Development Engineer II

First Solar•Perrysburg, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset. This role involves performing material and device research to enhance thin film solar cell performance and stability, and to reduce manufacturing cost. The position is responsible for projects or functions that are enablers to department goals and deliverables. The engineer will plan, execute, and characterize development engineering experiments in both laboratory and manufacturing environments, applying statistical and engineering methods to optimize organizational effectiveness and improve methods for use by others.

Requirements

Comprehensive understanding of functional business units’ core area (e.g., sputter or materials science), with expert knowledge in at least one area.
Skills and hands-on experience in execution of experiments in laboratory or manufacturing environment.
Analytical skills to interpret data and derive conclusions.
Ability to make and execute detailed plans to achieve objectives with strong sense of ownership.
Good communication skills across organizations.
Associate’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 15 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer I at First Solar.
Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 5 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer I at First Solar.
Master’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 3 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer I at First Solar.
Ph.D. in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline, without prior technical work experience.
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).
All candidates receiving an offer of employment must successfully complete a background check and any other tests that may be required.

Nice To Haves

May have direct reports.

Responsibilities

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 enablers to department goals and deliverables.
Plan, execute and characterize development engineering experiments in the laboratory and manufacturing environment.
Applies statistical and engineering methods to optimize organizational effectiveness.
Improves methods for use by others.
Identify opportunities for improvement in solar cell efficiency, material selection and process/equipment design through engineering, scientific or empirical methods.
Apply state-of-the-art techniques for material analysis, statistical analysis of data or execution/planning of experiments.
Develop a work plan that can address problems with well understood solution paths.
May be responsible to determine and evaluate material specification for improved performance.
May be responsible to determine and evaluate tool/equipment specifications.
Effective communicator with internal and external partners and customers.
Effective team member that can support cross-functional projects and take ownership of sub-deliverables.
May train, mentor and manage junior associates.
Complies with Company's Environmental, Quality, Safety or any other policies that have been enforced.
Other duties as assigned.