Jobs at First Solar

Leads the scaling, qualification, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of thin-film photovoltaic manufacturing processes and equipment. Partners with engineering, supply chain, EHS, quality, and equipment vendors to define requirements, qualify tools, and ramp processes to 24x7 production. Uses statistical methods, data analysis, and structured problem-solving to improve safety, throughput, yield, and performance. Develops process controls, FMEAs, documentation, and training while mentoring engineers and technicians.

Lead cross-functional efforts to scale and qualify photovoltaic manufacturing technology into high-volume production. Define and qualify equipment and processes, troubleshoot to improve safety, throughput, yield and performance, run DOE/SPC and structured problem-solving, datamine and visualize process data, author change documentation, mentor junior staff, and engage vendors to install and qualify manufacturing tools.

Leads process and equipment improvements for solar module manufacturing, develops robust and cost-efficient processes, investigates technical issues, evaluates equipment, and drives corrective actions and continuous improvement. Collaborates with engineering, supply chain, quality, and global teams; leads technical projects and task forces; applies statistical analysis, experimental design, Six Sigma, SPC, and PFMEA methods; and influences cross-functional stakeholders through change-management processes.

Owns calibration, maintenance, configuration, and uptime of photovoltaic characterization equipment. Develops light-soak protocols, SOPs, diagnostic workflows, and experiments to evaluate device stability, degradation, reliability, and new technologies. Troubleshoots electromechanical systems, improves measurement throughput and accuracy, analyzes data, trains technicians, and supports equipment installation and qualification in laboratory and manufacturing environments.

Supports international tax strategy, compliance, documentation, and analysis for cross-border domestic and international taxes. Prepares and reviews U.S. international tax returns, withholding compliance filings, tax work papers, foreign tax credit analyses, E&P studies, and tax research. Collaborates with foreign advisors, auditors, and external tax advisors; supports tax planning, reporting optimization, reconciliations, journal entries, and assessment of tax law developments.

Supports global HR projects, including mentorship and buddy programs, inclusion and engagement surveys, people analytics, employee feedback analysis, process improvements, and Power BI reporting. The intern prepares and proofreads HR materials, tracks project metrics and deadlines, supports diversity and inclusion initiatives, attends university career fairs, and presents accomplishments to leadership.

Leads strategy, roadmap, development, and lifecycle management for IoT- and AI-enabled manufacturing products. Partners with engineering, R&D, data science, marketing, sales, customers, and global stakeholders to integrate sensors, actuators, cloud platforms, machine learning, and computer vision. Drives predictive maintenance, quality automation, process optimization, security compliance, market analysis, and customer-centric product improvements.

Conducts material and device research to improve perovskite thin-film solar cell performance, stability, and manufacturing cost. Designs experiments, fabricates and characterizes devices, optimizes coating and synthesis processes, and commissions, troubleshoots, and sustains development equipment. Leads projects, evaluates materials and equipment specifications, interprets experimental data, supports cross-functional collaborations, and mentors junior team members. The role may involve domestic and international travel of up to 10%.

Provides financial and process support for at least one manufacturing site, including forecasting, budgeting, financial analysis, monthly close, inventory accounting, product costing, KPI reporting, and cost-reduction initiatives. Partners with manufacturing, IT, functional leaders, and external auditors to improve processes, systems, reporting, and operational performance.

Supports manual solar panel assembly and development testing in a manufacturing environment. Operates processing, test, and metrology equipment; follows work instructions and test plans; acquires samples, performs scheduled tests, enters data, and reports abnormalities. Maintains quality, safety, and housekeeping standards while working under daily supervision. Requires routine handling of glass components and test equipment, with occasional lifting up to 37 pounds and limited travel for training.

Leads First Solar’s U.S. and international trade policy strategy, including tariffs, trade remedy proceedings, trade agreements, supply chain security, and customs compliance. Represents the company before government agencies, Congress, industry coalitions, and trade associations; advises executives on trade risks; directs advocacy, policy analysis, compliance responses, and cross-functional initiatives involving legal, supply chain, finance, and sustainability teams.

Leads development of electro-optical characterization methods and custom equipment for perovskite solar cell research. Designs, builds, and programs characterization systems, develops software and data-analysis capabilities, improves equipment uptime, implements preventive maintenance, and supports safe laboratory operations. Collaborates with stakeholders and vendors, improves measurement methods and data infrastructure, and mentors or trains engineers and technical staff.

Leads development engineering research for perovskite and thin-film solar cells. Investigates device performance, variability, reliability, and failure modes; owns metrology and quality-control methods; develops process-performance correlations; optimizes materials, equipment, and manufacturing processes; analyzes large datasets; conducts reliability testing; and executes laboratory and manufacturing experiments. The role also supports cross-functional projects, mentors colleagues, and may manage junior staff.

Installs and qualifies manufacturing equipment, troubleshoots production, yield, quality, and process issues, and executes experiments in a pilot manufacturing environment. The role analyzes equipment and product performance data, implements process and yield improvements, maintains process specifications and control plans, develops operating procedures, trains technicians, and collaborates with Operations, EHS, Development, Controls, and equipment suppliers. Domestic and international travel of 5%–10% is required.

Manages global controls solutions and MES operations support, including electrical and automation engineering resources. Leads steering meetings, stakeholder relationships, project and portfolio management, vendor integrations, compliance, safety, and root-cause analysis. Oversees 5–10 direct reports through goal setting, performance management, hiring, mentoring, training, and career development. Provides technical guidance on industrial controls, PLCs, HMI systems, robotics, databases, and manufacturing-system integrations while managing budgets and service-level agreements.

Manages complex, cross-functional technology and R&D programs from development through manufacturing rollout. Develops and maintains project plans, schedules, budgets, action items, and mitigation strategies; coordinates stakeholders across technology, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, finance, and other functions. Leads program reviews, negotiates goals, secures resources, motivates participants, and drives multiple projects to on-time, on-budget completion.

Designs and maintains AI-powered full-stack applications using React, TypeScript, Python, and FastAPI on Azure. Builds cloud-native, containerized solutions, data pipelines, CI/CD workflows, Terraform infrastructure, dashboards, and secure production systems. Integrates LLMs, AI agents, and machine learning models while partnering with data scientists and business stakeholders. Provides technical leadership, establishes engineering standards, mentors team members, and manages the full software development lifecycle.

Conducts thin-film deposition and materials research to improve thin-film solar-cell efficiency. Plans, executes, characterizes, analyzes, and reports laboratory experiments; develops research processes and equipment; applies statistical and engineering methods; identifies process improvements; communicates findings across teams; supports cross-functional projects; and may mentor junior associates.

Manages strategic and generalist HR functions, including recruiting, employee relations, benefits, training, communications, compliance, HR transactions, and policy development. Partners with leaders on workforce planning, compensation, succession planning, organizational design, and employee issues. Oversees HR staff, leads national and site-level projects, analyzes HR metrics, monitors employment legislation, and ensures effective, compliant HR operations.

Supports laser process optimization and materials characterization for photovoltaic modules. Conducts experimental testing, prepares samples, measures physical and electrical properties, analyzes materials using optical microscopy and statistical methods, maintains experimental records, and helps scale laser processes. The intern will learn equipment operation, calibration, and maintenance, collaborate across teams, solve problems, and present project accomplishments to leadership.