First Solar, Inc. Work Values

Daily Duties at First Solar, Inc.:

As the project manager, I was responsible for design, construction and operation of a $500K experimental test stand used for development and testing of ceramic rotary and planar sputter targets on large production magnetrons. Once the test stand was completed I managed magnetron testing by integrating inputs from a diverse team of engineers and technologists. This was a fast paced project in support of a new production line being built overseas. In another project I was responsible for sputter deposition of thin film ceramic materials on glass coupons for improving the efficiency of cadmium telluride thin film solar cells. I worked in a collaborative role with a large R&D team. In a related project I was responsible for quantifying the engineering specifications of a multi-million dollar R&D vacuum thin film sputter tool to be manufactured by a German company. This required that I collect multiple inputs from the R&D team and translate those inputs into a detailed engineering specification for the German company. The company is now laying off 20% of its work force as it winds down worldwide manufacturing operations and retools operations with new production equipment.

What they like about First Solar, Inc.:

Working in an organization that is technologically advanced, creative, and innovative is critical in your assessment of hiring companies. Less important to you are stability of the organization, the length of time an organization has been in business, and the business' plans for the future. You prefer a fast-moving company that will take risks to achieve its goals and objectives. The length of time the company has been in business is irrelevant. Maintaining status quo is unnecessary. You thrive on change, uncertainty and the upside of potential business risks, especially those associated with innovation. Stability for the long haul is not nearly as important as is working in an atmosphere that is charged with a sense of urgency and constant change.

Tags

plasma physics, materials science, rail guns, sputtering, pvd, physical vapor deposition, semiconductor, Management, semiconductor equipment, pulsed power, mba, cvd, chemical vapor deposition, applied physics, engineering physics

Skills

Engineering Management, Project Management, Plasma Physics, Materials Science, Semiconductors, Charged Particle Beams, High Voltage Engineering, Semiconductor Equipment, Railguns, Pulsed Power

These are some of the questions we asked our climbers about their experiences with First Solar, Inc.: