Thermal Process Engineer

T1 Energy is bringing solar manufacturing back to the U.S. by building a domestic solar supply chain. Our mission is to invigorate America with scalable, reliable, and low-cost energy. Our fully operational 5GW solar module facility in Wilmer, Texas, can manufacture more than 20,000 modules every 24 hours. By the time you finish reading this paragraph, we will have produced two solar panels that will power American homes and fuel domestic AI. We're focused on building advanced American manufacturing and we're passionate about engineering a better future filled with abundant energy.

The Role

T1 Energy is looking to hire a Thermal Process Engineer to join our team supporting the process development and ramp of our G2 solar cell fab. This is a hands-on, high-impact role for a process engineer who knows their way around CVD toolsets and thermal systems and is ready to help build one of the most ambitious domestic solar manufacturing operations in the country.

You'll be working at the leading edge of solar cell fab, owning critical deposition and thermal processes that directly impact cell efficiency, yield, and throughput. If you've spent your career developing and optimizing PECVD, LPCVD, and thermal processes in a semiconductor or photovoltaic environment and you're ready to do it at scale, this is the role for you.

What You'll Do

• Develop, optimize, and own thermal and vapor deposition processes for solar cell fabrication, including PECVD and LPCVD toolsets.

• Support process integration across the G2 solar cell fab, working closely with equipment, integration, and yield engineering teams.

• Drive process characterization, DOE execution, and data analysis to improve film quality, uniformity, and throughput.

• Troubleshoot process excursions and equipment issues on CVD and thermal tools, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.

• Collaborate with equipment engineers and tool vendors to qualify new tools, execute preventive maintenance reviews, and maintain process baselines.

• Develop and maintain detailed process documentation, including recipes, SOPs, and control plans.

• Monitor process performance through statistical process control (SPC) and respond to out-of-control conditions with urgency.

• Support technology transfer from development to high-volume manufacturing, ensuring processes are robust, repeatable, and scalable.

• Partner with cross-functional teams including device engineering, materials, and operations to meet cell efficiency and production targets.

Who You Are

• Deeply knowledgeable in CVD processes — PECVD and LPCVD are your home turf.

• Hands-on and comfortable getting into the details of both process and equipment to solve problems quickly.

• Data-driven in your approach to process development and troubleshooting — you let the numbers lead.

• Able to work effectively in a fast-moving fab environment where priorities shift and deadlines are real.

• A strong collaborator who can work across engineering disciplines and communicate technical findings clearly to varied audiences.

• Energized by the challenge of building something new and scaling it to high-volume production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.

• 5+ years of process engineering experience in semiconductor, photovoltaic, or advanced manufacturing environments.

• Hands-on experience with PECVD and LPCVD toolsets is required.

• Strong working knowledge of vapor deposition processes and thermal tools and processes.

• Experience with process characterization, DOE methodology, and statistical process control (SPC).

• Familiarity with solar cell fabrication processes and device physics is a strong plus.

• Proficiency with data analysis tools (e.g., Python, JMP, Excel) for process monitoring and optimization.

• Strong documentation skills and experience writing SOPs, process specs, and engineering reports.

• Ability to support a fab environment, including occasional travel to the G2 facility as needed.

The T1 Way

We move fast, expect accountability, and treat people with respect. We also have a no-jerks policy: we don't tolerate big egos, bad behavior or "that's not my job attitude". Be sharp, be honest, be human.