Technical Manager - Solar & Energy Storage

Technical Manager - Solar & Energy Storage

Be the technical authority behind some of New Zealand's leading solar and energy storage solutions.

Rise Energy is a specialist distributor of world-leading solar, battery storage and renewable energy technologies, supporting solar companies, electrical contractors, EPCs, retailers and commercial customers across New Zealand and the Pacific.

As the market for solar, battery storage and energy management continues to mature, technical capability has never been more important. We are looking for an experienced Technical Manager to take ownership of Rise Energy's technical function and become the trusted technical authority across our market leading product portfolio.

This is a senior role for someone who combines deep electrical and renewable energy expertise with commercial awareness, leadership and exceptional communication skills.

The Opportunity

You will be responsible for ensuring our products are compliant, technically well understood and properly supported in the New Zealand market. You will establish the technical standards, documentation, system design guidance and support processes that allow our customers and sales teams to confidently specify and deploy our products.

Your influence will extend across:

• Solar PV and inverter systems
• Battery energy storage and hybrid systems
• Commercial & Industrial (C&I) energy solutions
• Off-grid and backup power systems
• EV charging and energy management
• Mounting and balance-of-system products
• Product compliance, certification and SDoCs
• Technical documentation and system design
• Installer and customer technical support
• Supplier technical relationships
• Product quality and warranty engineering
• Technical training and capability development

What You'll Do

You will become the senior technical reference point for Rise Energy's product portfolio and work with our manufacturing partners to ensure our products and technical information meet the requirements of the New Zealand market.

You'll:

·       Verify and maintain manufacturers’ compliance evidence across the solar, storage and energy technology portfolio.

• Ensure products meet relevant New Zealand standards and listing requirements.
• Monitor changes to electrical standards, regulations and network requirements.
• Maintain the company's product certification and compliance registers.
• Ensure new products are technically assessed before entering the NZ market.
• Own the accuracy and currency of technical documentation, design guides, datasheets and compliance information.

You'll need to be comfortable navigating standards including AS/NZS 4777.1, AS/NZS 4777.2, AS/NZS 5033, AS/NZS 5139 and AS/NZS 3000, together with relevant EWRB, network/EDB and product listing requirements.

Drive C&I Technical Capability

Commercial & Industrial solar and battery storage is an important growth area for Rise Energy.

You will work closely with the C&I Business Development team to provide the technical authority behind larger and more complex opportunities.

This will include:

• Developing reference system architectures and compliant design approaches.
• Supporting product selection for complex commercial applications.
• Providing technical guidance on battery storage, hybrid and energy management systems.

·       Establishing design standards and templates for the sales and technical teams, as well as Rise Energy customers.

• Acting as the senior technical escalation point for complex or high-value opportunities.
• Helping Rise Energy build a reputation as a technically credible C&I supplier and partner.

Be the Technical Escalation Point

Rise Energy’s existing Technical Support Engineer will manage day-to-day technical enquiries, with you providing the senior level of technical authority and escalation.

You will work directly with:

• Solar installers
• Electrical contractors
• EPCs
• Retailers
• Commercial customers
• Rise Energy's sales team
• Product suppliers
• Electrical inspectors and industry bodies

You'll be expected to be comfortable getting into the detail when required, while also being able to communicate complex technical issues clearly, accurately and professionally, both verbally and in writing.

Build Technical Capability

A key part of the role will be making technical knowledge easier for Rise Energy's customers and people to access and understand.

You'll develop, enhance and deliver:

• Installer training
• Product training
• Internal technical training
• Product launch sessions
• Roadshows and workshops
• Troubleshooting guides
• FAQs and technical bulletins
• Installation and design guidance
• Best-practice documentation

The objective is simple: make Rise Energy's products easier to specify, install, commission and support.

Own the Supplier Technical Interface

Rise Energy works with leading international technology manufacturers.

You will establish strong technical relationships with suppliers and become the key technical contact for issues involving:

• Product performance
• Product faults
• Certifications
• Technical documentation
• Warranty engineering
• Product suitability for the NZ market

You'll also provide technical input into the evaluation of new products and brands before they are introduced to the market.

Lead Product Quality and Technical Warranty Issues

When something goes wrong, you'll help determine why.

You will provide the technical leadership on complex product faults and warranty matters, working with suppliers and internal teams to identify root causes and corrective actions.

Rather than simply resolving individual problems, you'll look for patterns and opportunities to prevent them happening again through:

• Root-cause analysis
• Product feedback
• Supplier escalation
• Installer education
• Improved documentation
• Technical process improvements

Lead the Technical Team

You will lead and develop the Technical Support Engineer, establishing clear technical processes, response standards and quality benchmarks.

What We're Looking For

This is a role for someone who has real-world renewable energy experience, not simply theoretical electrical knowledge.

You will ideally bring:

• A recognised electrical engineering qualification or be an EWRB-registered electrician - this is a non-negotiable requirement.
• Strong practical experience across solar PV and battery energy storage.
• Experience with residential, off-grid, and Commercial & Industrial systems.
• Strong knowledge of New Zealand electrical standards and regulatory requirements.
• A thorough understanding of inverter, battery and hybrid system technologies.
• Experience providing technical support to installers, electrical contractors and customers.
• Experience developing technical documentation, designs or system architectures.
• The ability to investigate complex technical problems and find practical solutions.
• Experience leading, mentoring or developing technical people.
• The confidence to deal directly with international technology suppliers.
• Excellent English language and communication skills, both spoken and written.
• The ability to communicate complex technical information clearly, accurately and professionally to a wide range of audiences.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce high-quality technical documentation, reports, correspondence, training material and technical guidance.

·       Excellent references from previous employers.

Most importantly, you're someone who takes ownership.

You don't wait for someone else to solve the problem. You investigate it, understand it, find the answer and make sure the organisation learns from it.

The Person

We're looking for someone who is technically credible, commercially aware and able to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences.

You will be:

Technically authoritative - people trust your judgement.

Commercially aware - you understand that technical excellence ultimately needs to support business growth.

Customer focused - you enjoy helping installers and customers succeed.

Curious - you want to understand how products work and why they fail.

Practical - you can turn standards and technical theory into workable solutions.

A leader - you want to build capability in others rather than simply being the person who knows all the answers.

Why Join Rise Energy?

This is an opportunity to play a genuine leadership role in one of the most rapidly developing areas of the New Zealand energy sector.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Become the recognised technical authority within a growing renewable energy business.
• Work across some of the world's leading solar, battery and energy technology brands.
• Influence which products and technologies Rise Energy brings to the New Zealand market.
• Help shape the company's rapidly developing C&I capability.
• Work directly with international manufacturers and technology providers.
• Build and lead a growing technical function.
• Develop technical standards and capability across Rise Energy and its customer base.
• Be involved in the evolution of New Zealand's solar and energy storage industry.

This is not a back-office technical role.

It is a highly visible position where your technical judgement and communication skills will influence products, customers, suppliers, sales opportunities and the future direction of Rise Energy's renewable energy business.

Location

Auckland-based, working from Rise Energy’s Auckland office, with customer, supplier, installer and site travel as required.

Interested?

If you're an experienced electrical or renewable energy professional looking for a role where you can combine technical expertise, leadership and commercial thinking, we'd like to hear from you.

Apply now and take ownership of the technical future of Rise Energy.