The posting
Job Description
First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.
Basic Job Functions:
The primary responsibility of this job is to develop new recycling processes & wastewater treatment systems at existing and new site locations in accordance with First Solar and local/federal regulatory safety & environmental requirements. This person will conduct, and coordinate trial runs to develop solar module recycling process for First Solar and non-First Solar panels. The employee will need to work very closely with the recycling operations crew members & vendors to ensure that the process modifications are completed safely, on time and within the budget. The person will be responsible for safety and environmental compliance performance of the pilot plant test runs. This person will be responsible for ensuring corporate plant designs and specifications are being effectively attained during all phases of the process modification projects and that the process design intent is met. This person will be a key member of the engineering team responsible for new plant design concept development, detailed engineering design reviews, vendor selection, project planning and management, and plant startup/commissioning globally in new plant sites and/or process modifications/upgrades at existing sites. International travel required including possible short term international assignments (1-3months).
Experience:
- 1-5 years’ experience in chemical/mechanical process development including product quality improvement, chemical process optimization, transitioning a R&D process into manufacturing. (Candidate with some specific experience in solar module recycling process development will be preferred)
- Good mechanical aptitude & experience in statistical data analysis and design of experiments.
- Experience in working with chemical plant operators and maintenance technicians, including off-shift hours would be preferred.
- Material handling systems design, piping design and process control design experience.
- New process plant start-up, process troubleshooting & hazardous material handling experience.
- Project management for chemical processes and/or mechanical systems, including managing scope, schedule, and cost.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably mechanical or chemical.
- High School diploma plus Mechanical/ Electrical Journeymen qualification with 15+ years of industry experience
Required Skills/Competencies:
- Skills to read and interpret Process & Instrumentation Drawings, detailed engineering design drawings and bill of materials (electrical, mechanical, civil, process controls, etc.).
- Strong statistical analysis and chemical process development skills.
- Strong drive to transfer ideas to practical use in chemical process manufacturing environment through all stages of process development including process qualification.
- Project management skills to control project schedule & financial budget.
- Chemical process operations skills with ability to coordinate process engineering activities with night shift operations crew members & multiple vendors/contractors.
- Industrial equipment erection, installation, start-up, and troubleshooting experience.
- Strong mechanical and process control aptitude with hands-on approach to develop new engineering solutions.
- Fluent computer skills in (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Project, MS Access, and AutoCAD).
- Problem solving and troubleshooting skills.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Evaluate, develop, and implement novel approaches to recycle wastewater & waste scrap solar panels (First Solar and other Crystalline Silicon solar panels).
- Conduct chemical plant process material balance studies and develop techniques to improve recovery rates of all precious metals and to reduce Cd emissions in the process plant effluent streams.
- Work with front line operators & technicians to conduct pilot plant test runs to generate data that could be used to develop new waste/ wastewater treatment systems.
- Take lead to troubleshoot chemical process problems and implement corrective actions globally to improve product quality and to reduce the overall plant operating cost.
- Assist with process detailed engineering design review, and project management of remote recycling & water treatment projects, including some construction oversight.
- Assist senior engineers to develop engineering process design specification package for vendor selection, construction project planning and oversight of recycling & process/ wastewater treatment systems/projects.
- Implementing and documenting detailed plant design modifications in new or existing plants under the company change control process.
- Solicit request for proposals from vendors/contractors and review vendor/contractor submittal packages to ensure project intent and goals are met.
- Assist Engineering Managers to develop capital budgets and coordinate project activities, to ensure that all project deliverables are met on time and within budget.
- Work with Corporate Engineering teams, EHS staff, plant manufacturing teams, and development engineering team to successfully develop methods for treatment/disposal of hazardous chemicals/ materials.
- Lead startup/debug of processes in new plant sites and/or process modifications/upgrades at existing & new plant sites.
- Work with purchasing to establish acceptable contracts and contract terms and conditions for global recycling & water treatment equipment and projects.
- Creating effective communications to foster team building.
- Strict adherence to all safety procedures and good housekeeping standards.
Reporting Relationships:
- Reports to Manager/ Engineer Wastewater & Recycling III
Travel:
- May require frequent traveling up to 50% of time.
- International travel required including possible short term international assignments (1-3 months).
Physical Requirements:
- Will sit, stand, or walk short distances for up to 12 hours per day.
- Will climb stairs on an occasional basis.
- Will exert up to 50 pounds of force to lift, push or pull on a seldom basis.
- Will lift, push, or pull up to 27 pounds on a frequent basis.
- Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects repetitively 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)
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.
