
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  Advanced Energy

  Oct 2012 - Mar 2014

  Product Manager

  Manage the P&L for string inverter product lines. Provide market forecasts, competitive analysis, and voice-of-customer and business case for product line direction. Collaborate on product roadmaps and manage the developments to completion through stage gate development processes. Provide day-to-day sales and customer support both virtually and in-person. Create product collateral, and manage commercial compliance deliverables. Selected Accomplishments- Successfully integrated the REFUsol US product offering into Advanced Energy’s systems upon acquisition of REFUsol and subsequent sales training.- Lead the release of several new inverter products and associated sales collateral.- Authored or co-authored several whitepapers and application notes, including Understanding Potential Induced Degradation, Mitigating PID, String vs. Central, 2011 NEC Compliance for NX and TX, Transformer Solutions. Show less

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  Quality Photovoltaics, LLC

  Mar 2014 - now

  Principal

  Engineering, quality, reliability, product development and project management consulting services. Specific areas of expertise in electronics and solar manufacturing and excellence, project deployment and field assessments, statistical analysis of processes and products, reliability and life testing and engineering sanity checks. Six Sigma and Taguchi approaches. Formerly SRPV, LLC

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  SMA America

  May 2014 - Jul 2015

  Global Portfolio and Markets

  Responsible for defining market strategy for SMA commercial products and growing the market share in the Americas. Identify current and future market opportunities and provide specific requirements and business cases. Collaborate with corporate functions to define value proposition and implement market launch plans. Provide day-to-day operational sales support. Active participant in several industry working groups to monitor and influence industry code compliance and technical trends.Selected Accomplishments- Managed the US MLX inverter launch.- Developed and launched the “Ready Rack” and “Helix” products to simplify and speed commercial rooftop solar installation.- Led internal and external activities required to achieve HECO approval for SMA residential and commercial inverters. Show less

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  Aquahydrex, Inc

  Jul 2015 - Jan 2018

  Engineering, Quality and Reliability Manager

  Responsible for Quality, Reliability, Systems Engineering, IT and Supply Chain. Lead the scoping, definition, design, development, construction and installation of laboratory and system testing facilities for hydrogen generation. Ensure quality documentation and processes are implemented across the company for product and process. Develop Aquahydrex reliability program for component and product level. Coordinate the product cost, feature and performance roadmap between marketing and engineering. Provide market analysis and business development where necessary.Selected Accomplishments- Designed and commissioned $2M prototype hydrogen plant to support pre-sales field product characterization.- Developed facility and lab infrastructure to support benchtop testing and product performance analysis.- Implemented manufacturing data, purchasing and engineering change and product development processes and framework. Show less

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  Ampt, LLC

  Apr 2018 - now

  Director Of Quality

  Define and maintain Ampt's quality program, collaborating with operations to improve yields, reduce defects, and resolve issues. Lead RMA program execution, analyze product failures, and drive continuous improvements with engineering. Oversee reliability program development for high-power electronics, ensuring industry standards and customer requirements are met. Manage and participate in new product innovation, including optimizer and battery converter development. Analyze field performance, support FAEs, and develop/manage AWS databases and front-end interfaces for data presentation.Selected accomplishments:- Improved product lifetime by increasing thermal cycle fatigue MTTF from 3 years to >20 years. - Eliminated mobile ion defects via Temperature-Humidity-Bias (THB) testing, modeling, and material selection.- Eliminated infant mortality failures via RMA analysis and continuous improvement. Show less