TheNational Solar Jobs Census was released last week, and the numbers are stellar: the U.S. solar industry employed about 174,000 Americans in 2014, and the number of solar jobs is expected to increase by 20.9 percent this year. Of the 31,000 jobs the solar industry added in 2014, SolarCityaccounted for 4,000 of them. We decided we'd celebrate by launching a monthly blog series highlighting some of our awesome employees and the indispensable work they do for our company. With this month's focus on women leaders at SolarCity, we'd like to introduce you to Emily!

Emily Kofsky

Role at SolarCity: Director of Product Management

Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts

SolarCity Office: San Francisco HQ

Started working with us: 5 years ago

Why did you join SolarCity?

I knew I wanted to get into green technology, and knew my manager at the time would help me make the transition from consumer packaged goods to green tech. I'd read about this fledgling company, SolarCity, and was excited about what the cofounders were saying. I believed they would take this company somewhere.

What do you do in your current role?

I'm the director of product management for the software engineering teams. My primary function is to make sure our software teams are receiving the right requirements and direction to develop innovative software products. I'm responsible for getting our projects done right and on time. I also make sure that developments are broadly communicated to the users and stakeholders.

How have you grown at SolarCity?

I was brought to SolarCity to launchThe Home Depot partnership - I had experience managing large partnerships from my previous job - and eventually I took on the marketing for more partnerships, likeSolarCity's new homes program . Later I moved into brand management - the biggest highlight of that was being given the opportunity to run the IPO. After that, there was a need to move the needle on referral programs - specifically on a new concept that would encourage referrals by people that were fans of SolarCity, but for whatever reason couldn't become customers themselves - which is when we came up with framework for the SolarAmbassador program . Last winter, I was asked by Pete Rive to join software engineering and build a product management team. That was a huge and really exciting shift. It's been awesome working with so many departments and platforms. We have an exciting software suite that our customers don't necessarily get to see - a lot of behind-the-scenes products our teams built in-house so that we can design better solar systems, install more quickly and give customers a better experience.

What's your favorite aspect of the job?

I love working with really bright engineers: being able to give them good data and direction, and having them come up with something way better than anything we've thought up before.

Can you describe the office culture in a few words?

Collaborative. Respectful. Open to change.

Solar is a male-dominated field. What would you tell other women about getting into this job/industry?

Regardless whether you're male or female, I recommend first spending time to define your strengths and what kind of job you're seeking.  When you start a conversation with someone without knowing those two things cold, it makes it harder for the other person to help you out.  Then make a list of the companies or organizations where you'd like to work.  Start showing that list to everyone: neighbors, friends, former coworkers, your hairstylist, whomever, and ask them if they know of anyone working at those places.  If they do, ask them if they'd be willing to make an introduction to their connection for an informational coffee or phone conversation.  You're more likely to break in when someone at the hiring company is already rooting for you, and when you have a sense for the company goals and culture as a result of your informational chats.

Best piece of advice ever received?

Be open to the trajectory your project is going in, even if it's a different direction than what you originally envisioned. That's the whole point of collaboration, and adapting to changing markets.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I inherited an amazing green thumb from my mother and grandmother.  The inside of my apartment contains a mini jungle. I've even brought supposedly dead plants back to life.

We're hiring software engineers - find out morehere. Interested in joining the team but not an engineer? Browse all current SolarCity opportunities on our

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