Senior Manager- Reliability

First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.

Basic Job Functions:

• This is a leadership role critical to First Solar’s continued success, with significant influence on the qualification and commercialization of new technologies quickly and efficiently, collaborating closely with many functions including Development Engineering, Reliability/Device Physics, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Global Customer Service, and Product Management to do so.
• This leader is responsible for the development of systems and activities to assess design and process changes, building reliability modeling infrastructure, developing processes to understand physics of technology and material interactions, monitor volume manufacturing & fielded product performance, investigate issues, and drive root cause & corrective actions.
• This leader is responsible for the development, implementation, and execution of DFMEA, understanding defects at early stage and linking its impact to field performance, support developing product qualification plans from early stages of development to implementation, including IEC certification.
• This leader manages his group to generate actionable information through testing and data analysis to safeguard, assure, and improve module Reliability.
• This leader owns the training, use, maintenance, and continuous improvement of DFMEA and assist in the development of PFMEA collaborating closely with Manufacturing Engineering.

Education/Experience:

• M.S. in an engineering discipline such as Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related fields, Ph.D. preferred.
• B.S. in an engineering discipline or related field10+ years of experience in an engineering discipline including volume manufacturing and process/product improvement.
• 10+ years of experience in reliability prediction modeling, reliability physics and MTBF
• 8+ years of engineering leadership and management experience in process engineering and/or process development.
• 5+ years of experience managing the Quality and/or Reliability function in a global volume manufacturing and product development setting, with strong familiarity with pertinent UL & IEC standards.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Demonstrated expertise in creating safe work environments
• Strong technical background with ability to quickly understand new concepts and ideas.  Knowledge of semiconductor-based technologies such as microelectronics and ideally large area thin film technologies is a plus.  Experience in a high-tech, high growth environment preferred.
• Track record of increasing responsibility in the Quality & Reliability function with a reputation as a customer advocate.  Proven ability to manage/execute Quality & Reliability programs, strategy, and culture in a global manufacturing company.
• Data driven approach to solving issues with strong data mining and data analysis skills, with ability to apply experimental and statistical techniques to convert data to actionable information.  Strong knowledge of SPC, lean manufacturing concepts, reliability analysis and six sigma.  Demonstrates passion for process improvement, identifying gaps in operational systems and driving resolution.
• Excellent interpersonal, managerial, organizational, and team-building skills with a proven record of delivering results through hands-on leadership. Succeeds through influence with both internal and external customers.
• Comfortable working at all levels in the organization, across functional boundaries and a variety of cultures, forging relationships across internal departments, suppliers, customers and external labs.  Communicates clearly and regularly with direct reports and key colleagues worldwide.
• Proficient use of all Microsoft Office suite programs.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Implements a world class safety culture, instilling and demonstrating a Safety First mentality.
• Verification & Validation of Product Design -
• Develop and lead team responsible for qualification of new technologies at the module level identifying and assessing risks of product design and product manufacturing failure modes.
• Establish cross-functional FMEA-based risk assessments of new designs with direct linkage to commercial product reliability requirements and process capability & controls.
• Develop & execute world-class qualification processes and procedures that limit risk in product release and identify material and manufacturing quality factors that influence standardized test and field reliability.
• Develop reliability test methods that cover the expected customer use environment and operational conditions, interpret the results of executed test plans, and validate assumptions in the field.
• Communicate rising process and product reliability concerns urgently and cross-functionally to instigate actions to address.  Provide guidance regarding design, material, process, qualification, and field risk.
• Module Certification & Compliance - Responsible for working closely with internal group that works with certification agencies to identify test requirements & timelines to secure required UL & IEC module certifications.
• Diagnostic Tools & Method Development - Continues to scale and enhance the infrastructure for quality, reliability, and material analysis in support of development project.
• Product Reliability Monitoring in HVM - Responsible to support the global high volume module manufacturing reliability monitoring systems to identify and/or mitigate risk of reliability failures.
• Product & Manufacturing Excursion Root Cause Analysis - Responsible to drive and establish root cause and corrective action of module performance issues arising from the factory excursions (non-confirming product) or field warranty returns through thorough failure analysis plans & subsequent data interpretation, working closely with Reliability Physics Group.
• Warranty Closed Loop Corrective Action. Generates necessary data/analysis to equip Customer Support team with appropriate information to address customer field observations and inquiries.
• Build, lead, motivate and mentor a highly-talented Reliability Engineering team of device, material, and reliability experts.  Utilize in-house capabilities efficiently.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time.

Reporting Relationships:

• This position will report to the Head, Quality & Reliability Development
• This position will have direct reports.

Travel:

• 5% - 10%

Estimated Salary Range:

• $131,000 - $180,000 Estimated Annual Salary

US Physical Requirements:

Office Physical Requirements:

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. To best service our customers, internal and external, all associates must be able to communicate face-to-face and on the phone with or without reasonable accommodation. First Solar is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, it attempts to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees in accordance with the requirements of the disability discrimination laws. It also invites individuals with disabilities to participate in a good faith, interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made without imposing an undue hardship.

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.