Head- Performance and Prediction Analytics USA

Basic Job Functions:

• This highly visible leadership role is central to driving the rapid expansion of First Solar’s manufacturing footprint and product capabilities. This position oversees the strategic direction and execution of all initiatives related to validating fielded product performance and enhancing energy prediction accuracy. The role is responsible for developing and implementing advanced experimental designs, managing long-term data integrity across global field test sites and partner power plants, and applying cutting-edge analytics to improve modeling and prediction algorithms. It leads efforts in algorithm development, performance analytics, risk assessment, and financial impact analysis. Operating across the full product lifecycle—from R&D through manufacturing—this role collaborates with multiple business units to ensure product excellence and reliability. Additionally, it serves as a technical ambassador, providing education and support to customers and third-party laboratories, leveraging deep expertise to build trust and drive industry leadership.

Education/Experience:

• Technical bachelor’s degree in engineering, Material Science or related discipline.
• Knowledge in Statistics, Modeling, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
• 15+ years of industrial experience in engineering discipline including volume manufacturing and process/product improvement.
• 10+ years of relevant work experience in related statistical analysis, data mining and problem solving.
• 10+ years of engineering leadership or management experience.
• 10+ years of technical experience in the PV industry preferred

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Accountability: Takes responsibility for one's actions, doesn't point fingers, and delivers results aligned with organizational goals. Strives for excellence daily and trusts others to do the same. Demonstrates Commitment, Ownership, Resilience, and Continuous Learning, turning failures into lessons learned.
• Collaboration: Works with others to achieve a common goal with the possibility of producing an outcome greater than one that would be developed in a silo. Leverages everyone's unique strengths and skills in an inclusive environment. Skilled at navigating the organization to get things done. Welcomes diverse thinking, open to different options, works to achieve optimal outcome for the business.
• Agility: Constantly evolves to capitalize on emerging opportunities in a rapidly changing environment, maintaining focus on tasks at hand. Is intellectually curious about surrounding changes and seeks to understand potential future shifts.
• Effective Communication Skills: Clearly articulates ideas, thoughts, and information to different audiences. Identifies and utilizes effective communication channels and methods. Tailors message to the level and experience of the audience. Maintains timely and consistent communication based on the needs of the project, goal, team, or individual.
• Strategic Thinking: Has a strategic mindset, identifies upcoming trends, opportunities and risks, and crafts effective strategies to meet both short-term and long-term objectives. Creates and operationalizes strategic plans to achieve goals that align with First Solar and function's vision, mission, and values. Adapts approach/plans to account for changes in the business environment.
• Technical Knowledge: Has the necessary knowledge relevant to their work to deliver the expected value and stays current with developments in their field of expertise. Demonstrates the ability to apply their technical knowledge to problem-solving and offer creative/innovative solutions and outcomes, as well as communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders.
• Disciplined and Methodical: Approaches tasks in an organized and structured manner, commits to a plan, takes a systematic and logical approach, prioritizes tasks, and follows through with them. Breaks down complex tasks into manageable steps, develops a clear understanding of what needs to be done, and ensures each step is correctly completed before moving to the next.
• Analytical Aptitude: Visualizes, gathers, and aggregates information. Articulates issues, analyzes data for effective decision-making and problem-solving. Sees problems from multiple viewpoints and understands data, paying attention to detail without getting bogged down.
• Builds High Performing Teams and Talent: Keeps the bar high for talent. Attracts, develops, and retains a high-performing team and aligns them with organizational goals. Sets clear expectations and delegates responsibilities, fostering autonomy, trust, and accountability in others. Leads by example, works with associates to achieve outstanding results through coaching for performance and providing timely and specific feedback. Works on growth and development with each team member.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Responsible for model development and implementation to ensure accurate global prediction capabilities of First Solar’s historical and future products.
• Establish and maintain global fielded product experience programs to continuously evaluate product performance creating and sharing deeper understanding and insights across First Solar and the solar industry.
• Lead the verification and validation of various reliability models & predictions to continuously improve capability for fast and accurate product development.
• Collaborates as a performance and prediction subject matter expert with the solar PV community including strategic customers, national labs, 3rd party labs and independent engineers to advance product prediction capabilities and product adoption.
• Brings insights and understanding to leadership through energy prediction and performance analytics.
• Operates, maintains, and develops state-of-the-art global field test sites.
• Manages a team of subject matter experts in operations, data analytics and field performance prediction technology.
• Continually strives to build and maintain a global culture where the appropriate application of advanced field analytics is performed to achieve maximum efficiency and speed while ensuring the correct objective conclusions are made.
• Leads quantitative method development to understand process to performance correlation to ensure product design robustness.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time.

Reporting Relationships:

• This position reports to the Chief Product Officer.
• This position will have direct reports.

Travel:

• 10% - 20%

Estimated Salary Range:

• $210,300-$305,000 Annually.

US 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).

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.