Solar Cell Manufacturing Equipment Lead

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Bastrop, TX seeks an Equipment Engineering Manager to lead solar cell tooling development, installation, qualification, and sustainment for high‑volume production. You will drive reliability, MTBF/MTTR improvements, and equipment strategy across wet benches, PECVD, PVD, and metrology systems.

You will mentor engineers, define specifications, manage safety and change controls, and partner with vendors to push performance and cost efficiency while meeting ambitious factory ramps.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, chemical engineering, or materials science
• 5+ years in equipment engineering or maintenance in a high-volume manufacturing environment
• 5+ years of experience managing or leading a team of engineers
• Experience with thin‑film deposition, vacuum systems, or wet processing equipment

Responsibilities

• Grow, lead, and mentor a team of equipment engineers for solar cell manufacturing tools
• Own equipment lifecycle management from installation through high-volume production
• Drive root‑cause analysis for downtime, yield excursions, and process drift
• Collaborate to define equipment specifications, acceptance criteria, and capacity roadmaps
• Develop roadmaps to improve throughput, reduce cost per watt, and increase cell efficiency
• Establish equipment safety and cleanroom processes in a high-volume environment
• Partner with vendors and SpaceX designers to evaluate and integrate new platforms
• Track metrics (MTBF, MTTR, yield, cost of ownership) for data-driven decisions
• Support NPI by ensuring equipment readiness for pilot and ramp phases

Skills

Team leadership

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

PECVD deposition systems

PVD/sputtering tools

Metrology/inspection systems

Vacuum systems

Wet processing equipment

SECS/GEM, PLCs, SCADA

Job description

SpaceX in Bastrop, TX seeks an Equipment Engineering Manager to lead solar cell tooling development, installation, qualification, and sustainment for high‑volume production. You will drive reliability, MTBF/MTTR improvements, and equipment strategy across wet benches, PECVD, PVD, and metrology systems.

You will mentor engineers, define specifications, manage safety and change controls, and partner with vendors to push performance and cost efficiency while meeting ambitious factory ramps.