Engineer- Manufacturing III USA

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

Basic Job Functions:

Provide technical leadership within team. Define requirements, evaluate, install, and qualify new process equipment for solvent vapor containment, condensation collection, environmental mitigation, and safety. Work with Development Engineering, EHS, and Facilities to develop robust, manufacturable processes. Implement new processes to meet schedule, leading troubleshooting efforts as needed to meet project requirements.

Education/Experience:

• Associate's degree in a technical discipline with 2 years as First Solar Manufacturing Engineer II, or 5 Years Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting or 4 years Engineering and 6 years technical experience in a manufacturing setting or
• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline with 2 years as First Solar Manufacturing Engineer II, or 5 years Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting, or 4 years Engineering and 3 years technical experience in a manufacturing setting or
• MS Degree in a technical discipline with 2 years as First Solar Manufacturing Engineer II, or 4 years engineering experience in a manufacturing setting or
• PhD Degree in a technical discipline with 2 years as First Solar Manufacturing Engineer II, or 3 years experience in a manufacturing setting.
• Demonstrated experience in air flow and/or chemical processing.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Collaborating with vendors to develop, refine, and/or installing exhaust systems for industrial settings.
• Operation and specifying systems for mixing and delivering chemistries to process equipment.
• Modeling/calculating airflow in production systems.
• Determine material compatibility for delivery systems with vendors.
• Risk assessment, monitoring, mitigation strategies of ventilation systems.
• Provide technical leadership.
• Demonstrated proficiency with applying Robust Engineering.
• Excellent Structured Problem-Solving Method (such as DMAIC).
• Outstanding knowledge of manufacturing processes.
• Outstanding skill in generating and maintaining FMEAs.
• Demonstrated proficiency in applying DOE and SPC control a plus.
• Outstanding skill with Statistical Data Analysis.
• Outstanding skill in Metrology and measurement best practices.
• Develop and provide technical training.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Experience maintaining and troubleshooting General Electronics preferred.
• Experience maintaining and troubleshooting General Mechanical Systems preferred.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Evaluate, Install and Qualify new equipment, with specific focus on the areas of systems for vapor containment, condensation collection, environmental mitigation, and safety.
• Design, evaluate, and improve vapor containment strategies (e.g., local exhaust ventilation, enclosures, condensation).
• Oversee and optimize the operation of RTOs, scrubbers, and solvent adsorption systems.
• Work with engineering teams or vendors to enhance airflow management, hood design, and dilution ventilation to minimize fugitive emissions.
• Generate models and calculations of air flow in systems is required.
• Responsible to develop, continually improve, and document robust solar module manufacturing processes to achieve the highest product performance in a cost-efficient manner.
• Assist in evaluating equipment design for NEC 505 and ATEX requirements.
• Collaborate with R&D and process engineers to identify low-VOC alternatives and improve solvent recovery systems.
• Implement best practices for solvent storage, transfer, and waste management to reduce environmental impact.
• Lead Teams through Continuous Improvement Activities and structured problem solving.
• Collaboration with engineering and environmental health and safety teams to enhance workplace safety and environmental sustainability.
• Capable of sustaining the entire process area.
• Inject manufacturing requirements to new process development by working with development team.
• Design and execute planned process experiments, collect and analyze data and report experimental results.
• Leads task forces and communicates status updates to stakeholders.
• Champion continuous improvement activities using six-sigma and other statistical problem-solving methods.
• Provide mentorship and project oversight to assist in the development of junior engineers.
• Resolve day-to-day production, equipment, and process problems.
• Identify training needs and develop and provide training to other engineers, engineering technicians, and production associates.
• Develop Process Control Plans and Preventive Maintenance Plans.
• Responsible for data collection relating to daily equipment performance and associated product performance.
• Responsible to interface with internal associates and supplier representatives as required to complete assigned projects.
• Maintain effective communication with production associates and manufacturing engineers.
• Set up new gauges and perform Gauge maintenance.
• Works with minimal supervision.
• Adhere to all safety procedures and good housekeeping standards.
• Domestic and International travel as required.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time.

Reporting Relationships:

• This position may have direct reports.

Travel:

• 10% - 20%

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 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).

Office Physical Requirements:

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. In order 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 are a driving force in the success of our company.