Group Manager- Semiconductor Operations IND

First Solar; India; On-site; INR 1,400,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness programs

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

A leading renewable energy company in India is seeking a highly experienced individual in semiconductor engineering to lead plant initiatives, ensure safety, and drive operational efficiency. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in manufacturing, particularly within photovoltaic processing or related technical fields. This role includes budget management, mentoring staff, and collaborating with global teams to advance process technologies. Competitive compensation and a strong commitment to safety and culture are provided.

Qualifications

• More than 10 years in managerial roles in high-tech manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in a technical field.
• Direct experience in photovoltaic processing or equipment engineering.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight of plant engineering initiatives.
• Collaborate with teams to resolve bottlenecks in operations.
• Ensure safety programs are executed effectively.

Skills

Safety First Mentality

Self-motivated leadership

Excellent communication skills

Employee Relations Skills

Ability to develop talent

Lean Six-Sigma background

Education

BS in EE, ME, Chem. E, Physics, Material Engineering

Master’s degree in Engineering or Advanced Degrees

Tools

Data analytics platforms (JMP, Minitab, SAS, Power-BI)

Statistical Process Control Systems

Job description

Job Description

• Responsible for site Semiconductor Engineering.
• Executes per plan to achieve site metrics that span Safety, Quality, Product Performance, Throughput, Yield and Cost.
• Ensures engineering support in case of escalation from the 24x7 production operations; escalates to global teams in a timely fashion.
• Collaborates with global teams to implement, and ramp new process and product technologies and helps troubleshoot performance gaps by providing the necessary leadership.
• Develops and leads associate competency and development programs within the technical areas reporting to them.
• Lends subject matter expertise pertaining to semiconductor processing to plant and global leadership; may lead one or more task forces or working groups to address strategic technical objectives.
• Member of the site leadership team; covers for Semiconductor Operations Head in their absence.

Experience

• More than 10 years in managerial roles in a high‑tech manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 15 years of manufacturing experience in a technical field or manufacturing environment.
• Direct experience in at least one of the areas – Photovoltaic Processing and Equipment Engineering, Large Area Glass Substrate Processes (Architectural or FPD), Thin‑Film Deposition Processes or Equipment, Laser Processes (Laser Cutting or Ablation Equipment).
• Able to draft department budgets and forecast capital and operational expenditure.

Education

• BS in EE, ME, Chem. E, Physics, Material Engineering or technical degree in a related engineering field required.
• Master’s degree in Engineering or Advanced Degrees (M.Tech, MBA) preferred.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Safety & 5S

• Drives and inculcates a strong “safety‑first” culture and world class house‑keeping standards within plant operations to enable a zero‑recordable rate.
• Collaborates with EH&S to execute safety programs like Lock‑out Tag‑out and Incident Reporting and Management System.
• Timely and appropriate resolution of equipment or process safety concerns.

Operations

• Provide leadership, and oversight of plant engineering initiatives (Thin‑Film Deposition, Diffusion‑Activation, Cleans and Cell‑Definition groups).
• Chairs forums to monitor progress toward meeting plant metrics per P90 plan and identifies corrective actions as it pertains to Man‑Method‑Machine performance.
• Collaborates with other functional leads in EH&S, Q&R, Supply‑Chain to identify constraints to P90 at a tactical and strategic level and resolves them.

Engineering

• Develops strategy for bottleneck management in the semiconductor operations area that include setting OEE goals (Uptime, Unplanned Downtime, G2G/ MTTR, Yield) and deploying the right resources to address chronic issues.
• Collaborates with local integration teams to address equipment or process under‑performance.
• Organize for fulfillment for ISO 9k,14k and 45k and RBA compliance through up‑to‑date process and equipment documentation and training records.
• Owner for cost monitoring and waste mitigation programs for BOM and equipment‑spares; supports the qualification of new suppliers.
• Accountable for global alignment and fingerprinting; deviations are reported and risk‑assessed in a timely fashion – copy‑exact vs. copy‑smart as applicable.

Technology and Continuous Improvement

• Establishes a DMAIC mindset among associates as a way of problem solving and a Kaizen approach to improvement.
• Follows TOC (Theory of Constraints) concepts to resolve bottlenecks as it pertains to daily operations or road‑map execution.
• Participates in global forums (TRT, GAT), escalates process technology challenges that are a risk to P90 and collaborates on local and global solutions for the same.
• Collaborates with New Process Introduction and Global Technology teams to develop implementation plan for new processes or equipment and close gaps identified during execution.

People

• Coach direct reports to execute per First Solar’s – Vision, Mission and Values.
• Architects and maintains oversight of continuous learning programs for associates in their organization to ensure a trained and competent workforce.
• Develops a “strong bench” of associates that can step up to the next level.

Required Skills

Behavioral

• Safety First Mentality.
• Must be self‑motivated and able to provide strong leadership in a highly matrix organization structure.
• Provides leadership and strategy to accomplish First Solar’s goals and objectives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as experience with cross‑functional coordination required.
• Proven Employee Relations Skills and Knowledge of Human Resources Practices.
• Proven experiences in Strategic Planning and Organization Development to accomplish the company’s Mission and Vision.
• Able to attract and develop talent from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Able to demonstrate core values of Agility (championing changes, being creative and resilient), Collaboration (building trust and respect, inclusion and diversity, managing through conflicts) and Accountability (commit and deliver through discipline and integrity, making data‑driven decision and own the outcomes).

Technical

• Lean Six‑Sigma background (Green‑Belt or higher).
• Knowledge of industrial electrical, mechanical, high‑vacuum and laser processing systems.
• Demonstrated experience with implementing and sustaining Statistical Process Control Systems.
• Demonstrated experience with Robust Engineering and Design of Experiments.
• Adept with at least one data‑analytics and visualization platform – JMP, Minitab, SAS, Power‑BI.
• Knowledge of Theory of Constraints.

Physical Requirements (if Any)

• Will sit and stand for long periods of time during the day.
• Will walk, climb stairs and on equipment.
• May reach above shoulder heights and below the waist.
• May lift up to 50 lbs.
• Required to use hands to finger, lift, handle, carry or feel objects.
• May stoop, kneel, bend, talk and hear.
• Specific vision abilities are required.
• 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).

Please note: 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, pre‑employment drug screen, and any other test that may be required for the role.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: First Solar Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) 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.