Supervisor- Technical II USA (C Crew/AM Shift)

First Solar•New Iberia, LA

About The Position

Supervises daily production of photovoltaic modules across multiple plant areas, ensuring required quality standards and cost-efficient operations. The role leads continuous improvement activities, supports safety and housekeeping standards, coordinates associate training, and manages production, staffing, inventory, and cost controls. It also includes mentoring Supervisor I associates and assuming delegated Shift Manager responsibilities as required. Travel may be up to 10% globally; if hired during plant startup, travel to other First Solar locations for training is expected.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet one of these experience criteria: one year of First Solar supervisory experience; four years of supervisory experience in manufacturing production, a warehouse, textile, agricultural, or material inspection capacity; or six years of supervisory experience plus two years of experience in manufacturing production, a warehouse, textile, agricultural, or material inspection capacity.
Experience in electrical, mechanical, and chemical industrial applications.
Experience and working knowledge of continuous improvement tools.
Effective communication and supervisory skills.
Efficient skills with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Proven decision-making skills.
Solid people skills and a positive, outgoing attitude.
Excellent organizational and planning skills.
Ability to develop unique and timely solutions and think outside the box.
Ability to meet the physical requirements, including lifting, pushing, pulling, climbing stairs, and standing or walking as described in the posting.
20/40 vision in both eyes, with or without correction, and ability to distinguish red, yellow, and green.
Ability to wear required personal protective equipment and comply with safety standards and procedures.
Successful completion of a background check and any other required tests.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of vacuum systems and laser operations if assigned to the coater area.

Responsibilities

Direct daily photovoltaic module production across multiple plant areas in accordance with quality standards and cost-efficiency goals.
Lead, manage, and participate in continuous improvement activities and teams.
Assume delegated responsibilities for the Shift Manager as required.
Train and mentor Supervisor I associates.
Control costs to maintain budget accuracy.
Monitor and coordinate Work In Process (WIP) optimization between manufacturing units for each process.
Monitor and maintain the training matrix in SolarConnect in coordination with Manufacturing Supervisors I and the Manufacturing Specialist.
Support safety procedures and housekeeping standards, including the 5S system.
Coordinate on-the-job training of manufacturing associates and identify training opportunities to develop a capable, motivated team.
Maintain associate records in SolarConnect.
Use internal manufacturing software for production tracking.
Maintain accurate manufacturing associate timekeeping in Kronos.
Maintain product inventory accuracy.
Use Theory of Constraints (TOC) methodology to maximize throughput.
Interface effectively with other departments and coordinate day-to-day issues with the Manufacturing Specialist and other supervisors.
Support efforts to consistently exceed customer expectations.
Evaluate and monitor manufacturing processes to ensure cycle time is met.
Eliminate downtime constraints in the assigned area by identifying root causes, resolving issues, and using support teams to improve quality and production.
Maintain training guides and track team training progress.
Conduct performance appraisals.