First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.
Basic Job Functions:
Develop processes and equipment to enable thin film wet coating. Transfer new wet coating processes from lab environment to high-volume manufacturing scale. Troubleshoot the equipment and introduce hardware upgrades to improve functionality. Select and develop wet coating techniques and solution formulations for photovoltaic devices on glass panels for improved performance, cost reduction, and new product designs. Planning and execution of experiments followed by data collection and analysis.
Education/Experience:
- Associate's Degree in a technical discipline with 2 years of experience as First Solar Manufacturing Engineer I or 3 years Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting, or 2 years Engineering experience and 6 years technical experience in a manufacturing setting or
- Bachelor’s Degree in a technical discipline with 2 years of experience as First Solar Manufacturing Engineer I or 3 years Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting or 2 years Engineering experience and 3 years technical experience in a manufacturing setting or
- MS Degree in a technical discipline with 2-4 years Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting or
- PhD Degree in a technical discipline with 0-3 years Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting.
Required Skills/Competencies:
- Capability of hands-on equipment upgrades and troubleshooting.
- Experience and exposure to manufacturing environment.
- Experience with wet coating and drying thermal equipment.
- Experience with fluid mechanics.
- Familiarity of semiconductor device physics at basic level.
- Familiarity with thin film characterization techniques and measurements such as XRD, SEM, SIMS, AFM, XPS and etc. Be able to know when to request tests.
- Demonstrated experience with statistical data analysis.
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate and execute multi-factor experiments in a manufacturing production environment.
- Experience with using statistical software (JMP preferred).
- Knowledge of MS Office software (strong knowledge of MS Access preferred).
- Excellent communications skills.
- Proven organizational skills.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Design and qualification of wet coating equipment, its components, and configurations.
- Develop wet deposition and drying processes and characterization methods for functional wet-coated films in photovoltaic devices.
- Interface and manage meetings with vendors.
- Develop equipment and formulation scale-up with vendors (solution mixing / filtration /delivery).
- Design, execute, and analyze multi-factor experiments.
- Provide clear written and verbal direction to technicians.
- Participate in cross-functional team reviews.
- Communicate results of engineering tests in a clear and concise manner. Be able to communicate with upper management, R&D engineers, and technicians.
- Generate reports in MS PowerPoint and MS Excel.
- Complies with Company's Environmental, Quality, Safety or any other policies that have been enforced Contributes to continuous improvement of said policies.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Job description subject to change at any time.
Reporting Relationships:
- This position may have direct reports.
Travel:
Estimated Salary Range:
- $80,700-$115,000 Annually.
US Physical Requirements:
Hybrid Physical Requirements:
- Will sit, stand, or walk short distances for up to the entire duration of a shift.
- Will climb stairs on an occasional basis.
- Will lift, push, or pull up to 27 pounds on an occasional basis.
- Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects on a frequent basis.
- 20/40 vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required.
- Must be able to comply with all safety standards and procedures.
- May reach above shoulder heights and below the waist on a frequent basis.
- May stoop, kneel, or bend, on an occasional basis.
- Ability to wear personal protective equipment is required (including but not limited to; steel-toed shoes, gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection, protective jacket or apron and arm guards).
- All associates working on the production floor may be required to wear a respirator at any given time and thus, the ability to wear a respirator is a condition of employment and continued employment (requires little or no facial hair).
Potential candidates will meet the education and experience requirements provided on the above job description and excel in completing the listed responsibilities for this role. All candidates receiving an offer of employment must successfully complete a background check and any other tests that may be required.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: First Solar is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a driving force in the success of our company.