{"id":567835,"url":"https://alion.io/job/first-solar-development-engineer-iii","title":"Development Engineer III","company":{"id":47033,"name":"First Solar","domain":"firstsolar.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/first-solar","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Oracle","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":83,"open_postings":94,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.883,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":3,"computed_at":"2026-09-26T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"middle","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Santa Clara, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":109460,"max":156000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":156000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-08T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-08","last_verified_at":"2026-09-27T01:01:11Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":19,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":19},"description":"First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.\nBasic Job Functions:\nUse various methods of device analysis to investigate performance, variability and reliability of perovskite solar cells..\nOwn metrology for baseline ensuring quality control, uptime and maintenance. \nDevelop methodology to monitor critical processes and establish correlations with performance and stability. \nPerform device research to enhance thin film solar cell performance and stability and to reduce manufacturing cost.\nPlan, execute and characterize development engineering experiments in the laboratory and manufacturing environment with strategic foresight. Drives actions with strategic foresight.\nApply statistical and engineering methods to optimize organizational effectiveness. Improve methods for use by others.\nEducation/Experience:\nAssociate’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 20 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.\n\nBachelor’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 10 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.\n\nMaster’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 8 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.\n\nPh.D. in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 5 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II at First Solar.\n\nRequired Skills/Competencies:\nTechnical expert and innovator in device physics, optical and electrical device characterization, thin-film metrology and equipment development.\n\nPrior experience in perovskite photovoltaics or optoelectronics is a plus.\n\nExpert and hands on experience in laboratory or manufacturing environment.\n\nIn depth knowledge in several fields from the list of photovoltaic device theory, materials science, process engineering, characterization techniques and other fields relevant to First Solar's technology.\n\nStrong sense of project ownership with hands-on and can-do attitude.\n\nStrong communication skills across organizations.\n\nEssential Responsibilities:\nIdentify opportunities for improvement in solar cell efficiency, material selection and process/equipment design through engineering, scientific or empirical methods.\nImprove state of the art techniques for material analysis, statistical analysis of data, or execution planning of experiments.\nDevelop techniques to understand failure modes and mechanisms in solar cell devices\nAnalyze large data sets to identify trends and correlations relating device processing to stability.\nPartner with baseline team to identify root causes of excursions in solar cell device processing using film metrology and device analysis\nAt times, significant amount of time may be spent in the lab to validate, observe, investigate while trying to understand certain failure modes \nImplement reliability testing under various stress conditions including light, heat, thermal cycling, etc \nEffective communicator with internal and external partners and customers. Effective team members that can support cross-functional projects and take ownership of sub-deliverables.\nMay train, mentor and manage junior and peers on specific subject matters.\nComply with Company's Environmental, Quality, Safety or any other policies that have been enforced.Contributes to continuous improvement of said policies.\nOther duties as assigned.\nJob description subject to change at any time.\nReporting Relationships:\nReports to Senior Member of Technical Staff.\n\nMay have direct reports.\nTravel:\nUp to 10% per year (international and domestic).\n\nEstimated Salary Range:\n109,460 USD per year- 156,000 USD per year\nUS Physical Requirements:\nHybrid Physical Requirements:\nWill sit, stand, or walk short distances for up to the entire duration of a shift.\nWill climb stairs on an occasional basis.\nWill lift, push, or pull up to 27 pounds on an occasional basis.\nRequired to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects on a frequent basis.\n20/40 vision in each eye, with or without correction, is required.\nMust be able to comply with all safety standards and procedures.\nMay reach above shoulder heights and below the waist on a frequent basis.\nMay stoop, kneel, or bend, on an occasional basis.\nAbility 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).\nAll 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).\nPotential 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.\nEqual 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5715,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"associate","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-09T10:37:50Z"}],"liveness":{"score":7,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.199,"p_room":0.35,"age_days":18,"expected_fill_days":3,"reasons":["conf:5","stale_co","win:tail","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-09-26T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":156000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/first-solar-development-engineer-iii","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/first-solar-development-engineer-iii.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-27T02:58:24Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":2713,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":2287,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-09-28T00:00:00Z"}}}