Data Science Intern (Spring 2027)

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

Basic Job Scope:

• Leading the world’s sustainable energy future, At First Solar, interns play a vital role in shaping the future of sustainable energy. Opportunities are available across various departments including research and development, marketing, project development, information technology, engineering, and energy services. Interns gain hands-on, real-world experience and are challenged daily to solve meaningful problems. You’ll have the chance to explore innovative solutions, develop new skills, and contribute to impactful projects that align with our mission. First Solar fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation, encouraging team members to take smart risks, learn from setbacks, and continuously improve. Interns are expected to take ownership of their work and demonstrate accountability while working toward a cleaner energy future.

Expected Length of Internship: 

• 3 months, Spring 2027

• As an internship company, we allow flexibility to enroll in classes while working as an intern, if it doesn’t interfere with the essential functions of the position.

Education/Experience:

• Must be pursuing Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field degree.   

• Must currently be enrolled in a Bachelors (3rd year or later), who is fulfilling a graduation requirement for their degree. 

• First Solar encourages all interns to register their internship with their university.

• 2+ years collaboration in a team setting at school or work. 

• Course work in mathematics and statistics. 

• Course work in computer programming or data science.  (Python scripting language and SQL preferred) 

• Previous project experience with data analysis and modelling. 

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Ability to review coding manuals to learn new syntax independently. 

• Ability to review and understand the purpose of existing scripts. 

• Ability to create reports/plots, analyze trends, and provide insights.  

• Proficiency in Python or R for data analysis and machine learning. 

• Familiarity with SQL for data querying and manipulation. 

• Robust knowledge and experience with statistical methods. 

• Demonstrated analytical, multi-tasking, problem solving, organizational, and planning skills. 

• Clear communication skills and ability to work well in a team environment. 

• Experience with fundamental technologies in a Microsoft environment: Windows OS, Office 365, etc. 

Basic Internship Scope (Project):

• Help Develop pipelines that extract significant features from key data sets. 

• Build custom analytical tools. 

• Contribute to automated scripting and analysis for larger software packages. 

• Support the team to perform data extraction, cleaning, analysis and deliver actionable insights. 

• Contribute to feature selection and development of machine learning models to uncover value of data. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand their needs and perform Ad hoc analysis. 

• The candidate will work closely with Data Scientists on multiple data analysis use cases.  

• Upon the completion of this internship, the intern is required to present their accomplishments and project summary to the leadership team.

Estimated Hourly Range:

• $22.00- $25.00/hr.

US Physical Requirements:

Physical Requirements:

• Will sit, stand, or walk short distances for up to 12 hours per day.
• Will climb stairs or steps on a frequent basis.
• Will lift up to 58 pounds on an occasional basis, according to work instruction.
• Will lift up to 37 pounds on a frequent basis.
• Will push or pull up to 50 pounds of force on an occasional basis.
• Will push or pull up to 37 pounds of force on a frequent basis.
• Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects on a frequent basis.
• 20/40 vision in each eye separately and both eyes (with or without correction), the ability to distinguish between red, yellow, and green and peripheral vision >70 degrees is required.
• May reach above shoulder heights and below the waist on a frequent basis.
• May stoop, kneel, or bend, on an occasional basis.
• Must comply with all safety standards and procedures.
• Ability to wear personal protective equipment is required (including, but not limited to: steel-toed shoes, cut-resistant gloves, jackets, aprons &/or arm guards, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection & respirators) as a condition of employment and continued employment (requires little or no facial hair).

Office Physical Requirements:

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. To best service our customers, internal and external, all associates must be able to communicate face-to-face and on the phone with or without reasonable accommodation. First Solar is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, it attempts to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees in accordance with the requirements of the disability discrimination laws. It also invites individuals with disabilities to participate in a good faith, interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made without imposing an undue hardship.

Potential candidates will meet the education and experience requirements provided on the above job description and excel in completing the listed responsibilities for this role. All candidates receiving an offer of employment must successfully complete a background check and any other tests that may be required.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: First Solar is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a driving force in the success of our company.