Manufacturing Specialist, Solar (Starlink)

SpaceX; Union Hill-Novelty Hill (WA); On-site; USD 46,838 - 70,257; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation and holidays

Stock options and bonuses

Company shuttles for transport

Job summary

SpaceX is looking for a Manufacturing Specialist for its Solar team in Union Hill-Novelty Hill, Washington. The role involves leading production efforts and supporting troubleshooting efforts in the Solar Factory.

Qualified candidates will have hands-on experience or relevant engineering degrees. The job offers a pay range between $34 - $51 per hour based on experience level, along with comprehensive benefits including health coverage and paid vacation.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in a hands-on technical position.
• Experience with troubleshooting mechanical systems.
• Detail-oriented and organized.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate ownership of production outcome.
• Troubleshoot production systems.
• Design assembly fixtures and tooling.
• Support production tests and equipment configuration.
• Develop training plans and standard work instructions.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

High school diploma or equivalency certificate

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

PLC Programming

HMI Programming

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

SpaceX 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 SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

MANUFACTURING SPECIALIST, SOLAR (STARLINK)

SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. 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. We are looking for a talented manufacturing specialist to join our solar manufacturing team to lead continuous Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) improvement. The success of Starlink depends on the quality, reliability, cost, manufacturability, throughput, security, and user experience of the products that you deliver.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Demonstrate extreme ownership of the production outcome of the Starlink Solar Factory as measured by equipment OEE
• Front line troubleshooting of production systems (HMIs, VM's, Robots, PLCs, etc)
• Support production, engineering, and qualification tests including equipment bring up and configuration, dry runs, and in situ troubleshooting
• Aid in efforts to uncover root‑cause of equipment failures and develop permanent resolution on issues found during test operations (via software updates, hardware changes, etc.)
• Design and implement assembly fixtures, tooling, and shop aids to improve manufacturing processes
• Work with production team to develop training plans and standard work instructions for operations
• Develop and implement robust preventative maintenance schedule with focus on increasing long term machine reliability as measured by machine uptime
• Promote 5S principles of organizing and sustaining efficient and presentable team work spaces
• Read, understand and utilize system‑level schematics and drawings (mechanical/electrical/pneumatic)

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate
• 2+ years of experience working in a hands‑on technical position or a bachelor's degree in an engineering field

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or technical field
• Self‑motivated with strong problem solving and communication skills, both written and oral
• Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere
• Experience with design of experiments, statistical process control, and process qualification
• Strong team player attitude with the ability to collaborate with a cross functional team to include production, maintenance and engineering
• PLC & HMI programming experience or familiarization using Ladder Logic and Structured Text Language
• Experience working with OEM suppliers troubleshooting equipment failures
• Demonstrated hands‑on skill in fault finding, mechanical system troubleshooting, and solid problem resolution skills
• Excellent skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Detail oriented, organized, and able to demonstrate a high sense of urgency
• Skilled at gathering and analyzing information to understand complex situations and solve problems
• Ability to maintain a safe and clean working environment while adhering to company policies, quality policies, and industry standards
• Deep knowledge of solar stinger machine functionality, operations, and troubleshooting

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be available for the following shifts:
  • 1st Shift: Monday to Friday (6:00 AM - 4:30 PM)
  • 2nd Shift: Monday to Friday (3:00 PM - 1:30 AM)
• Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds
• Repetitive assembly operations, grasping, standing, lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this position

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:
Manufacturing Specialist/Level 1: $34.00 - $40.00/hour
Manufacturing Specialist/Level 2: $38.00 - $45.00/hour
Manufacturing Specialist/Level 3: $42.00 - $51.00/hour

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job‑related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long‑term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

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.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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 SpaceX's affirmative action plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].