Development Engineer III

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

Basic

Job Functions:

• Use various methods of device analysis to investigate performance, variability and reliability of perovskite solar cells..
• Own metrology for baseline ensuring quality control, uptime and maintenance.
• Develop methodology to monitor critical processes and establish correlations with performance and stability.
• Perform device research to enhance thin film solar cell performance and stability and to reduce manufacturing cost.
• Plan, execute and characterize development engineering experiments in the laboratory and manufacturing environment with strategic foresight. Drives actions with strategic foresight.
• Apply statistical and engineering methods to optimize organizational effectiveness. Improve methods for use by others.

Education/

Experience:

• Associate's Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 20 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.
• Bachelor's Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 10 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.
• Master's Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 8 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.
• Ph.D. in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 5 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.

Required Skills/

Competencies:

• Technical expert and innovator in device physics, optical and electrical device characterization, thin-film metrology and equipment development.
• Prior experience in perovskite photovoltaics or optoelectronics is a plus.
• Expert and hands on experience in laboratory or manufacturing environment.
• In depth knowledge in several fields from the list of photovoltaic device theory, materials science, process engineering, characterization techniques and other fields relevant to First Solar's technology.
• Strong sense of project ownership with hands on and can-do attitude.
• Strong communication skills across organizations.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Identify opportunities for improvement in solar cell efficiency, material selection and process/equipment design through engineering, scientific or empirical methods.
• Improve state of the art techniques for material analysis, statistical analysis of data, or execution planning of experiments.
• Develop techniques to understand failure modes and mechanisms in solar cell devices
• Analyze large data sets to identify trends and correlations relating device processing to stability.
• Partner with baseline team to identify root causes of excursions in solar cell device processing using film metrology and device analysis
• At times, significant amount of time may be spent in the lab to validate, observe, investigate while trying to understand certain failure modes
• Implement reliability testing under various stress conditions including light, heat, thermal cycling, etc
• Effective communicator with internal and external partners and customers. Effective team members that can support cross-functional projects and take ownership of sub-deliverables.
• May train, mentor and manage junior and peers on specific subject matters.
• Comply with Company's Environmental, Quality, Safety or any other policies that have been enforced.
  
  Contributes to continuous improvement of said policies.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time.

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to Senior Member of Technical Staff.
• May have direct reports.

Travel:

• Up to 10% per year (international and domestic).

Estimated Salary Range:

• 109,460 USD per year- 156,000 USD per year

US

Physical Requirements:

Hybrid

Physical Requirements:

• Will sit, stand, or walk short distances for up to the entire duration of a shift.
• Will climb stairs on an occasional basis.
• Will lift, push, or pull up to 27 pounds on an occasional basis.
• Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects on a frequent basis.
• 20/40 vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required.
• Must be able to comply with all safety standards and procedures.
• May reach above shoulder heights and below the waist on a frequent basis.
• May stoop, kneel, or bend, on an occasional basis.
• Ability to wear personal protective equipment is required (including but not…