Michael Harken
Eagle Mountain,UT
Summary
Strategic Quality Assurance Leader with a track record of transforming "policing" cultures into data-driven business partnerships. Expert in diagnosing systemic operational failures and replacing volume-based metrics with impact-focused Root Cause Analysis (RCA) frameworks. Recently secured Director-level approval for a region-wide QA overhaul that aligns incentives with error prevention. Currently pursuing MBA with Data Analytics emphasis to drive predictive quality modeling.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
West Coast Supervisor, Design Quality
Sunrun
10.2025 - Current
- Strategic KPI Restructuring (The "Impact" Pivot): Identified that legacy volume-based metrics promoted low-value findings. Designed and pitched a new "Root Cause & Remediation" framework focused on preventing install-day errors. Secured Director approval (Dec 2025) for full regional rollout in Q1 2026.
- Cultural Transformation: Reversed a trend of "QA Hubris" by repositioning the department as a support function. Established collaborative feedback loops with Branch Managers, resulting in Operations actively seeking QA insights to solve systemic issues rather than hiding errors.
- Vendor Quality Turnaround: Shifted vendor management from punitive scoring to collaborative mentorship. Created visual "Assumption Guides" that drove vendor graduation scores to 85%, with a strategic roadmap executing to hit 90%+ by Q2.
- Data-Driven Leverage: Transitioned the department from "10% Random Sampling" to "Trend-Based Auditing," utilizing data analytics to identify and report macro-level design failures to executive leadership.
Energy Design Supervisor
Sunrun
05.2022 - 10.2025
- Quality Innovation (Nationwide Adoption): Diagnosed high As-Built error rates in the Bay Area. Re-engineered the support model into a collaborative "Design Hotline," reducing error rates to (historic low). The program was subsequently adopted as the National Quality Standard.
- Redline Reduction: Achieved a 4%-10% reduction in redline rates from Q4 2022 to 2025 while doubling design volume, proving that speed does not have to sacrifice quality.
- Standardization: Solved critical Vendor SLA delays by creating visual SOPs that clarified ambiguous design rules, reducing "kickbacks" and improving first-pass yield.
PV Design Specialist
Empire Solar Group
04.2020 - 01.2021
- Process Standardization: Spearheaded the migration from Sketchup to AutoCAD, creating the new department-wide quality standard for design outputs.
- Compliance Training: Developed the technical training curriculum to ensure 100% adherence to the new software standards during the transition.
Senior PV System Designer
Auric Solar
04.2017 - 02.2020
- Leadership: Mentored a team of 6 designers to consistently achieve a collective throughput of 1 Megawatt (MW) per month.
- Quality Authority: Entrusted with final QA sign-off authority for all residential and commercial projects prior to city submission, maintaining a 90% first-pass approval rate.
Education
MBA - Business Intelligence & Data Analytics
University of Massachusetts Global
Aliso Viejo, CA12-2026
Bachelor of Science - Technology Management
Utah Valley University
Orem, UT07-2017
Skills
- Vendor Relationship Management
- SLA Negotiation & Tracking
- Outsourcing Strategy
- Technical Documentation (SOPs)
- Global Workforce Management
Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification – Level II June 2017
- Microsoft Dynamics Student Certificate May 2017
- 10-Hour OSHA Hazard Recognition Training for the Construction Industry Course, Credential ID 36-006115241 May 2018
Timeline
West Coast Supervisor, Design Quality
Sunrun
10.2025 - Current
Energy Design Supervisor
Sunrun
05.2022 - 10.2025
PV Design Specialist
Empire Solar Group
04.2020 - 01.2021
Senior PV System Designer
Auric Solar
04.2017 - 02.2020
MBA - Business Intelligence & Data Analytics
University of Massachusetts Global
Bachelor of Science - Technology Management
Utah Valley University