Director- Corporate Development USA

First Solar (US)•Phoenix, AZ

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Corporate Development is responsible for building, executing, and managing First Solar’s corporate development function. This role serves as a critical architect of the company’s inorganic growth engine, complementing its organic expansion. Reporting directly to the EVP of Corporate Affairs, this role is instrumental in translating First Solar’s long-term strategic objectives into actionable M&A and investment frameworks, building institutional capability in corporate development, and serving as a trusted advisor to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in opportunity identification, M&A transaction management, strategic market analysis, and organizational integration, combined with the executive presence and communication skills to influence senior leadership and drive alignment across a complex, global organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, business, engineering, or a related field; MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.
8–15+ years of relevant experience, with a significant portion in M&A investment banking, corporate development, private equity, or management consulting.
Demonstrated track record of leading or managing complex M&A transactions from origination through close, including deal structuring, financing and due diligence, ideally within technology industries/markets.
Deep expertise in opportunity identification, financial modeling, valuation methodologies (DCF, comparable companies, precedent transactions), and deal economics.
Strong command of strategic market analysis, competitive intelligence, and investment thesis development.
Prior experience building or significantly maturing a corporate development function, including process design, governance frameworks, and playbook development.
Proven ability to communicate effectively with C-suite and board-level stakeholders — in both written and verbal formats — including high-stakes investment presentations.
Experience advising on organizational design and post-merger integration strategy.
Strong planning, project management, and cross-functional coordination skills.
Self-directed and capable of managing multiple workstreams simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Global mindset with sensitivity to cross-border deal dynamics and international regulatory considerations.
Leads through credibility and expertise; earns trust across functions; collaborates with and builds agreement among senior stakeholders.
Brings a genuine drive to understand new industries, technologies and business models.
Operates effectively in situations where strategy remains dynamic, data is incomplete and organizational priorities respond to changing environments.

Responsibilities

Design and implement standardized end-to-end M&A processes for the Corporate Development function, including Market Mapping/Screening, Company Screening/Analysis, Diligence, and Deal Room phase-gated operating models.
Define the functional architecture, team structures, decision authorities, and resource requirements for each phase of the M&A process, ensuring alignment with corporate growth ambitions and capital deployment priorities.
Develop transition plans, milestones, and success metrics to evolve the function from a foundational build to a scaled, repeatable capability.
Design and implement a governance framework for investment decisions, including stage-gate approvals, committee structures, escalation protocols, and documentation standards.
Define and communicate clear roles and responsibilities across Corporate Development, Finance, Legal, Operations, and business unit stakeholders throughout the M&A lifecycle.
Drive continuous improvement of process maturity, incorporating lessons learned from completed transactions.
Build, own, and maintain a comprehensive Strategic Investment Playbook that codifies First Solar’s investment thesis, target criteria, deal archetypes, valuation frameworks, and integration principles.
Align the Playbook with ELT-approved corporate strategy and ensure it is actionable for both deal teams and business leadership.
Develop sector-specific acquisition frameworks for priority growth areas including manufacturing, technology, downstream, and international markets.
Build and maintain a dynamic, proprietary opportunity pipeline, tracking market developments, competitive activity, and potential targets that fit the strategic profile, including white space mapping.
Advise the ELT and functional leaders on organizational design requirements necessary to successfully integrate inorganic acquisitions and investments.
Partner with HR, operations, and business unit leaders to assess integration readiness, identify talent gaps, and define operating model changes required post-close.
Develop integration playbooks and frameworks that address cultural alignment, reporting structures, systems integration, and Day 1 / Day 100 planning.
Serve as an internal expert on integration best practices, drawing from external benchmarking and prior transaction experience.
Act as a credible, trusted advisor to the EVP of Corporate Affairs and the broader ELT on all matters related to corporate development strategy, transaction activity, and inorganic growth priorities.
Lead cross-functional working groups across Finance, Legal, Strategy, Operations, and Technology to coordinate transaction execution and integration activities.
Prepare and present high-quality board-level and ELT-level materials including investment memos, strategic analysis, and market intelligence briefings.
Build and maintain relationships with investment banks, advisors, target company management teams, and other external stakeholders.
Other duties as assigned.