Hardware Development Engineer, PCBA Manufacturing (Starlink)

SpaceX
Bastrop, US
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to manufacturing engineers with hands-on SMT experience working in high-volume production environments like automotive or consumer electronics.

Best fit for

  • Manufacturing engineers who bridge design and production with process improvement skills
    — “Manage new product introduction of PCBA assemblies, working closely with design engineers
  • Candidates comfortable with statistical process control and equipment validation
    — “Use process capability analysis, gauge R&R, and other tools to lead new equipment selection
  • Those who thrive in fast-paced hardware production with tight feedback loops
    — “Track schedule, work-in-progress levels, and defect rates of owned products

Things to consider

  • Physical demands include lifting 25 lbs and potential weekend work
    — “Ability to life heavy objects, up to 25 lbs. unassisted
  • Requires ongoing business travel up to 10% of time
    — “Able to travel for business trips up to 10% on an ongoing basis
  • Limited to US persons due to ITAR export controls
    — “To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen

How to stand out

  • Showcase specific SMT process improvements with quantifiable impact metrics
    — “Identify, root-cause, and correct SMT production and testing issues
  • Demonstrate experience implementing statistical quality control methods
    — “Knowledge of statistical techniques and methods such as experiment design
  • Highlight cross-functional collaboration with design teams on manufacturability
    — “Provide feedback to the engineering design team to improve design for manufacturability
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Mid

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Managed PCBA manufacturing processes
  • Improved product output and quality
  • Identified and corrected production issues
Typical background
1+ years of manufacturing engineering experience

Skills & requirements

Required

PCBA ManufacturingManufacturing EngineeringSMTAccelerated TestingHardware DebugDesign For Reliability

Preferred

PythonSQLSix SigmaFailure Analysis

Stack & domain

Pcba ManufacturingSmtIpc Manufacturing StandardsSQLPythonSix SigmaFailure Analysis ToolsStarlinkPcba

About the role

Original posting from SpaceX via Greenhouse

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.

HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER, PCBA MANUFACTURING (STARLINK)

The Starlink PCBA Engineer will work inside the production organization to develop, manage, and improve the PCBA manufacturing process. Starlink needs the ability to continuously improve the quality and reliability of its products and production lines. This role looks to design production lines suitable to meet necessary rate, work with equipment suppliers to install and validate new equipment, and continuously seeks to improve the production process. We are actively looking for candidates who possess comprehensive knowledge of manufacturing and quality tools and have the motivation to work with supply chain to build a premium product at commercial scale volume.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Own and manage PCBA manufacturing processes and PCBA products for in-house production

Drive processes for volume production of PCBA including manufacturing execution, nonconforming product management, configuration management, traceability tracking, and process control

Manage new product introduction of PCBA assemblies, working closely with design engineers and process specialists

Use process capability analysis, gauge R&R, and other tools to lead new equipment selection

Design and implement systems to improve the safety of the PCBA production line

Manage work instructions, process documentation, and training

Track schedule, work-in-progress levels, and defect rates of owned products

Identify trends and opportunities for optimizing product output, quality enhancements, and cost of manufacturability

Provide feedback to the engineering design team to improve design for manufacturability

Identify, root-cause, and correct SMT production and testing issues

Drive corrective actions and process improvements on owned processes and products

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline

1+ years of demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: manufacturing engineering, surface mount technology (SMT), accelerated testing, hardware debug/triage, design for reliability, or printed circuit board (PCB) design and layout (school and project experience will qualify)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

High volume production experience (consumer goods, automotive, etc.)

Hands-on experience working in SMT processing and/or related PCBA processes from industry, research, or academic projects

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Ability to work both autonomously and as a team in a highly demanding, fast-paced environment

Knowledge of IPC manufacturing standards

Experience with SQL and Python

Knowledge of statistical techniques and methods such as experiment design, process capability analysis, and Gauge R&R

Experience with Six Sigma

Experience with basic failure analysis tools and methods (X-ray, cross-section, polishing)

Demonstrated ability to gather, analyze, and use data to drive systemic improvements

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to life heavy objects, up to 25 lbs. unassisted

Willing to work weekend and extended hours as needed

Able to travel for business trips up to 10% on an ongoing basis

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 EEOCompliance@spacex.com. 

Source: SpaceX careers (Greenhouse)

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