How to apply for Lead Field Service Technician III – Solar

About New Energy Equity (NEE)

New Energy Equity has financed and developed over 330MW of solar projects since 2013. The company operates Energy Support Services, which keeps solar and energy storage systems running. This role sits in that service arm, doing hands-on field work on operating solar sites.

About the role

As a lead field service technician III, you are the technical authority on site. You lead complex inspections, troubleshooting, and repairs, own your sites, and mentor junior technicians. The job is field-based in and around St. Cloud, Minnesota, with a defined pathway to Technician IV.

A typical day

You start from home and drive to a solar site within the St. Cloud territory, typically 30 to 90 minutes away. On site you lead inspections, troubleshoot electrical issues, and direct repairs, possibly mentoring a junior technician. Some weeks include a Saturday morning on-call shift, and overtime over 40 hours is paid at 1.5x.

Who New Energy Equity (NEE) is looking for

• You hold a master electrician license. No prior solar experience is required; the company will train you on photovoltaics.
• You live in the St. Cloud, Minnesota region or are actively relocating there before your start date. Applications from outside the area cannot be considered.
• You are comfortable working outdoors in all conditions and driving from home to job sites, typically 30 to 90 minutes each way.
• You can work Monday through Friday, 7am to 3pm or 8am to 4pm, plus a rotational Saturday on-call shift from 8am to 12pm.

Tips for this application

• State clearly in your application that you live in the St. Cloud area or have a firm relocation date. The posting says candidates outside the region cannot be considered.
• Lead with your master electrician license. It is the one requirement the company says it cannot teach quickly.
• Confirm you understand this is not a remote or work-from-home job. The posting repeats this point, so address it directly.
• Mention any experience leading or mentoring other technicians, since the role includes shaping how work gets done and developing junior staff.
• Note your willingness to do the rotational Saturday on-call shift and occasional overnight travel under 10%.

What to cover in your cover letter

Your master electrician license and where it was issued. Your location in or relocation plan for the St. Cloud region. Any experience supervising or mentoring technicians in the field. Your comfort with the schedule, on-call rotation, and driving territory.

Research before applying

• New Energy Equity's project portfolio and the 330MW installed since 2013, so you can speak to the scale of the operating fleet.
• What Energy Support Services does as the operations and maintenance arm, since that is the team you would join.
• Typical solar site layouts and components, such as inverters, combiners, and tracking systems, even at a basic level.
• The St. Cloud area solar market and the driving distances involved in the 30-to-90-minute territory.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would troubleshoot an unfamiliar electrical fault on a solar site with no prior PV experience.
• A time you led a crew or mentored a less experienced technician through a complex repair.
• How you handle working alone outdoors in Minnesota weather across a 30-to-90-minute driving territory.
• Your approach to electrical safety and code compliance when you are the technical authority on site.
• What you know about New Energy Equity and Energy Support Services, and why field service work on operating solar assets interests you.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without a master electrician license when it is the core requirement for this posting.
• Applying from outside the St. Cloud region without a concrete relocation plan, since the posting excludes those candidates.
• Treating this as a remote or work-from-home role. The description states three times that it is on-site and field-based.