First Solar
Engineer- Manufacturing I USA (1st Shift)
Gaffney, SC, United States
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odds of building a lasting career here
Thin sponsorship signal and lottery-bound (~15% per draw). A low-probability bet with your clock running. Prioritize cap-exempt roles and proven entry-level sponsors first.
Lottery odds assume a STEM candidate.
Personalize to your clock →H-1B wage level
the lottery is wage-weighted — each level is one more entry
The bottom of this range ($68,800) is below the Level I prevailing wage of $72,280. An H-1B cannot be filed below the prevailing wage, so an offer at the floor of this band could not be sponsored as posted.
Based on the DOL prevailing wage for this occupation and worksite, a base salary of $84,302 would place this position at wage Level II. That figure is within the posted range, and I'd like to target it. This role classifies under "Industrial Engineers" for prevailing-wage purposes.
DOL prevailing wage, 2026-27 wage year · Industrial Engineers (17-2112) · Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Wage level is derived by USCIS from the offered wage, occupation and worksite; the occupation shown is inferred from the job title.
Employer immigration record
from this employer's Department of Labor filings
Files H-1B transfers
Sourced from Department of Labor LCA, PERM and prevailing-wage disclosure data. Employer matching is by name, so figures may be split across an employer's legal entities. Absence of a filing means none appears in our copy of the data, not that none exists.
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About the role
- First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.
- Basic Job Functions: The Manufacturing Engineer will install and qualify new process equipment as well as troubleshoot day-to-day manufacturing issues on the production line in a timely manner.
- These include tool-down issues, yield, quality issues, and identifying actions to prevent repeat issues.
Responsibilities
- Maintain Gauges.
- Design and execute planned process experiments, collect and analyze data and report experimental results.
- Perform data collection relating to daily equipment performance and associated product performance.
- Maintain effective communication with production associates and manufacturing engineers.
- Develop and provide training to engineering technicians, and production associates.
- Identify and implement yield and product performance improvement.
- Develop and maintain drawings, process specifications, and develop and enforce standard operating procedures.
- Develop and maintain process control plans.
Requirements
- Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects on a frequent basis.
- Must be able to comply with all safety standards and procedures.
- 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 candidates receiving an offer of employment must successfully complete a background check band any other tests that may be required.
- Interface with internal associates and supplier representatives as required to complete assigned projects.
- Domestic and international travel as required.
Nice to have
- Associate's Degree in an engineering or similar technical discipline combined with
- 3 or more years of First Solar technical experience, or
- 6 or more years of technical work experience in a Manufacturing setting.
- Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Ph.D. in an engineering or similar technical discipline with no experience required.
- Technical work experience in combination with a degree is preferred.
- The following certifications and experience can be used in lieu of the above degree requirements.
- In each case the candidate must demonstrate skills and experience in peer training/mentorship and basic data analysis
- 3 or more years' experience as a First Solar Maintenance Technician III, MET III, EPT III or Equipment Coordinator III or
Skills
- Understands and can apply Statistical Data Analysis.
- Good problem-solving skills.
- Understands metrology and measurement best practices.
- Good oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to write manufacturing documentation.
- Understands and can apply DOE.
- Understands and can apply Statistical Process Control (SPC).
- Understands and can apply structured problem-solving (such as DMAIC).
- Ability to work with minimal supervision.
- General Electrical / Electronics.
- General Mechanical.
- Manufacturing Engineer Desired
Compensation
- 68,800.00 - 98,000.00, Annually
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.
This listing is sourced directly from First Solar's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.