Sr Development Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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

Basic Job Functions:

Perform material and device research to enhance thin film solar cell performance and stability and to reduce manufacturing cost. This individual will serve as the primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) within the California Technology Center (CTC) for advanced sputtering deposition operations, vacuum technology, and thin-film materials development. Responsible for projects or functions that are highly complex, require significant innovation, and are critical to department objectives. Plan, execute, and characterize development engineering experiments in a laboratory environment with strategic foresight, operating in close alignment with Technical Fellows and senior technology leadership.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Sputtering Technology Ownership: Assume a key ownership role in our sputtering deposition operations, vacuum systems, and next-generation PVD tool modifications within the organization.

• Material & Process Innovation: Lead the development of innovative thin-film materials and sputtering processes to enhance the surface/interface and bulk properties required for high-efficiency, stable photovoltaic (PV) devices.
• Solid-State Material Control: Control key material properties (phase, crystallinity, morphology, bulk/interface defect density, and band bending) via advanced material synthesis and deposition tuning.
• Strategic Experimentation: Develop work plans that have unclear solution paths. Plan, execute, and analyze strategic development engineering experiments utilizing statistical methods and Design of Experiments (DOE).
• Characterization & Failure Analysis: Identify opportunities for solar cell efficiency and durability improvements through advanced thin-film material analysis, device characterization, and failure analysis.
• Specifications Management: Determine and evaluate material, target, and tool/equipment specifications for improved performance and organizational effectiveness.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as a core leader and specialist within the group. Demonstrate a strong ability to lead cross-functional efforts, drive external collaborators, and act as an effective communicator with internal and external partners.
• Mentorship & Peer Collaboration: Collaborate with Technical Fellows and senior engineering peers to review technical risk and bridge foundational research with scalable engineering. Train, mentor, and manage junior engineers and peers on specific sputtering and vacuum technologies.
• Compliance: Comply with Company's Environmental, Quality, Safety, or any other policies that have been enforced, and contribute to the continuous improvement of said policies.

 Education/Experience:

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Surface Science, Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline and 10 years of relevant technical experience (or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer III at First Solar).

• Master's Degree in the same disciplines and 15 years of relevant technical experience (or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer III at First Solar).
• Bachelor's Degree in an engineering or technical discipline and 20 years of relevant technical experience (or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer III at First Solar).
• Required Expertise: 10+ years of R&D experience in thin-film solar or a closely related field, with a deep, authoritative knowledge of vacuum technology, sputtering deposition mechanics, plasma physics, and their direct impact on the nucleation and growth of thin films.
• Preferred Experience: Experience with thin-film perovskite solar cells or perovskite integration in an industrial R&D environment is highly preferred but not required.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Sputtering & Vacuum Expert: Technical expert and innovator in physical vapor deposition (PVD), target selection, magnetron/plasma dynamics, and vacuum systems engineering.
• Characterization Mastery: In-depth knowledge of thin-film material characterization techniques with the proven ability to interpret complex data from tools such as Ellipsometry, XRD, XPS, RAMAN, UV-Vis, AFM/STM, TEM, and SEM.
• Problem Solving: Deep understanding of material/process/device interactions with strong analytical skills to develop practical solutions and innovations where solution paths are unclear.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent written and oral presentation skills; demonstrated strength across organizations to produce clear data, reports, and strategic executive summaries.
• Mindset: Strong sense of project ownership with a hands-on, agile, and "can-do" attitude. Accountable team player who is willing to work odd or long hours when pressed by critical deadlines or urgent situations.

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to Director, California Technology Center, or (Sr) Manager of Process Development

• May have direct reports.

• Up to 10% domestic or international.

Travel: TBD

Estimated Salary Range: $129,480 per year- $180,000 USD per year

US 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.
• The 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.