Development Engineer IV - Perovskite Physics USA

About the role

Serve as a senior technical contributor within First Solar’s Perovskite Physics group. Support development and scale-up of First Solar’s next-generation perovskite technology through physics-based mechanism understanding, advanced metrology development, and root-cause analysis.

Responsibilities

• Operate at the intersection of materials science, device physics, and pilot manufacturing engineering, acting as a technical leader in defining measurement strategies, correlating metrology data to performance and reliability, and resolving complex process-structure-property relationships.
• Develop and validate mechanistic understanding linking perovskite deposition, crystallization, interfaces, and post-processing to device-level electrical and environmental performance.
• Perform deep root cause investigations of yield loss, efficiency variability, and reliability excursions using metrology data, physics-based models, and cross-functional inputs.
• Lead failure analysis and excursion response efforts, including hypothesis generation, experimental design, data interpretation, and corrective action definition.
• Design, develop, and deploy advanced inline, at-line, and offline metrology methods to monitor perovskite film formation, interfaces, microstructure, defects, and uniformity and their correlations with device performance and stability.
• Lead qualification of novel optical, spectroscopic, electrical, and structural characterization techniques suitable for pilot-line operation (e.g., hyperspectral imaging, PL/EL spectral analysis and mapping, Raman, including in-situ diagnostics).
• Define metrology requirements and specifications to enable process window characterization, early defect detection, and statistical process control.
• Partner with process development, equipment, and integration teams to translate lab- and pilot-scale characterization techniques into manufacturing-relevant, scalable measurement solutions.
• Support DOE development, parametric studies, and technology readiness assessments tied to pilot production goals.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert in perovskite photovoltaic device physics, metrology, and physics-based diagnostics for internal stakeholders.
• Mentor junior engineers and scientists in experimental rigor, data analysis, and problem-solving methodologies.
• Author and review technical reports, internal white papers, and invention disclosures; contribute to IP generation where applicable.
• Collaborate with external partners, national labs, and equipment vendors.

Requirements

• Advanced understanding of optoelectronic device physics and correlation of physical measurements to IV, QE, reliability, and low-level device metrics.
• Strong understanding of perovskite materials physics, including crystallization behavior, defect states, interfaces, and degradation mechanisms.
• Demonstrated expertise in advanced materials and device characterization and data-driven root-cause analysis.
• Advanced skills in data analysis, experimental design, and statistical interpretation.
• Physics-driven problem solver with strong mechanistic intuition.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and early-stage technologies with an ability to reduce ambiguity through structured, physics-based problem solving.
• Strong experimental rigor and data discipline.
• High ownership mindset; capable of independently driving complex technical programs with company-level impact.
• Independent defines technical approaches within program objectives.
• Strong cross-functional communicator.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’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 III at First Solar.
• Master’s Degree in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 15 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer III at First Solar.
• Ph.D. in an engineering discipline or similar technical discipline and 10 years of relevant technical experience or 2 years of experience as a Development Engineer III at First Solar.

Skills

• Advanced understanding of optoelectronic device physics and correlation of physical measurements to IV, QE, reliability, and low-level device metrics.
• Strong understanding of perovskite materials physics, including crystallization behavior, defect states, interfaces, and degradation mechanisms.
• Demonstrated expertise in advanced materials and device characterization and data-driven root-cause analysis.
• Advanced skills in data analysis, experimental design, and statistical interpretation.
• Physics-driven problem solver with strong mechanistic intuition.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and early-stage technologies with an ability to reduce ambiguity through structured, physics-based problem solving.
• Strong experimental rigor and data discipline.
• High ownership mindset; capable of independently driving complex technical programs with company-level impact.
• Independent defines technical approaches within program objectives.
• Strong cross-functional communicator.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.

Pay

$99,600 - $142,000 Annually.

Schedule

Less than 10% travel.

Essential Responsibilities

• Develop and validate mechanistic understanding linking perovskite deposition, crystallization, interfaces, and post-processing to device-level electrical and environmental performance.
• Perform deep root cause investigations of yield loss, efficiency variability, and reliability excursions using metrology data, physics-based models, and cross-functional inputs.
• Lead failure analysis and excursion response efforts, including hypothesis generation, experimental design, data interpretation, and corrective action definition.
• Design, develop, and deploy advanced inline, at-line, and offline metrology methods to monitor perovskite film formation, interfaces, microstructure, defects, and uniformity and their correlations with device performance and stability.
• Lead qualification of novel optical, spectroscopic, electrical, and structural characterization techniques suitable for pilot-line operation (e.g., hyperspectral imaging, PL/EL spectral analysis and mapping, Raman, including in-situ diagnostics).
• Define metrology requirements and specifications to enable process window characterization, early defect detection, and statistical process control.
• Partner with process development, equipment, and integration teams to translate lab- and pilot-scale characterization techniques into manufacturing-relevant, scalable measurement solutions.
• Support DOE development, parametric studies, and technology readiness assessments tied to pilot production goals.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert in perovskite photovoltaic device physics, metrology, and physics-based diagnostics for internal stakeholders.
• Mentor junior engineers and scientists in experimental rigor, data analysis, and problem-solving methodologies.
• Author and review technical reports, internal white papers, and invention disclosures; contribute to IP generation where applicable.
• Collaborate with external partners, national labs, and equipment vendors.