Engineer- Manufacturing Principal

Engineer
- Manufacturing Principal USA Job Description

The work location for this position is to be determined and will be communicated at the time of offer. Candidates must be willing to relocate to any First Solar location. Relocation assistance may be provided where applicable.

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

Basic

Job Functions:

Lead process or equipment improvement under the oversight of respective Area Manager or Sr. Managers to meet Manufacturing P90 metrics. Manage and lead group of Material Handling and Automation engineers and/ or technicians either directly or through the course of a project/assignment. Work with stakeholders like Process Engineering, Integration Engineering, Replication Engineering. Global Supply Chain or Quality & Reliability to resolve technical problems and develop robust manufacturing processes.

Initiate and lead complex equipment or process changes following CMS stage-gate process and work with Global Alignment Team counterparts to successfully replicate the changes. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, leadership skills, and strategic thinking to drive efficiency, safety, and innovation across production lines.

Education/

Experience:

• >8 years process engineering and/or R&D experience in a manufacturing environment; will usually have a broad engineering and technology background.
• Fluent with statistical analysis methods and tools and structured problem solving;
  Adept at analyzing big datasets using tools like JMP or Minitab
• Experience in Photovoltaics Manufacturing Flow or Technology Development & Sustaining experience in the broad fields of Glass Therm-Mechanical Processing, Module Packaging and Structural Development, Semiconductor Processes, Electrical Device Integration, Automation/Robotics/AGV-AMR & Material Handling
• Good familiarity with Automation Equipment Design, Equipment Start-up, PM’s, Data Analysis to be able to leverage the same in troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead small technical teams including goal setting and performance management
• Bachelors/Masters/PhD Degree in Engineering Discipline or Physical Science Field or equivalent.

Required Skills/

Competencies:

• Demonstration of leadership skills in small teams in a localized environment. This typically involves experience directly supervising a small team of engineers and technicians
• Knowledge of Manufacturing Processes, Pneumatic systems, Mechanical & Electrical diagrams.
• Knowledge of Manufacturing Engineering Techniques and Practices.
• Knowledge of Automation Equipment such as:
  Conveyors, Robots, AGV-AMR’s, Accumulators, Bar Code Readers, & Vision/Sensors.
• Knowledge of ISO 9000 standards and SPC tools.
• Knowledge of Robust Engineering principles, Six Sigma, VAVE process.
• Able to lead creation of and improvements to Equipment FMEA & PFMEA, Control Plans, WI’s & Equipment Cycle Time.
• Proven quality Skills.
• Proven Technical Problem-solving skills using DMAIC, 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams.
• Possess excellent data analysis and collection skills.
• Knowledge of MS Office suite, Power Bi, statistical, and AI software
• Written and oral communication skills with ability to create presentations suitable for sharing with executive and C-level staff.
• Demonstrated expertise in driving projects through Change Management systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in engineering test/experimental design, execution, and interpretation of results.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Responsible to develop, continually improve, and document robust solar module manufacturing processes to achieve the highest product performance in a cost-efficient manner.
• Perform in-depth investigations into process issues for improved Yield, Through Put, & Cycle Time.
• Evaluate new proposed equipment according to process standards.
• Create, Review, Submit, & Execute process experiment proposals and subsequent results.
• Defines and implements corrective/preventive actions and continuous improvement activities as assigned.
• Adheres to all safety procedures and good housekeeping standards.
• Lead mainly local task forces and project teams to sustaining, repair, & install Automation equipment.
• Assist in the…