Head of Engineering

Company OverviewNevados is the premier solar tracker company for PV power plants built on sloped and rolling terrain. We offer innovative all-terrain trackers paired with a comprehensive software suite in an integrated technology platform that optimizes solar performance, improves plant reliability and respects the natural landscape. Headquartered in Oakland and backed by institutional capital, Nevados is transforming utility-scale PV deployment with our tracking solutions and partnership approach.
Nevados is a distributed organization with many team members working remotely, while other roles require an in office and on-site presence. Specifics of the work location, travel expectations and other role requirements are outlined in the position overview. Ideal candidates are self-motivated and able to manage their time effectively.

Position Overview 

Reporting to the COO, the Head of Engineering is the senior-most technical authority at Nevados, responsible for end-to-end product integrity, engineering, execution, and organizational effectiveness. This role ensures our products meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, and manufacturability while aligning engineering efforts with business objectives. 

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring deep systems thinking, strong technical judgment, and the ability to drive clarity, speed, and accountability across a multidisciplinary engineering organization. 

Location: Hybrid—with expectation of majority time spent in our Oakland office to work alongside our C-Suite and engineering teams. 

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Governance 

• Serve as the final technical authority on product design, performance, and engineering standards 

• Lead design reviews, ensuring rigor, cross-functional alignment, and timely decision-making 

• Own system-level integration across mechanical, structural, electrical, and software components 

Engineering Organization & Structure 

• Optimize engineering team structure to improve speed, clarity, and accountability 

• Evolve the engineering organization and team structure to support clarity, alignment, and effective execution as the company scales, including thoughtful placement of key functions (e.g., embedded systems, structural engineering)  

• Serve as a mentor and partner to engineering leaders, supporting their continued growth in leadership, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement  

• Guide leaders in prioritization, resource planning, and team development within a resource-conscious environment, ensuring focus on the highest-impact work while building a scalable, resilient organization 

Product Development & Execution 

• Drive product strategy and roadmap to amplify market competitiveness 

• Drive cost reduction initiatives across the product portfolio 

• Implement a design sprint approach to accelerate development cycles and time-to-market 

• Ensure strong alignment between engineering, product, and commercial priorities 

•  Provide quantitative, informative and frequent department and product development reporting 

Innovation & Technical Strategy 

• Institute rapid and lean design methods with an AI-forward mindset