Senior Solar Cell Reliability Engineer – Space Systems

United States Digital Space LLC; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Starlink is seeking a Sr. Solar Cell Reliability Engineer to own the solar cell reliability lab and manage the end-to-end reliability story for HJT cells in space, from wafer/process to module integration and on-orbit performance.

You will define test matrices, establish reliability gates, and collaborate with process and equipment teams to drive design-for-reliability improvements. You will lead root cause analyses and report KPIs to leadership.

Qualifications

• Own and operate the solar cell reliability lab: equipment strategy, capability roadmap, calibration, maintenance, safety, throughput, and data integrity for HJT cell and coupon reliability testing
• Define, execute, and continuously improve the space reliability test matrix for HJT solar cells (e.g., thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, humidity/damp heat as applicable, UV/photo-stability, reverse bias / hotspot, mechanical shock/vibration at cell/coupon level, radiation exposure coordination, and accelerated life tests)
• Build and own the reliability narrative for flight and program reviews: failure modes, physics of failure, acceleration models, life predictions, margins, and acceptance/qualification logic that ties lab data to on-orbit performance
• Partner with HJT process and equipment engineering (texturing, PECVD/a-Si stacks, TCO, metallization, module integration) to link process parameters, metrology, and in-line defects to reliability outcomes; drive corrective actions and design-for-reliability changes
• Establish reliability gates for process changes, tool qualifications, material substitutions, and supplier changes; own risk assessment (FMEA/PFMEA interfaces), sampling plans, and release criteria
• Develop and maintain test methods, SOPs, fixturing, and automation for high-throughput, statistically defensible reliability characterization; ensure methods are transferable and auditable
• Lead root cause analysis on reliability failures (electrical, optical, interfacial, mechanical, environmental) using SEM/FIB, EDS, FTIR, PL/EL, IV, quantum efficiency, adhesion, and other failure-analysis techniques; close the loop with manufacturing and design
• Define and track reliability KPIs (e.g., degradation rates, wear-out distributions, infant mortality, lot-to-lot variation, correlation of accelerated tests to flight-like stress) and report status to leadership with clear recommendations
• Interface with power systems, structures, thermal, radiation effects, quality, and flight reliability teams so cell-level reliability is coherent with array/module and spacecraft environments

Responsibilities

• Own and operate the solar cell reliability lab: equipment strategy, capability roadmap, calibration, maintenance, safety, throughput, and data integrity for HJT cell and coupon reliability testing
• Define, execute, and continuously improve the space reliability test matrix for HJT solar cells (e.g., thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, humidity/damp heat as applicable, UV/photo-stability, reverse bias / hotspot, mechanical shock/vibration at cell/coupon level, radiation exposure coordination, and accelerated life tests)
• Build and own the reliability narrative for flight and program reviews: failure modes, physics of failure, acceleration models, life predictions, margins, and acceptance/qualification logic that ties lab data to on-orbit performance
• Partner with HJT process and equipment engineering (texturing, PECVD/a-Si stacks, TCO, metallization, module integration) to link process parameters, metrology, and in-line defects to reliability outcomes; drive corrective actions and design-for-reliability changes
• Establish reliability gates for process changes, tool qualifications, material substitutions, and supplier changes; own risk assessment (FMEA/PFMEA interfaces), sampling plans, and release criteria
• Develop and maintain test methods, SOPs, fixturing, and automation for high-throughput, statistically defensible reliability characterization; ensure methods are transferable and auditable
• Lead root cause analysis on reliability failures (electrical, optical, interfacial, mechanical, environmental) using SEM/FIB, EDS, FTIR, PL/EL, IV, quantum efficiency, adhesion, and other failure-analysis techniques; close the loop with manufacturing and design
• Define and track reliability KPIs (e.g., degradation rates, wear-out distributions, infant mortality, lot-to-lot variation, correlation of accelerated tests to flight-like stress) and report status to leadership with clear recommendations
• Interface with power systems, structures, thermal, radiation effects, quality, and flight reliability teams so cell-level reliability is coherent with array/module and spacecraft environments

Job description

Starlink is seeking a Sr. Solar Cell Reliability Engineer to own the solar cell reliability lab and manage the end-to-end reliability story for HJT cells in space, from wafer/process to module integration and on-orbit performance.

You will define test matrices, establish reliability gates, and collaborate with process and equipment teams to drive design-for-reliability improvements. You will lead root cause analyses and report KPIs to leadership.