Engineer III- Manufacturing Technology Scaling (Vacuum Deposition)
First Solar · Ohio
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $80k–$120k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 22 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior manufacturing role at First Solar (industrial) in Ohio. Develop, improve, qualify and document robust solar module manufacturing processes.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Six Sigma, Root cause, DMAIC, SPC, FMEA, Control plans
- Base pay
- $80k–$120k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Ohio: typical posted base $80k–$105k. This one lists $80k–$120k.
Median of the low and high ends of 13 live postings that list pay, out of 76 manufacturing engineer openings in Ohio, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Ohio plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 75 other live manufacturing postings in Ohio.
- Base pay
- About 8% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 5+)
Typical $81k–$105k, from 12 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 47%
- Lean 47%
- Tooling 39%
- ✓ Six Sigma 36%
- ✓ Root cause 32%
- New product launch 32%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for DMAIC, DOE, Painting / coating, Python, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at First Solar
We found 3 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Kevin → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from First SolarAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Education/Experience
- ✓Associate’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 12 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer II or Manufacturing Engineer II at First Solar.
- ✓Bachelor’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 or Manufacturing Engineer II at First Solar.
- ✓Master’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 or Manufacturing Engineer II at First Solar.
- ✓Ph.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 or Manufacturing Engineer II at First Solar.
- ✓Prior experience in a Semiconductor or PV R&D or Mfg Setting in one or more of the following areas Thin-Film Deposition (Magnetron Sputtering, CVD, evaporation, Atomic Layer Deposition)
Required Skills/Competencies
- ✓Technical leadership in cross-functional and cross-site settings; ability to work with minimal supervision.
- ✓Outstanding knowledge in two or more areas including thin film deposition (PVD, ALD, CVD), thermal processing, wet coatings (ink-jet, spray, roll-coating), laser-material interactions, solar or IC device fabrication, process and device integration, and metrology.
- ✓Proficient with demonstrable experience in Process Maps, Process Documentation including Control Plans, Statistical Process Controls, FMEAs
- ✓Experienced in technology development concepts like Robust Engineering, Design of Experiments and Design for Manufacturability
- ✓Demonstrated Hands-On experience in Equipment and Process troubleshooting; excellent in structured methods for problem solving in a manufacturing environment
- ✓Specifying New Equipment for Manufacturing, and Vendor engagement through Design, Build and Qualification
- ✓Strong communication skills and ability to develop and deliver technical training and documentation.
- ✓Prior experience in Manufacturing or Technology development teams within Semiconductor, Photovoltaic, Flat-Panel Display, Architectural Glass Coating, Battery or Chemical Processing Industries
Essential
Responsibilities
- ◆Adhere to all safety procedures, protocols and contribute to EHS/Quality improvements.
- ◆Develop, improve, qualify and document robust solar module manufacturing processes.
- ◆Serve as a subject-matter expert for, and own, process or equipment sets assigned
- ◆Design and execute process experiments; analyze and present results.
- ◆Work with equipment OEMs; evaluate, install, and qualify tools.
- ◆Lead continuous improvement using Six Sigma methodologies.
- ◆Mentor junior engineers and technicians and provide technical training to operational teams.
- ◆Develop Process Control Plans, FMEAs, Work Instructions, and Troubleshooting Guides.
- ◆Maintain effective cross-functional communication including leadership
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. In order 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 fede
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.
Basic Job Functions
- •Scale and qualify thin-film coating processes like Sputtering, Atomic Layer Deposition and/or Evaporation ; work cross-functionally with Development Engineering, Integrated Supply-Chain, Environmental-Health-Safety and Quality & Reliability teams to
- •Provide technical leadership across Photovoltaic Manufacturing Processes including design and development of process, equipment, and systems in a manufacturing setting
- •Define equipment and process requirements, refine vendor proposals, and lead the qualification of new process equipment through development and ramp to 24x7 manufacturing
- •Equipment and Process troubleshooting to meet and improve Safety, Throughput, Yield and Performance benchmarks
- •Use structured problem-solving (e.g., DMAIC, 8D) and statistical methods (DOE, SPC) to identify, test, and implement continuous improvements.
- •Datamine and visualize process and equipment data using industry standard tools like SQL, Python, JMP, Power-BI; define and set-up visualization and data collection to enable process control
- •Author white papers for process and equipment changes per Change Management System needs
Reporting Relationships
- •Manager or Sr. Manager, Global Manufacturing Organization
- •May have direct reports
Travel
- •10% - 20%