Business Development & Sales Analyst II

First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset. 

Basic Job Functions:

The First Solar Business Development Team oversees sales and fosters relationships with buyers of First Solar's PV module technology, focusing on customer groups such as Developers and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). As the leading supplier of utility-scale solar projects in the U.S. market, First Solar is expanding its fast-paced team to engage with top players in the U.S. utility-scale solar development sector.

The Business Analyst II plays a key role in operational and customer-facing activities, including pricing and energy performance modeling, bid support, sales presentation preparation, competitive landscape analysis, and managing various sales systems and processes. This role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Demand Allocation, Technical Sales, Fulfillment, Contract Execution, and Logistics. The Business Analyst II will also interact with internal and external stakeholders, including executive leaders from both First Solar and customer companies. Given this role’s support of First Solar’s primary market and ambitious booking targets, the Business Analyst II will contribute not only to day-to-day sales and account management efforts, but also to long-term strategic planning at First Solar.

The ideal candidate for this position is highly motivated, a quick learner, and a self-starter. The team values individuals who possess strong technical skills along with the ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree required, major in a technical or analytical field preferred (Engineering, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, etc.)
• Minimum 1 year of work experience in sales, account management, corporate or business development, or other relevant business/technical experience (master’s degree can count for 1 year of experience).

Required Skills/Competencies:

• A Passion for renewable energy and innovative photovoltaic (PV) technology, with a strong commitment to supporting American manufacturing.
• Core values centered on teamwork, integrity, attention to detail, and excellence in all aspects of work.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with advanced written and verbal communication abilities.
• Highly self-motivated, with strong critical thinking, planning, and organizational skills, and a focus on execution.
• Proven ability to work independently, demonstrate initiative, and drive results with minimal supervision.
• Skilled in analyzing and simplifying complex information to present clear insights to internal stakeholders.
• Highly organized and efficient in time management, with the ability to manage and execute multiple workflows simultaneously.
• Capable of quickly identifying problems, gathering data, drawing conclusions, and proposing effective solutions.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of financial modeling and experience with energy prediction software is preferred.
• Familiarity with the PV technology landscape, including power markets, industry players, and LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) drivers, is preferred.
• Experience with Salesforce and PowerBI is highly preferred.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Support deal leads in customer engagement and relationship building within the U.S. utility-scale solar market by leading sales outreach efforts and preparing comparative technology analyses, financial models, and technical sales presentations.
• Attend meetings and virtual or in-person conferences and build relationships with current and prospective customers.
• Drive customer education on First Solar’s value proposition and provide timely response to customer inquiries, both technical and commercial.
• Run competitive Internal Rate of Return (IRR) analyses on First Solar technology relative to other products in the market.
• Track and analyze opportunity pipelines within Salesforce; vet and support further engagement of inbound leads.
• Build and maintain tools in Excel for use in sales meetings and presentations.
• Engage with Fulfillment and Logistics to ensure sales execution success.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Job description subject to change at any time.

Reporting Relationships:

• Report to Business Development Manager.
• This position will not have direct reports.

Travel:

• 20% - 30%

Estimated Salary Range:

• $61,000 - $85,000 Annually

US