Philip Yan

Renewable energy engineering and program management professional with 14+ years of experience in solar projects, manufacturing operations, supply chain, and project delivery.

Background includes photovoltaic factory scale-up, equipment installation and commissioning, multi-site manufacturing programs, and supplier management. Currently supporting advanced PV manufacturing readiness at First Solar. Experienced coordinating U.S. engineering teams, Asia-based manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and EPC contractors. Fluent in English and Mandarin.

Engineer - Supply Chain Chemistry | Technical Sourcing & Manufacturing Readiness at First Solar, Inc. (2024-02 – Present)

• Coordinate sourcing, supplier qualification, and material readiness for 30+ critical materials and services across 20+ suppliers supporting U.S. and European photovoltaic development and manufacturing operations.
• Work with Engineering, R&D, Procurement, and Quality to define material requirements, evaluate suppliers, coordinate testing, and support technical qualification.
• Track supplier commitments, material availability, purchasing status, and delivery schedules. Work with internal teams and vendors to address shortages, qualification delays, and other issues affecting project readiness.
• Prepare supplier comparisons, cost evaluations, material plans, and status reports to support sourcing and manufacturing decisions.

Engineering Program Manager | NPI & Cross-Border Manufacturing Programs at HYC USA Inc. (2021-02 – 2024-02)

• Managed four concurrent NPI and manufacturing programs across 12+ contract-manufacturing sites, coordinating engineering releases, component readiness, production schedules, and equipment deployment.
• Served as a liaison between U.S. customer engineering teams and Asia-based manufacturers on technical specifications, engineering changes, equipment configurations, and manufacturing requirements.
• Coordinated with engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing teams to resolve component shortages, supplier delays, and equipment issues affecting production schedules.
• Supported equipment deployment across multiple manufacturing sites in China, Vietnam, and South Korea, coordinating equipment availability, technical requirements, logistics, and site readiness.
• Managed project schedules, milestone tracking, technical documentation, and issue logs across engineering, manufacturing, and supplier teams. Prepared customer status updates, followed up on open actions, and coordinated equipment quotations and delivery requirements.

Product Engineer | Factory Scale-Up & Equipment Commissioning at Reel Solar Power Inc. (2015-08 – 2021-01)

• Supported the expansion of a photovoltaic manufacturing facility from pilot production to a 50 MW operation, including equipment planning, factory layouts, installation, and manufacturing readiness.
• Worked directly with equipment suppliers, engineering, and factory teams during installation, commissioning, and startup. Coordinated troubleshooting and equipment modifications to resolve production issues.
• Managed product engineering, supplier evaluation, material qualification, technical specifications, and manufacturing implementation across approximately 18 suppliers.
• Conducted photovoltaic product reliability testing and supported design improvements, manufacturing process changes, and production qualification.

Solar Systems Engineer | Solar Project Execution & EPC Coordination at Hanergy America (2012-06 – 2015-08)

• Supported engineering and project execution for a 24 MW utility-scale solar project in California, including construction coordination, contractor communication, grid interconnection, and commissioning activities.
• Developed photovoltaic system layouts, evaluated equipment options, and performed energy-yield analysis for residential, commercial, and utility-scale projects.
• Coordinated with EPC contractors, engineers, and equipment suppliers to address field issues, track project progress, and support installation and operational readiness.

M.S. in Sustainable Energy – Santa Clara University, School of Engineering

B.Eng. in Materials Engineering – Nanyang Technological University, Singapore