Manager- Planning (RDC)

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

Basic Job Functions:

The RDC Planning Manager is a leadership role that promotes best practices for the Research & Development Center (RDC) throughput scheduling and planning, forecasting, cost control and improvement. This role is responsible for the monthly RDC operations forecast as well as the weekly and daily execution plan. This position interacts with team members from Development Engineering to ensure the forecast is accurate and meets the needs of the technology programs served by RDC. This position also interacts closely with the Global Supply and Demand teams, Site Manufacturing Control teams, and RDC operations execution teams to ensure materials and constraints are managed to support the plan as well as with Operations, and Manufacturing Engineering to ensure the material flow across plants are managed according to the plan. This role owns the RDC operational budget and is responsible for planning and cost controlling and interacts strongly with Finance and Accounting.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business administrator or management discipline.
• MBA or Master of Engineering or PhD a plus.
• 3 years of technology management or manufacturing leadership/management or engineering experience within First Solar required.
• 5-7 years of experience in production operations, engineering, supply chain, planning, or finance. Must have a good understanding of cost modeling and analysis.
• Proven track record of successful cost reduction project implementation and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Demonstrated track record of interacting and transacting successfully with top levels of DE and ME management.
• Strong project management skills and leadership experience. 
• Demonstrated project management skills in high volume manufacturing environment.
• Advanced negotiation skills to obtain cooperation and commitment to project deliverables.
• Advanced skills in all aspects of project planning and execution.
• Capable of providing program management for greater than 3 projects simultaneously.
• Communicates clearly, oral and written, across the organization.
• Strong assertive characteristics to push projects through to completion.
• Partners with stakeholders to coordinate resources, activities, and priorities for rapid project completion.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to assertively motivate project participants.
• Must be motivated, self-starter, capable of multitasking and setting priorities.
• Knowledge and understanding of quality systems and requirements.
• Knowledge and understanding of EHS systems and requirements.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provide mentoring and guidance to RDC Operations and Engineering associates as needed.
• Support RDC operations execution teams in meeting annual programs metrics for roadmap execution and HVM preparation.
• Manage RDC Operations planning team.
  • Lead capacity planning/scheduling process to maximize the utilization of the RDC asset base.
  • Manage program Integration capacity requests.
  • Forecast capacity commitments for technology development programs.
  • Support Manufacturing Engineering Tech seeding and training as needed for new program.
  • Manage Unit Technical Team (UTT) interactions regarding tool access in close collaboration with the RDC Technical Manager.
  • Coordinate with Global Supply/Demand teams to ensure supply meets demand with maximum utilization capabilities.
• Lead RDC logistics coordination to ensure material flows within RDC and across the PBG campus.
• Lead or participate in calls and meetings with site manufacturing and GSC teams within First Solar.
  • Coordinate Material interactions with manufacturing plants for process and tool validation.
  • Share best practices.
  • Communicate on rollout of process changes.
  • Set action plans for continuous improvement.
  • Owner of the forecasting and supply process for all materials used in RDC in close coordination with Global Supply Chain (GSC).
• Utilization/Throughput Champion
  • Team with DE Integration, UTT, and RDC operations teams to prioritize and drive projects based on key metric impact.
  • Simulation Expert - Perform Simulation “What if” scenarios to improve headcount and equipment utilization.
  • Maximize throughput, machine utilization and machine availability.
  • Data mine to support module process flow decisions.
• Cost Analysis
  • Prepares AOP inputs for OPEX.<