Manager- Manufacturing Engineering Integration (1st Shift)

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

Please NOTE: This role will be required to spend extended time (60-80%) training in another plant, Ohio or Alabama or overseas, until permanent assignment.

Basic Job Functions:

• This person is responsible for oversight of the process and product qualification for start-up and transition into production. The Integration Manager will lead a group responsible for ensuring processes ramp is able to demonstrate defined goals for Wattage, Quality, Reliability, Yield and Throughput as defined in the manufacturing process qualification. They will be responsible for managing a group of engineers and training the manufacturing team on new process introduction, implementation and documentation.
• The incumbent is expected to lead a team for daily performance of Wattage and Cascade Yield of the factory per the manufacturing plan. Sustaining responsibilities include but are not limited to leading team with continuous improvement mindset to be best in class among factories, establishing structured systems of monitoring and detection for teams to follow, work with each functional area in assessing process health impacting product characteristics, leading the team in problem solving utilizing six sigma methodologies, identifying variation reduction opportunities and implementing solutions, actively assess assigned factory performance against global performance and initiate alignment activity accordingly and forecasting supply of bins and sustaining planned forecast of wattage working with supply and demand team.
• The incumbent is expected to provide strong leadership to the team, training personnel on all aspects of Integration processes, and coaching when changes or improvements are necessary. This person will be responsible for documenting the requirements of the new technology process (includes control plan, WI, OCAP, FMEA….)
• At all times maintain effective team interaction with development engineering, NPI, Quality and Reliability, MES and operations to involve all needed parties in the successful qualification and implementation of new process change.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Discipline or Physical Science Field or the equivalent.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 5 or more years’ experience in an engineering leadership role.
• 5 to 8 years of strong process engineering experience in a manufacturing environment, preferred in a high-tech manufacturing environment similar to semiconductor or photovoltaic industries.
• Proven experience in project planning and controls.
• Proven experience in managing multiple concurrent projects under tight schedules.
• Proven experience in leading multimillion dollar projects in domestic and foreign factory settings

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Leadership skills
• Project management performance.
• Knowledge of Manufacturing Processes.
• Knowledge of Engineering Techniques and Practices.
• Knowledge of ISO 9000 standards and SPC tools.
• Robust Engineering/design of experiments, Six Sigma, DMAIC tools, and FMEA
• Quality Skills.
• Technical Problem-solving skills to include interpersonal applications.
• Possess excellent data analysis and collection skills.
• Possess excellent verbal, written, and graphical communication skills.
• Knowledge of MS Office suite and statistical software.
• Good Communications Skills.
• Understanding of material analysis and characterization methods.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Ramp and rollout new processes from Product Qualification through implementation.
• Lead roadmap for variation reduction and production process optimization for incremental improvement.
• Provide guidance to supply forecast on bins.
• Lead Factory startup qualification of process and product per plan.
• Daily supervision and quarterly performance reviews of the group of Manufacturing Engineers and Manufacturing Engineering Technicians. Prioritize personnel resources as directed.
• Provide strong leadership to the Solution Development, Data Modeling, and Rollout Engineering team, training personnel on and coaching when changes or improvements are necessary.
• Responsible to interface with other Company, customer and supplier representatives.
• Evaluate new proposed equipment according to process standards.
• Reviews process experiment proposals and subsequent results with next steps.
• Develops and enforces standard operating procedures and accurate process description.
• Maintains effective communication levels and fosters Team Building. Removes roadblocks to the team’s success.
• Defines and implements corrective/preventive actions and continuous improvement activities as assigned utilizing structured problem-solving methods.
• Adheres to all safety procedures and good housekeeping standards.
• Exhibits and builds on “First Solar Competencies” – FS-2-100-000-W2.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time.

Reporting Relationships:

• This position will have direct reports.

Travel:

• 10% - 20%

Estimated Salary Range:

• $122,800 – $175,000, Annually

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 limited to; steel toed shoes, gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection, protective jacket or apron and arm guards).
• All associates working on the production floor may be required to wear a respirator at any given time and thus, the ability to wear a respirator is a condition of employment and continued employment (requires little or no facial hair).

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.