Process Technician (Thin-Film Deposition)

Process Technician (Thin-film deposition)

About the company

At Swift Solar, we’re building the future of solar. We believe that solar energy has vast untapped potential to reduce inequity and protect planetary health in the face of global climate change. We believe that today’s solar technology is good but not good enough. And we believe that what we build today should serve humanity forever.

Swift’s perovskite tandem technology breaks through the performance limits of existing solar technologies. By making solar better—more efficient, more affordable, and more widely accessible—we are helping to create a world where all energy is clean energy.

Swift Solar is a mission-focused startup funded by committed investors. We know it’s a long journey to take a new clean energy technology to market, and we’re in it for the long haul together. If you join us, you’ll play a meaningful role in taking Swift’s impact to the next level.

A day in the life

As a Process Technician focusing on Swift’s scale-up line, you will be a core member, ushering our company to the next stage of production by helping operate and optimize our new scale up line. You will specialize in running and helping maintain one major tool as your primary function in order to make sure the team maintains a high throughput and reliable process. Working at an early-stage startup, you will have the opportunity to get involved in many aspects of the company’s technical development and internal operations.

On a typical day, you will review experimental plans with Swift’s process engineers and scientists, execute these plans, document the experiments in detail, and report your results to other team members involved in the process. As an evening shift technician, you will cover the late shift on the thin film deposition equipment. You will be responsible for helping evaluate data, documenting and reporting any observations made during operation, and giving input on followup experiments. You will help keep the lab running smoothly and efficiently; for example, you may perform some tool-related maintenance tasks, troubleshoot equipment breakdowns and work closely with the equipment team. As primary operator, you will manage and communicate supply needs, workflows, results, and tool output to support other work at Swift. Taking organized notes, documenting procedures, communicating your work, and managing your time effectively are key parts of the job.

As an early hire, you will help craft Swift’s culture and technical direction. As our team grows, we’ll expect you to help mentor and set an example for new team members. You will find many opportunities to grow your own skills and capabilities, and we encourage you to take full advantage of them.

You might be a good fit if you…

• Are able and willing to work a 1:30pm-10pm shift
• Have exceptional time management skills
• Take initiative without prompt, work independently and are self-reliant
• Love to learn and welcome constructive feedback
• Are kind, empathetic, conscientious, and motivated to make an impact on climate change
• Are able to stand for extended periods of time
• Are familiar with safety practices typical in a laboratory environment containing various chemicals
• Can follow complex and varying instructions and pay careful attention to details.
• Communicate effectively and timely both in-person and online
• Have 2+ years of hands on experience working as a technician in a technical field

A strong candidate might bring one or more of the following…

• Chemical handling experience
• Operating experience in a startup setting
• Glovebox maintenance experience
• Readiness to give feedback and have difficult conversations
• Experience with thin film deposition equipment operation and troubleshooting

The logistics

• Compensation: Competitive package including pay, equity, and benefits
• Location: San Carlos, CA (Swift Solar HQ)
• Ideal start date: July – September 2023
• Job type: Full-time, Non-exempt, On-Site
• Expected Pay Range: $28.85 – $38.46 per hour

What you’ll love about Swift

• Culture: We live by our values. You’ll feel right at home if you want to serve the future, get better every day, respect your colleagues, and have fun.
• Growth mindset: You’ll grow your skills, your network, and your perspective at Swift. We’ll support you in attending conferences and taking online courses, as long as you share your new insights with the team.
• Your future, supported: We match your 401(k) retirement contributions.
• Clean commuter benefits: We’re all about clean energy. We make it easy and cheap to ride your bike or take public transit to work.
• Health benefits: We cover 100% of monthly premiums for HMO and PPO group healthcare plan options and 75% of dental and vision insurance costs for employees.

Berkner Group has been retained to execute this search. If you were contacted by Berkner Group, please reply to the person who contacted you. If you are applying to a job posting, please email your resume and a brief introduction to [email protected]. Please include your name and the title for this position (“[Your name] — Swift Solar - Process Technician (Thin-film deposition)”) in the subject line of your email.

We look forward to hearing from you!