Development Engineer I

First Solar (US) • Perrysburg, OH

12d

About The Position

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

Basic Job Functions:

Own the uptime, calibration, maintenance, and configuration control of
specialized characterization tools, including IV testers, EL imaging systems,
CV/QE measurement tools, and light soak chambers.
Develop light soak test protocols to simulate long term field exposure,
enabling evaluation of device stability and degradation mechanisms which will
help validating new technologies, processes, and product reliability.
Create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), test instructions,
and diagnostic workflows to ensure consistent, high‑quality measurement data.
Troubleshoot and resolve daily equipment issues while implementing long-term
improvements to increase test throughput, tool robustness, and measurement
accuracy.

Education/Experience:

Associate’s degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical
discipline and 10 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of
experience as an Associate Engineer or Development Engineer Technician III at
First Solar.
Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical
discipline and 3 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of
experience as an Associate Engineer or Development Engineer Technician III at
First Solar.
Master’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline
and 1 year of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as an
Associate Engineer at First Solar.

Requirements

• Familiarity with plant and laboratory operations; ability to adhere to all safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Hands-on experience working in laboratory or manufacturing environments.
• Strong ability to plan, organize, design, and execute experiments with minimal supervision.
• Ability to conduct preliminary data analysis and generate clear reports, work instructions, and procedures.
• Proficiency with all Microsoft Office suite programs; experience with JMP, SQL, MATLAB, or Python for data analysis is a plus.
• Strong problem‑solving and troubleshooting abilities, particularly with electromechanical systems.
• Solid understanding of PV device physics, thin‑film solar technologies, and electrical measurement techniques.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics/ mechanical drawings, with foundational knowledge of electrical circuits and PCB design.
• Associate’s degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 10 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as an Associate Engineer or Development Engineer Technician III at First Solar.
• Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 3 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as an Associate Engineer or Development Engineer Technician III at First Solar.
• Master’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 1 year of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as an Associate Engineer at First Solar.

Responsibilities

• Identify and implement opportunities for cost reduction, performance improvement, and efficiency gains in measurement processes.
• Provide training to technicians and users on the safe/ proper operation and maintenance of measurement tools.
• Maintain effective cross‑functional collaboration and provide support as required by business needs.
• Install, qualify, and improve new and existing equipment to enhance test throughput and measurement performance.
• Other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level