Team Lead- Workforce Development USA (1st Shift)

Basic Job Functions:

The Workforce Development Team is service-oriented with a mission to build and sustain a culture of learning for our associates to enable them to lead a safe, productive & rewarding career at First Solar.

The Workforce Development Team Lead I is a leadership position with direct reports (on “shift” crew Training Advocates and in some cases office based Training Specialists). The Team Lead II retains the same responsibilities as a Team Lead I position with additional functions of leading the development and implementation of new training project initiatives, having more direct collaboration with higher leadership, and providing mentoring & training for other team leads, advocates and training specialists.

Team leads conduct onboarding and manages their Training Advocates to collaborate with assigned teams to further develop their associates. Team leads may also be responsible for managing Training Specialists on community engagement and the delivery of training programs.

Education/Experience:

• 5 years working with or within a manufacturing environment.
• 5 years leading teams (direct or indirect reporting)
• 5 years in teaching or workforce development with experience in:
  • On-the-Job Training Methods
  • Developing Training Material (multi-media forms)
  • Educational or Workforce development programs
  • Community engagement initiatives for developing people.
• Bachelor Degree in a Technical Discipline, HR organizational development, or Educational degree in a STEM field, or an equivalent 10 years of work experience in developing people.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Dependable
• Passion for learning and helping others grow through a learning organization.
• Must be able to build a cross-functional relationship and at all levels of the organization (production associates to management).
• Possess leadership skills to lead teams and manage projects, exercising judgment and discretion in problem solving to deliver on commitments.
• Demonstrated ability to engage people in networking and facilitating group activities.
• Excellent training facilitation skills.
• Strong organizational skills with focus on detail and thoroughness in tracking and reporting
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and presentation skills (in 1:1 and group settings).
• Good skills in facilitation of group learning, leading through others, and 1:1 coaching.
• Innovative and creative with an eye for high quality work product appropriate for teaching
• Provide training to others to enhance their ability to contribute effectively to the workforce development program
• Competent with Microsoft Office (word, excel, PowerPoint), SharePoint file management, basic picture & video editing.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead onboarding of new associates.
• Maintain strong collaboration with manufacturing and cross-functional leadership to support associate development
• Provide reporting on training program plans and status.
• Lead team in implementation of training initiatives.
• Manage direct reports (on crew “Training Advocates” and in some instances office associates “Training Specialists”)
  • Oversee team objectives by developing and monitoring work plans, tracking performance metrics, generating reports, and managing team expenses.
  • Develop direct reports in their functional responsibilities, growth, and professionalism with a customer focused mindset.
• Manage Training Advocates in:
  • Provide extending onboarding for new associates.
  • Communicate training material to their teams.
  • Verifying training material is accurate and develop improvements related to training.
  • Collaboration with trainers, team leads, and supervisors to plan and provide associate training.
  • Conducting select on-the-Job and classroom training.
  • Ensure training records are up to date.
  • Coordinate with subject matter experts on verification of training completeness and effectiveness.
  • Facilitate training recognition with associates.
• Manage Training Specialist (when applicable)
  • Community engagement to develop relationships with business, government, community groups, and educators.
  • Monitor and evaluate emerging workforce and training trends to ensure the organization leverages the most effective tools, resources, and methodologies for employee development
  • Facilitate training programs (internal & external providers)
  • Lead train-the-trainer.

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to the Staff Program Manager
• This position may have direct reports

Travel:

• 0% - 5% (On occasion/as needed for training, etc.
• If hired during plant start up, you will be expected to travel to other First Solar locations for training.

Estimated Salary Range:

• $68,800 - $98,000, Annually

US Physical Requirements:

• Office / Production Area Hybrid Physical Requirements:
• This is an office position but will involve a significant amount of time on the production floor
  • Will sit, stand or walk short distances for up to the entire duration of a shift.
  • Will climb stairs on an occasional basis.
  • Will lift, push or pull up to 37 pounds on an occasional basis.
  • Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects on a frequent basis.
  • 20/40 vision in both eyes together, with or without correction, is required.
  • Must be able to comply with all safety standards and procedures.
  • May reach above shoulder heights and below the waist on a frequent basis.
  • May stoop, kneel, or bend, on an occasional basis.
  • 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, and a condition of employment and continued employment (requires little or no facial hair) for those requiring respirator use.
• Requirements related to being on the production floor and participation in on-the-job training.
  • Will sit, stand, or walk short distances for up to 12 hours per day.
  • Will climb stairs or steps on a frequent basis.
  • Will lift up to 58 pounds on an occasional basis, according to work instruction.
  • Will lift up to 37 pounds on a frequent basis.
  • Will push or pull up to 50 pounds of force on an occasional basis.
  • Will push or pull up to 37 pounds of force on a frequent basis.
  • Required to use hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry or feel objects on a frequent basis.
  • 20/40 vision in both eyes (with or without correction) and the ability to distinguish between red, yellow, and green is required.
  • May reach above shoulder heights and below the waist on a frequent basis.
  • May stoop, kneel, or bend, on an occasional basis.
  • Must comply with all safety standards and procedures.
  • Ability to wear personal protective equipment is required (including, but not limited to: steel-toed shoes, cut-resistant gloves, jackets, aprons &/or arm guards, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection & respirators) and a condition of employment and continued employment (may require little or no facial hair).

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. In order 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.