Manager I- IT (Software Development) USA

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

Basic Job Functions:

• Manages the design and execution of global software solutions for Manufacturing Enterprise Systems (MES). Ensures availability of needed infrastructure capabilities, provide technical governance, and manage MES Solutions Architect and Solutions/Operations developer team as direct reports.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology or related field or equivalent years of work experience.
• Minimum 6 years of related work experience in software development.
• 3 - 6 years of software team lead or supervisory experience or 1 year of management experience.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Technical Development Skills - Thorough understanding of and experience with the capabilities, trade-offs and design principles of modern software solution architectures. Successful track record of innovative and breakthrough solutions introducing new technology, lowering total cost of ownership, improving solution reliability and accelerating business value delivery.
  
  
  • Demonstrated competence and understanding:
    
    
    • Software development and design in Microsoft technologies using C# (required)
    • MS Team Foundation Server use and administration (highly desired)
    • SQL Server relational database applications, scripting, and reporting (required)
    • Proven understanding AI development concepts and experience developing AI-based solutions. (desired)
    • Proven experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and containerization concepts, including both platform-based development and deployment expertise. (desired)
    • Unit testing frameworks and software development best-practices (required)
    • Service-Oriented Architecture (required)
    • RabbitMQ, Message Queuing or similar technology (highly desired)
    • OPC Data Access (highly desired)
    • ITIL (ITSM Foundation Certification (required)
    • Theory-Of-Constraints (desired)
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Software and Contract Software Development Integration Skills - Demonstrated expertise at performing industry/vendor searches, ranked functional scorecards, vendor evaluations, RFP analyses and contributing to contract negotiations. Successful track record of managing relationships and partnering with both global internal teams as well as Offshore Development Centers (ODC) in a distributed global enterprise, to deliver global solutions and transitioning those solutions to local operation.
• Accomplished Communication Skills - Proficient in writing, speaking, hosting meetings and delivering presentations, demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with and convey technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences, assist with conflict resolution, and build consensus across the organization and between cross-functional teams.
• Business Analysis Expertise - Provide the bridge from business needs to software solutions. Expert-level ability to understand and translate business strategies, capabilities and needs into high-level solution requirements.
• Project and Portfolio Management Skills - Successful track record of project and program management and/or supervision of project managers for complex projects. Enterprise capital budget planning and estimating of software development projects. Mastery of Agile/Scrum processes (Scrum Master and/or Product Owner certification highly desired.) Project management tool expertise required (Planview, Remedy, and MS Project desired.).
• Leadership and Managerial Competency - Ability to lead by example, mentor, motivate, inspire, set and measure goals, provide career guidance, and resolve conflicts between direct reports.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Software Solution Portfolio Management: Partner with key business leaders, and software engineering global team to plan capital solution budgets, consult with business to prioritize requests, propose innovative solutions, assist with the initiation, governance review, and preparation of software projects. Supervise architects and software development team members to ensure successful implementation, delivery, and operation of prioritized solutions to meet business goals and IT standards.
• Ensure resourcing and throughput of critical incidents and prioritized change requests as identified by business teams and program managers. Implement remediation strategies identified by the problem investigation process within specified timeframes.
• Software Development Team Resource Management: Manage team of 5-15 direct reports (architects, software developers, and Scrum Masters.) Provide annual and quarterly goal planning, manage work assignments and load balancing, hold frequent 1-on-1 meetings, manage performance assessments, pay planning, training planning and career development planning. Play a leadership role in interviewing, hiring, and onboarding of new team members, including interns and candidates for the broader MES department.
• Project Execution and Technology Governance: Review and approve project designs and staffing plans, ensuring adherence to IT processes and industry best practices. Supervise the evaluation and approval of new technologies to the IT landscape. Promote improvements to Scrum/Agile process implementation through leadership of cross-functional groups.
• Compliance: Execute Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) controls for software development lifecycle processes.
• Relationship Management with key global business stakeholders and executive leaders in Manufacturing, R&D, Quality & Reliability, and IT. Participate in recurring steering meetings.

Reporting Relationships:

• This position will have direct reports of software engineers.

Travel:

• 5% - 10%

Estimated Salary Range:

• $99,600-$142,000 Annually.

US Physical Requirements:

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.