Development Engineer III

Job Description

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

Basic Job Functions

• Perform material and device research to enhance thin film solar cell performance and stability and to reduce manufacturing cost.
• Responsible for projects or functions that are highly complex require significant innovation and are critical to department objectives.
• Plan, execute and characterize development engineering experiments in the laboratory and manufacturing environment with strategic foresight. Drives actions with strategic foresight.
• Apply statistical and engineering methods to optimize organizational effectiveness. Improve methods for use by others.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 10 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.
• Master's Degree in materials science, chemistry, physics or engineering discipline and 8 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.
• Ph.D. in materials science, chemistry, physics or engineering discipline and 5 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.

Required Skills/Competencies

• Hands-on experience and expertise in a materials characterization laboratory environment.
• Extensive hands-on experience with XPS, SEM, or SIMS, including instrument operation, troubleshooting, and method development is required.
• Proven ability to use material characterization data (e.g., XPS, ToF-SIMS, AFM, SEM, TEM) to drive improvements in development processes.
• Experience developing new characterization methods.
• Experience in evaluating surface properties and interfacial interactions in thin film devices.
• In depth knowledge of thin film CdTe and/or perovskite PV technology is preferred.
• Strong sense of project ownership with hands-on and can-do attitude.
• Strong communication skills and teamwork across organizations.

Essential Responsibilities

• Effective communicator with internal and external partners and customers. Effective team members that can support cross-functional projects and take ownership of sub-deliverables.
• Prepare and analyze samples using relevant analytical instrumentation to evaluate material properties.
• Interpret analytical data from multiple surface sensitive techniques (e.g., XPS, SIMS, SEM, AFM) and apply learnings to problem solving issues during project development.
• Translate the results into an actionable item for the customer to drive improvements in a process or product.
• Generate high quality technical reports and presentations to communicate results and recommendations to the customer.
• Identify opportunities for improvements in solar cell efficiency, material selection and process/equipment design through engineering, scientific or empirical methods.
• May be responsible to determine and evaluate material specification for improved performance. May be responsible to determine and evaluate tool/equipment specifications.
• May train, mentor and manage junior and peers on specific subject matters.
• Comply 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

• Reports to Development Manager.
• May have direct reports.

Travel

• 0% - 5% (On occasion/as needed for training, etc.)

Estimated Salary Range

• $82,100-$117,000 Annually.

US 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 37 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 both eyes together, 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, and a condition of employment and continued employment (requires little or no facial hair) for those requiring respirator use.

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.