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JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title (Functional) Head of Module Operations Job Code

Reports To Site Manager/Plant Manager Dept ID
Department Module Operations

Basic Job Functions:

 Responsible for Module Factory operations.
 Leads a team of Managers responsible for Module Manufacturing operations in a
thin-film photovoltaic manufacturing flow
 Direct oversight of Shift Operations, Equipment and Process Engineering teams
in a 24x7 environment and leads an organization with > 600 associates in a multi-
GW PV Module Factory
 Develops and executes strategy for operational metrics that include Safety,
Quality, Product Performance, Throughput, Yield and Cost
 Defines goals, creates operating systems, and ensures cross-functional
collaboration for area leads under their oversight
 Member of the site leadership team; covers for plant/site manager in their
absence.
 Collaborates with global teams to implement, and ramp new processes and
product technologies per program timelines
 Architects associate competency and development programs for the site
 Helps develop Annual Operating Plan (AOP) with their Plant Manager
 Establish and invest in training and development of people/upskills associates,
technical competencies, and standardize training programs for all plants.

Experience:
 More than 12 years in managerial roles in a high-tech manufacturing
environment
 Minimum 15 years of Manufacturing experience in a technical field or
manufacturing environment
 Direct experience in at least one of the areas - PV module Bussing, lamination,
vision metrologies, frame application, ARC coating, light simulator testing,
and packout.
 Knowledge of PV module packaging processing, pick and place robots and
machine vision concepts will be an advantage3
 Working knowledge of budgets and financial statements
 Strong background in manufacturing methods and process improvement

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Education:
 Bachelors in an Engineering or Science Discipline (Mechanical, Chemical,
Electrical, Instrumentation and Controls, Materials Science, Physics or Chemistry)
 Master’s degree in Engineering or Advanced Degrees ([Link], MBA) preferred

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

[Safety & 5S]

 Member of the site safety steering committee; drives and inculcates a strong
“safety-first” culture and world class house-keeping standards within plant
operations to enable a zero-recordable rate
 Collaborates with EH&S to execute safety programs like Lock-out Tag-out and
Incident Reporting and Management System
 Timely and appropriate resolution of equipment or process safety concerns

[Operations]
 Provide leadership, and oversight of daily module manufacturing (Finishing
process and operations) through Group, Engineering and Operations Leads
 Chairs forums to monitor progress toward meeting plant metrics per P90 plan
and identifies corrective actions as it pertains to Man-Method-Machine
performance
 Collaborates with other functional leads in EH&S, Q&R, Supply-Chain to identify
constraints to P90 at a tactical and strategic level and resolves them
 Responsible for the development of the department budget (AOP) and cost
projects and monitors and adheres to the same. Develop and control costs,
plans and budget to meet essential cost per watt and budgetary performances.
Work with finance to monitor and control operation expenses (CpW).
 Responsible for the planning, organizing, leading and coordination of all module
manufacturing activities according to required quality standards.
 Interacts with staff support areas to procure all resources that are required to
manufacture a quality product at the targeted cost.

[Engineering]

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 Provides leadership, and oversight over systems for process control and
performance
 Develops strategy for bottle-neck management in the semiconductor operations
area that include setting OEE goals (Uptime, Unplanned Downtime, G2G/ MTTR,
Yield) and deploying the right resources to address chronic issues
 Collaborates with local integration teams to address equipment or process
under-performance
 Accountable for ISO compliance in their area through up-to-date process and
equipment documentation and training records
 Oversight of cost monitoring and waste mitigation programs for BOM and
equipment spares; supports the qualification of new suppliers
 Accountable for global alignment and fingerprinting; deviations are reported and
risk-assessed in a timely fashion – copy-exact vs. copy-smart as applicable

[Technology and Continuous Improvement]

 Initiates or vets continuous improvement work-streams ensuring they pass
through relevant change-management forums
 Establishes a DMAIC mindset among associates as a way of problem solving and
a Kaizen approach to improvement
 Follows TOC (Theory of Constraints) concepts to resolve bottlenecks as it
pertains to daily operations or road-map execution
 Participates in global forums (TRT, GAT), escalates process technology challenges
that are a risk to P90 and collaborates on local and global solutions for the same
 Collaborates with New Process Introduction and Global Technology teams to
develop implementation plan for new processes or equipment and close gaps
identified during execution

[People]
 Coach direct reports to execute First Solar’s Vision, Mission and Values
 Architects and maintains oversight of continuous learning programs for
associates in their organization to ensure a trained and competent work-force
 Develops a “strong bench” of associates that can step up to the next level
 Work with the local EHS team to ensure all equipment & process are compliant
with local regulatory compliances, ISO & RBA requirements in terms of
Environment Health and Safety for operation, and provide safety leadership to
improve the safety culture.
 Conduct performance appraisal, provide feedback and create sucession plan for
key associates
 Engage, Recognize and Reward associates. Supervises and motivates a team of
associates creating a culture of personal responsibility and continuous
improvement.

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Required Skills:

Behavioral
 Safety First Mentality
 Must be self-motivated and able to provide strong leadership in highly matrix
organization structure
 Provides leadership and strategy to accomplish First Solar’s goals and objectives
 Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as experience with
cross-functional coordination required.
 Proven Employee Relations Skills and Knowledge of Human Resources Practices
 Proven experiences in Strategic Planning and Organization Development to
accomplish the company’s Mission and Vision
 Able to attract and develop talent from diverse backgrounds and experiences
 Able to demonstrate core values of Agility (championing changes, being creative
and resilient), Collaboration (building trust and respect, inclusion and diversity,
manage through conflicts) and Accountability (commit and deliver through
discipline and integrity, making data-driven decisions and own the outcomes

Technical
 Proven computer skills.
 Lean Six-Sigma background (Green-Belt or higher)
 Knowledge of industrial electrical and mechanical systems
 Demonstrated experience with implementing and sustaining Statistical Process
Control Systems
 Demonstrated experience with Robust Engineering and Design of Experiments
 Adept with at least one data-analytics and visualization platform – JMP, Minitab,
SAS, Power-BI
 Knowledge of Theory of Constraints
 Demonstrated record of quality, cycle time and cost improvements using TOC,
lean manufacturing and kaizen concepts.
 Technical competency with proven ability to work with and advise engineers on
technical matters.
 Solid knowledge of inventory management and control
 Knowledge of manufacturing equipment and processes.
 Ability to analyze and solve problems effectively

Physical Requirements (if any)

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 Will sit and stand for long periods of time during the day.
 Will walk, climb stairs and on equipment.
 May reach above shoulder heights and below the waist
 May lift up to 50 lbs.
 Required to use hands to finger, lift, handle, carry or feel objects.
 May stoop, kneel, bend, talk and hear.
 Specific vision abilities are required.
 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).

First Solar Proprietary & Confidential - General