Process Engineer (Starshield)

United States Digital Space LLC; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Employee stock purchase plan

Health, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan with company匹配

Paid vacation and holidays

Paid parental leave

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC is seeking a Process Engineer for Starshield to ensure reliability and performance of satellites. You will analyze failures, implement process improvements, and collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, and supply chain teams to enhance overall hardware reliability.

The role emphasizes root-cause investigations, data-driven decisions, and continuous improvement within a highly secure government-focused program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or related engineering.
• 1+ years in process/manufacturing/reliability engineering (internships OK).

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions for non-conforming Starshield hardware.
• Contain suspect non-conforming product and drive root cause investigation progress with updates to technicians, production leadership, and engineering.
• Drive corrective actions to products not meeting design specs using data on yield and defects.
• Collaborate with Integration & Test engineers to improve manufacturing processes and test coverage.
• Maximize ROI for test and inspection processes and apply lean checks for reliability.
• Identify design/manufacturing improvements through new product development to improve final yield.
• Maintain documentation of failure analysis, test results, and corrective actions.
• Drive actions to prevent factory escapes of defective hardware.
• Support shop floor in continuous improvement and autonomous production via PFMEA reviews and process optimization.

Skills

Python

C

SQL

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

PFMEA

Control plans

MSA

DOE

SPC

Root cause analysis

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.

PROCESS ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages the company’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.

As a Process Engineer for Starshield, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and performance of our satellites. You will work on identifying, analyzing, and resolving hardware failures along with implementing process improvements across the factory to improve the robustness and longevity of our hardware. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, including mechanical, electrical, software, and supply chain, to enhance the overall reliability of the Starshield hardware.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for troubleshooting, root cause, failure investigations, and corrective actions for Starshield production non-conforming hardware
• Extreme owner for containing suspect or known non-conforming product, driving root cause investigation progress and providing regular updates to technicians, production leadership, and engineering to assist in quarantine and rework activities
• Drive corrective action to products not meeting design specifications through data driven decisions using yield and defect monitoring to identify common failure modes
• Work closely with the respective Integration & Test engineers for your products to keep a close feedback loop improving manufacturing processes and test coverage
• Maximize return on investment for test and inspection processes, determining where to apply lean process checks which ensure that criteria are objective and that reliability goals are consistently met
• Identify areas for design and manufacturing improvements through new product development cycles, improving final yield by applying best practices to designs and establishing repeatable process control
• Maintain thorough documentation of failure analysis findings, test results, and corrective actions
• Drive corrective actions to prevent factory escapes of defective hardware
• Support the shop floor in continuous improvement and the advancing of an autonomous production system through PFMEA reviews, improved control and optimization of critical processes, and removal of redundant or unnecessary inspections

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other engineering discipline
• 1+ years of experience in process engineering, manufacturing, or reliability engineering (internships and co-ops acceptable)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent engineering discipline
• 3+ Years of industry experience working with electro-mechanical hardware
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, enthusiasm for the team’s spirit of innovation and mission of improving reliability in cutting-edge technology
• Proven success with instituting statistical process control and conducting design of experiments (DOE) to understand process dependencies in high volume production environments
• Programming experience in Python, C or SQL with an emphasis on data analysis and automation
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, measurement systems analysis, design of experiments, statistical process control, root cause analysis and corrective action, process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem solving approaches
• Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance, or the ability and willingness to obtain one

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Able to work extended hours, weekends, and offsite as needed.
• An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive the company missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol test.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:

• Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
• Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

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 the company. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock 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 accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

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 Affymative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].