Development Engineer Intern (Spring 2025)

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

Basic Job Scope:

• Leading the world's sustainable energy future, First Solar interns work around the globe/country in research and development, marketing, project development, information technology, engineering, energy services and much more. When you work at First Solar, you will be challenged every day and provided real world experience. You will be given the opportunity to find new solutions and develop new skills to further advance your skillset. At First Solar we strive to foster a culture that encourages innovation through collaboration, urging colleagues to take smart risks, learning from failures and course correcting, and owning personal accountability for contributing to our mission.

Expected Length of Internship:

• Spring/Summer 2025 (6 months)
• As an internship company, we allow flexibility to enroll in classes while working as an intern, as long as it doesn't interfere with the essential functions of the position.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, physics, materials science, engineering, or related field
• Enrollment in Masters or PhD program in relevant field
• Experience working in a laboratory and analyzing data
• Preferred:
  
  
  
  • Experience with wet chemistry and/or thermal processes
  • Basic knowledge of thin film technology and electronic device structure
  • Experience using JMP or other statistical analysis software
  
  
• First Solar encourages all interns to register their internship with their university.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Good communication and presentation skills
• Understanding of basic laboratory practices
• Ability to analyze large data sets

Basic Internship Scope (Project):

• Intern is to learn basic First Solar engineering practices and data analysis in JMP.
• Intern will explore methods for mitigating losses in thin film PV devices, particularly through design and optimization of key thermal processes.
• Results will be presented and discussed at weekly team data reviews.
• Upon the completion of this internship, the intern is required to present their accomplishments and project summary to the leadership team.

Estimated Salary Range:

• $18-$39 Hourly.

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, 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.
• 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).

Office Physical Requirements:

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. To best service our customers, internal and external, all associates must be able to communicate face-to-face and on the phone with or without reasonable accommodation. First Solar is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, it attempts to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees in accordance with the requirements of the disability discrimination laws. It also invites individuals with disabilities to participate in a good faith, interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made without imposing an undue hardship.

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.