Lead Manufacturing Engineer (Starlink PCBA)

United States Digital Space LLC; Lockhart (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX’s Starlink PCBA team in Bastrop, Texas is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to own the manufacturing process for high-volume PCB assemblies. You will lead a team of engineers and work cross-functionally with design and production to drive manufacturability and throughput.

The role requires hands-on experience in SMT, testing, DFT/DFM, and experience scaling to large volumes, with a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and cost optimization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; 3+ years hands-on manufacturing experience preferred.
• Master’s degree is a plus for seniority and leadership responsibilities.
• Experience designing for test (DFT) and for manufacturing (DFM) in electronics.
• Experience with high-reliability electronics assemblies and supplier management.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers and specialists for Starlink PCBA manufacturing.
• Drive manufacturability, quality, delivery, and cost through metrics and leadership.
• Oversee production layout, tooling, inventory, and build processes for high-volume throughput.
• Mentor engineers and interns, plan staffing and resourcing, and recruit as needed.
• Coordinate with design and test teams to implement automation and ROI-driven improvements.
• Drive design for test and manufacturability improvements with cross-functional partners.

Skills

Team leadership

DFT/DFM experience

SMT manufacturing

Automation experience

Education

Bachelor of science in aerospace, mechanical, systems, electrical, or manufacturing engineering

Master's degree in an engineering discipline

Tools

ERP

MRP

MES systems

PCB/PCBA

Job description

LEAD MANUFACTURING ENGINEER (STARLINK PCBA)

the company was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today the company is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal ofenabling human life on Mars.

the company is developing a low-latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of people around the world. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable. To enable our goal of “Connecting the Unconnected,” the company is ramping up production of our User Terminal Kit manufacturing facility in Bastrop, Texas (Greater Austin), which will bring hundreds of high-skill manufacturing jobs to the area.

the company is also leveraging its experience deploying and operating the world’s largest satellite constellation to develop Starmind, a new constellation of satellites capturing solar energy in space to power low-cost, high-performance AI compute for Earth.

As the Lead Manufacturing Engineer of Starlink PCBA production at the company, you will have the opportunity to utilize your knowledge, experience, and creativity to develop novel solutions at the cutting edge of technology. You will own the relationship between our development and production teams. You will provide input into the design and development of new and existing hardware and take a lead role in manufacturing on our current and next generation Starlink products and AI compute.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead a team of engineers and specialists for the Starlink PCBA manufacturing team
• Responsible products and processes will include SMT, post-processing manufacturing processes, and testing
• Responsible for implementing plug-and-play processes to production that are capable of high volume throughput (3M+ per year)
• Align department initiatives with the goals and responsibilities of the manufacturing engineering team
• Lead the overall manufacturing development strategy for the areas under ownership for key metrics: quality, delivery, and cost. Actively measure team’s performance against these metrics
• Manage team’s technical documentation strategy and ensure records are up-to-date
• Manage and mentor other manufacturing engineers and interns on the team. Evaluate project scope according to team’s skillset including labor and resourcing estimation
• Responsible for team’s recruiting activities
• Take direct ownership of the physical production layout, optimizing for material flow from material receiving through processes on the line
• Manage strategy for production line tooling, inventory, training and build process and ensure all are updated according to the latest design configuration
• Responsible for influencing design to increase product manufacturability
• Drive design for test (DFT) best practices and design for manufacturing (DFM) with design engineers and test engineers
• Identify automation opportunities and establish requirements as well as evaluating return on investment for each. Work with in-house resources or vendors as necessary to develop these solutions and implement on production line
• Support production line with technical issues that cannot be addressed immediately on the line
• Positively impact and improve every aspect of life at the company through motivational leadership to drive the business forward

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor of science in aerospace, mechanical, systems, electrical, or manufacturing engineering
• 3+ years of hands-on manufacturing experience

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree in an engineering discipline
• Previous experience leading team of high performing engineers and/or specialists
• Experience with the design and manufacturing of high reliability electronics assemblies
• Technically well-rounded and displays a proficiency in electronics manufacturing techniques, processes and equipment including a strong working knowledge of EEE piece parts, PCB, PCBA, lamination, electromechanical, test
• Ability to develop and maintain high performing suppliers and contract manufacturers
• Experience working in a highly adaptive and iterative environment
• Experience implementing automation into production processes
• Experience transitioning products from design to manufacturing and scaling to high volume as part of a cross-functional team
• Experience with design of experiments, gauge repeatability and reproducibility, and process qualifications
• Experience defining production data requirements and statistical process control
• Experience working with and defining requirements for ERP, MRP and MES systems
• Ability to work well in an integrated team including daily interactions with technicians, engineers and managers

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willing and able to work extended hours and/or weekends with minimal notification to meet critical deadlines
• Able to travel up to 10% on an ongoing basis

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

the company is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with the company is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.