Senior Thin Film Deposition Engineer

Airbus Ventures; Tempe, Northern (AZ, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401K with employer match

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

Solestial is seeking a Senior Thin Film Deposition Engineer to lead PVD/PECVD processes, including hands-on troubleshooting and optimization to scale manufacturing for space-grade applications.

The ideal candidate has deep experience with sputter deposition, process- equipment interaction, and a proven ability to translate development into production in a fast-paced setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field (Materials Science, Chemical/Mechanical Eng, Physics).
• Hands-on experience with PVD and PECVD processes and equipment.

Responsibilities

• Own and optimize PVD/PECVD processes.
• Develop and modify deposition processes to improve film performance, repeatability, yield, and throughput
• Monitor process performance and troubleshoot deposition issues, excursions, and variability
• Maintain deposition equipment from a process and engineering perspective, including hands-on troubleshooting and preventative maintenance
• Diagnose equipment-related issues involving vacuum systems, gas delivery, power supplies, targets, chambers, and other deposition system components
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing teams to keep deposition tools running reliably and minimize downtime
• Develop process recipes, operating parameters, and process controls
• Plan and execute experiments and DOEs to understand process windows and optimize performance
• Support modifications and upgrades to existing deposition equipment as manufacturing needs evolve
• Analyze process and equipment data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for improvement
• Develop and maintain process documentation, specifications, work instructions, and equipment maintenance procedures
• Support the transition of new or modified deposition processes from development into production

Skills

PVD deposition

PECVD deposition

DOE experiments

Data analysis

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's in Materials Science/Engineering/Physics

Tools

PVD equipment maintenance

Vacuum systems

Job description

The Company

Solestial is pioneering the future of space-based solar power by developing advancedsolar technologies optimized for the harsh conditions of space. Our innovative, low-cost,and scalable solar arrays are engineered for next-generation satellites, spacecraft, andorbital infrastructure. We are driven by a mission to power the space economy andunlock limitless opportunities in orbit and beyond.

The Role

As a Senior Thin Film Deposition Engineer, you willown and advance our thin film deposition processes, with a strong focus on PVD and PECVD. This role will be responsible for maintaining stable, repeatable deposition processes while also driving process development, optimization, and equipment modifications as we scale manufacturing.

This is a hands-on engineering role. The ideal candidate has deep experience with sputter deposition and understands the relationship between the process, equipment, materials, and resulting film properties. They should be comfortable troubleshooting from both a process and equipment perspective and working directly on deposition tools to keep them operating reliably.

Your Mission

• Own and optimize PVD/PECVD processes.

• Develop and modify deposition processes to improve film performance, repeatability, yield, and throughput

• Monitor process performance and troubleshoot deposition issues, excursions, and variability

• Maintain deposition equipment from a process and engineering perspective, including hands-on troubleshooting and preventative maintenance

• Diagnose equipment-related issues involving vacuum systems, gas delivery, power supplies, targets, chambers, and other deposition system components

• Partner with engineering and manufacturing teams to keep deposition tools running reliably and minimize downtime

• Develop process recipes, operating parameters, and process controls

• Plan and execute experiments and DOEs to understand process windows and optimize performance

• Support modifications and upgrades to existing deposition equipment as manufacturing needs evolve

• Analyze process and equipment data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for improvement

• Develop and maintain process documentation, specifications, work instructions, and equipment maintenance procedures

• Support the transition of new or modified deposition processes from development into production

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field; advanced degree a plus

• Significant hands-on experience with physical vapor deposition (PVD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes and equipment

• Deep technical knowledge of thin film deposition, including process parameters, plasma behavior, vacuum systems, target/material interactions, and thin film properties

• Experience developing, optimizing, and troubleshooting thin film deposition processes in a manufacturing or production environment

• Hands-on experience maintaining, troubleshooting, and modifying PVD/sputtering equipment

• Strong understanding of vacuum equipment and components, including pumps, valves, pressure measurement, gas delivery, and related systems

• Experience using structured problem-solving, DOE, and data analysis to improve process performance

• Ability to independently troubleshoot complex issues that cross the boundary between process and equipment

• Comfortable working directly with production equipment in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

What Gives You an Edge

• Experience with thin film deposition for semiconductor, photovoltaic, aerospace, or other high-reliability applications

• Experience scaling deposition processes from R&D or development into manufacturing

• Experience with equipment upgrades, retrofits, or custom modifications

• Familiarity with SPC and manufacturing process controls

• Experience with additional vacuum deposition or thin film characterization techniques

Our Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Generous, high-qualitymedical, dental, and vision coverage on day one of employment
• 15 vacation days, 5 sick days, and 10 paid holidays annually - with an extended holiday break at year’s end
• 401K with employer match up to 4% of salary
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability and employer-sponsored life insurance
• Your work will literally go to space!