Development Engineering Intern (Spring 2027)

First Solar (US) • Santa Clara, CA

1d • $29 - $34

About The Position

First Solar’s interns gain real-world experience across areas including research and development, engineering, and energy services, while developing new skills and contributing to the company’s sustainable energy mission. Interns are encouraged to innovate through collaboration, take smart risks, learn from failures, and take personal accountability. This internship is expected to run from January 4, 2027, to May 21, 2027. Interns may enroll in classes while working, provided their classes do not interfere with the position’s essential functions. The intern works under daily supervision, follows standard procedures and instructions, handles routine questions and problems, and refers more complex issues to higher levels. The intern is required to present their accomplishments and project summary to the leadership team upon completion.

Requirements

• Be enrolled at least in the junior year of an undergraduate program.
• Be pursuing a degree in Material Science, Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related STEM field.
• Demonstrate competency in MS Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Have basic troubleshooting skills, critical-thinking ability, attention to detail, and good communication skills.
• Be able to follow standard operating procedures and work instructions.
• Apply basic skills and potentially develop advanced skills using tools and equipment appropriate to the position.
• Work under daily supervision and follow standard procedures and instructions to complete assigned tasks.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with wet chemistry processing.
• Hands-on experience with vacuum equipment.
• Hands-on experience in photovoltaic device fabrication or testing.
• Working knowledge of analytical tools such as UV-Vis, AFM, SEM, SIMS, XRD, XRR, and ellipsometry.

Responsibilities

• Support operations for fabrication of research-scale photovoltaic devices, including standard and non-standard processes.
• Assist with and contribute to the development of novel processes and materials for thin-film photovoltaic devices.
• Support electrical and material characterization of thin films and photovoltaic devices.
• Present accomplishments and a project summary to the leadership team upon completion of the internship.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern