Manager, Production (Solar Cells)

United States Digital Space LLC; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC in Bastrop, Texas is seeking a Manager, Chemical Process Production (Starlink) to lead a multi-shift team, ensure safety, and build a scalable manufacturing operation for advanced aerospace components.

You will partner with engineering to start up and optimize chemical processes, drive continuous improvement, and develop training programs while delivering reliable production ramp.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or STEM discipline or 4+ years of leadership in manufacturing.
• 3+ years in production operations or process development.
• 2+ years in a leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Manage a large team of supervisors, technicians, and associates on a multi-shift schedule.
• Maintain a strong safety focus and an excellent safety record.
• Build talent pipeline: recruit, onboard, and develop leaders and ICs.
• Create training/onboarding programs and career development paths to boost quality and reduce lead time/cost.
• Define and enforce operational standards with strict accountability.
• Collaborate with engineering to startup and optimize chemical manufacturing equipment and processes.
• Drive continuous improvement via metrics (yield, OEE, throughput).
• Identify root causes for quality issues and implement preventive actions.
• Report area status/risks to leadership and foster cross-department collaboration.

Skills

Leadership

Safety management

Process development

Lean manufacturing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or STEM

Job description

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 of enabling human life on Mars.

MANAGER, CHEMICAL PROCESS PRODUCTION (STARLINK)

the company is scaling advanced manufacturing to power revolutionary products like Starlink satellites, solar cells, and next-gen semiconductors. Our chemical-intensive production facilities—from wafer/ingot processing to high-volume deposition and etching—enable rapid innovation and global connectivity at the scales required for growing Starlink and other critical the company missions.

We are looking for a well-rounded leader who is passionate about disciplined operations and capable of taking charge of a broad array of responsibilities required to build a world-class operations team. You will be responsible for growing the production team that will operate and maintain this equipment, establishing the standards by which this team operates, and shepherding the program from equipment setup thru full production ramp. This individual must have the capability to rapidly become a subject matter expert on multiple complex production operations, and capable of operating successfully within a dynamic startup environment while identifying and executing actions needed to ensure mission success.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage a large team of supervisors, technicians, and associates on a multi-shift schedule
• Ensure a strong focus is placed on safety and maintain an excellent safety record
• Build talent pipeline: Recruit, onboard, and develop leaders and ICs
• Create training/onboarding programs and career development paths to boost quality, reduce lead time/cost
• Define and enforce operational standards with strict accountability
• Collaborate with engineering to startup & optimize chemical manufacturing equipment & processes
• Drive continuous improvement via metrics (yield, OEE, throughput)
• Ensure root causes for quality issues are identified and appropriate improvement actions are put in place to prevent recurrence
• Report area status/risks to leadership and foster cross-department collaboration

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or STEM discipline; OR 4+ years of professional leadership experience in a manufacturing environment
• 3+ years of production operations or process development experience
• 2+ years of experience in a leadership position

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering or technical discipline
• Experience building out a multidisciplinary production organization
• Experience leading multi-level production operations teams with 50+ members
• Experience standing up a new production line and bringing it to rate
• Experience with chemical manufacturing processes including electroplating, chemical etching/deposition, coating application, layup/lamination, laser/mechanical processing, and/or electrical/quality testing in a production setting
• Experience in related fields such as wafer fabrication, silicon packaging/ingot production, SMT, battery, solar cell, or chemical manufacturing
• Experience with applying lean manufacturing principles
• Ability to adapt to constantly changing work environment

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel on an ongoing basis, including internationally (up to 20%)
• Ability to stand up to 6 hours, lift 25 pounds unassisted, and maneuver around equipment in a factory setting
• Ability to work in cleanroom and industrial environments with fumes/odors, noise, hazardous chemicals, and confined spaces
• Must be willing to work all shifts, extended hours and weekends as needed

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.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of the company’s Affi­mative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out [e-mail]*.*