Lead Development Engineer, Lab Operations

First Solar; California (MO); On-site; USD 89,440 - 127,400; Full time

Job summary

First Solar seeks a hands-on Lead for Process Development laboratory operations to guide a team of technicians and coordinate with Process Development engineers, equipment engineering, metrology, and EHS, accelerating technology learning cycles in a dynamic environment.

The role translates engineering objectives into technician procedures, develops technical capability, and ensures safe, repeatable execution while driving equipment uptime in semiconductor/photovoltaic development programs.

Qualifications

• Requires Associate’s degree with 15 years of relevant experience or 2 years as Development Engineer I at First Solar.
• Requires Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of relevant experience or 2 years as Development Engineer I at First Solar.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in semiconductor/photovoltaic/advanced manufacturing labs.
• Experience in research/process development environments with changing priorities.
• Experience leading technicians in experimental fabrication, metrology, or development equipment.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily technology development activities aligning technicians, lab capacity, equipment readiness, and objectives.
• Continuously improve lab execution systems to accelerate learning while ensuring safety and data integrity.
• Translate development processes into detailed SOPs for technician execution and maintain standards for repeatable results.
• Own execution quality by monitoring adherence and implementing corrective actions for repeatability.
• Support technology transfer by training plans, controls, and technician qualification requirements.
• Drive equipment readiness and reliability; lead first-level troubleshooting and coordinate advanced problem-solving.

Skills

Communications

Operational execution

Technology development support

Technical leadership

Situational judgment

Troubleshooting

Education

Associate’s degree in engineering/technical discipline

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/technical discipline

5+ years experience in semiconductor/photovoltaic labs

Job description

Job Description

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

Basic Job Functions:

• Lead Process Development laboratory operations supporting technology development, pilot process evaluation, and advanced solar cell research activities. Direct and develop a team of technicians responsible for executing experimental work, operating development equipment, maintaining laboratory readiness, and supporting rapid technology learning cycles.
• Serve as the operational leader between Process Development engineers, equipment engineering, metrology, EHS, and laboratory technicians to ensure safe, repeatable, and efficient experimental execution. Drive operational systems that improve experimental quality, accelerate learning cycles, maximize equipment availability, and increase the effectiveness of technology development programs.
• Translate engineering objectives into robust technician-executable procedures, develop technician technical capability, and establish execution discipline required to support evolving technologies, changing priorities, and complex development activities.
  
  

Job Description

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

Basic Job Functions:

• Lead Process Development laboratory operations supporting technology development, pilot process evaluation, and advanced solar cell research activities. Direct and develop a team of technicians responsible for executing experimental work, operating development equipment, maintaining laboratory readiness, and supporting rapid technology learning cycles.
• Serve as the operational leader between Process Development engineers, equipment engineering, metrology, EHS, and laboratory technicians to ensure safe, repeatable, and efficient experimental execution. Drive operational systems that improve experimental quality, accelerate learning cycles, maximize equipment availability, and increase the effectiveness of technology development programs.
• Translate engineering objectives into robust technician-executable procedures, develop technician technical capability, and establish execution discipline required to support evolving technologies, changing priorities, and complex development activities.
  
  

Education/Experience:

• Associate’s degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 15 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer I at First Solar.
• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 5 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer I at First Solar.
• Minimum 5 years of experience supporting semiconductor, photovoltaic, thin-film, advanced manufacturing, or technology development laboratories.
• Demonstrated experience supporting research, process development, pilot-line, or advanced engineering environments where operating procedures, technologies, and priorities change frequently.
• Experience leading technicians supporting experimental fabrication, metrology, characterization, or development process equipment.
  
  

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Critical Communication: Ability to effectively communicate technical priorities, operational risks, and experimental execution concerns across technicians, engineering, management, and support organizations.
• Experimental Execution Excellence: Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain execution discipline required for repeatable and reproducible experimental results. Strong understanding of procedural compliance, operational variation reduction, and technician-driven process consistency.
• Technology Development Support: Ability to work effectively within a research and development environment where priorities and process flows evolve rapidly based on technology needs. Capable of translating engineering intent into practical operational execution plans and technician work instructions.
• Technical Leadership: Working knowledge of semiconductor, thin-film, solar cell, vacuum process, wet chemistry, thermal processing, laser processing, metrology, or advanced laboratory systems. Capable of evaluating operational challenges associated with development equipment and partnering with engineering teams to improve performance, reliability, and experimental throughput.
• Practical Common Sense: Strong situational judgment to make fast, safe, and logical decisions in a high-hazard, fast-paced environment.
• First-Line Troubleshooting and Drive Equipment Uptime: experienced guiding operation crew members through first level tool diagnose and quick repair. Capable driving experienced equipment maintenance/support crew on advanced troubleshooting and major repair.
  
  

Essential Responsibilities:

• Daily Supervision: Lead daily execution of technology development activities by aligning technician resources, laboratory capacity, equipment availability, and operational priorities with Process Development objectives.
• Workflow Optimization: Continuously improve laboratory execution systems to accelerate technology learning cycles while maintaining experimental quality, safety, and data integrity.
• SOP Development and Execution Discipline: Partner with Process Development engineers to convert development processes into detailed operational procedures suitable for technician execution. Establish, maintain, and continuously improve operational standards that ensure repeatable and reproducible experimental results.
• Experimental Quality Ownership: Own technician execution quality for development activities by monitoring procedure adherence, identifying sources of operational variation, and implementing corrective actions that improve experimental repeatability.
• Technology Transfer Support: Support introduction of new technologies, equipment, materials, and experimental processes into laboratory operations by developing training plans, operational controls, and technician qualification requirements.
• Equipment Reliability: Drive equipment readiness and operational reliability for development laboratories. Lead first-level troubleshooting efforts, coordinate advanced problem-solving activities, and partner with equipment engineering teams to minimize development downtime.
• Engineering Partnership: Act as the primary operational partner to Process Development engineers by providing feedback regarding technician observations, process execution challenges, equipment limitations, and opportunities to improve experimental throughput and execution quality.
• Laboratory Capability Development: Develop long-term laboratory capabilities by building technician technical expertise, improving training systems, establishing qualification standards, and implementing operational best practices that support future technology roadmaps.
• Success Metrics: Success in this role is measured through:
• Experimental execution quality and repeatability
• Technology development cycle time
• Equipment availability and laboratory readiness
• Technician technical capability development
• Successful deployment of new technologies and processes
• Safety performance
• Cross-functional engineering satisfaction
• Operational support of Process Development objectives
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time.
  
  

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to Sr Manage of Process Development
• May have direct reports.
  
  

Travel:

• Up to 10% domestic and international
  
  

Estimated Salary Range:

• 89,440 USD per year- 127,400 USD per year
  
  

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 up to 27 pounds on an occasional basis, according to work instruction.
• Will push or pull up to 27 pounds of force on an occasional basis.
• Will push or pull up to 10 pounds of force on a frequent basis.
• Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects repetitively on a frequent basis.
• 20/40 vision in each eye (with or without correction) and the ability to distinguish between red, yellow, and green 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 be able to 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, hearing protection).
• 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.