Lead Electrical Engineer, Hardware Reliability (Starshield)

SpaceX
Hawthorne, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for experienced electrical engineers with leadership potential who can troubleshoot complex hardware failures and collaborate across disciplines.

Best fit for

  • Experienced electrical engineers with leadership potential and a track record in failure analysis
    — “3+ years of experience in hardware development, failure analysis, or reliability engineering”
  • Candidates with expertise in environmental testing and a background in manufacturing environments
    — “Experience with environmental testing such as HALT/HASS, thermal, vibration, and TVAC”
  • Individuals who can align with cross-functional teams and advocate for robust, long-term solutions
    — “Demonstrated ability to advocate for and implement robust solutions that stand the test of time”

Things to consider

  • This role requires a U.S. citizen or eligible individual due to security and export regulations
    — “applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident”
  • Candidates must be prepared for extended work hours and possible random drug tests
    — “Able to work extended hours and weekends as needed”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your experience in root cause investigations and corrective actions for electrical hardware failures
    — “Demonstrated experience troubleshooting and root causing electrical hardware failures”
  • Emphasize your ability to work in cross-functional teams and drive alignment across disciplines
    — “Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including electrical, mechanical, software, and supply chain”
  • Showcase your hands-on experience with RF test equipment and related concepts
    — “Experience with RF test equipment (e.g. vector network analyzer, spectrum analyzer)”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

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

What success looks like

  • reliable hardware
  • improved product longevity
Typical background
electrical engineeringreliability engineering

Skills & requirements

Required

Electrical Hardware ReliabilityRoot Cause AnalysisPCBA FabricationEnvironmental Testing

Preferred

RF ElectronicsDigital And Mixed-signal Designs

Stack & domain

Electrical Hardware ReliabilityRoot Cause InvestigationsCorrective ActionData-driven DecisionsYield And Defect MonitoringFailure ModesPCBA FabricationEnvironmental TestingDigital And Mixed-signal DesignsPower ElectronicsRF ElectronicsOscilloscopesSignal GeneratorsDigital MultimetersPower SuppliesSoldering EquipmentHalt/hassThermalVibrationTVACTechnical MentorshipCollaborationGoal AlignmentCareer Growth PlansAdvocacyImplementationRobust SolutionsTimely ResolutionTeam AlignmentDocumentationOn-orbit InvestigationNullHardware ReliabilityElectrical EngineeringMechanical EngineeringSoftware EngineeringSupply ChainR&D TechnologyElectrical Engineering Applications

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.

LEAD ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, HARDWARE RELIABILITY (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX’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.   

This is an opportunity to build and lead an electrical hardware reliability team for Starshield. In addition to hiring top-notch electrical engineers you will work on identifying, analyzing, and resolving hardware failures to improve the robustness and longevity of our PCBAs. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, including electrical, mechanical, software, and supply chain, to enhance the overall reliability of Starshield hardware. This is an opportunity to work on cutting-edge R&D technology and some of the most complex applications of electrical engineering in the industry

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead and hire a team of electrical hardware reliability engineers supporting Starshield production

Provide technical mentorship and guidance to team members leading root cause investigations of electrical hardware

Align goals and priorities with production and partner engineering teams to achieve program reliability and rate objectives

Collaborate with team members to create personalized career growth plans that build their technical capabilities and accelerate progress toward their professional goals

Drive corrective action to products not meeting design specifications through data driven decisions using yield and defect monitoring to identify common failure modes

Proactively escalate major hardware concerns, secure appropriate resources, and maintain clear communication to drive timely resolution and team alignment

Maintain thorough documentation of failure analysis findings, test results, and corrective actions

Collaborate with on-orbit reliability team, driving timely improvements to production through on-orbit investigation findings

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, or other engineering discipline

3+ years of experience in hardware development, failure analysis, or reliability engineering (internships and co-ops acceptable)

1+ years of experience leading a project, team, or people

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Strong analytical skills with an excellent ability to communicate and collaborate with partners in all disciplines at multiple levels in the organization

Demonstrated ability to advocate for and implement robust solutions that stand the test of time

Experience deploying large-scale and/or high impact solutions in a manufacturing environment

Experience with digital and mixed-signal designs, power electronics, or RF electronics using oscilloscopes, signal generators, digital multimeters, power supplies, and soldering equipment

Demonstrated experience troubleshooting and root causing electrical hardware failures

PCBA Fabrication experience (familiar with solder, flux, underfill, staking, reflow, temperature control, etc.)

Experience with environmental testing such as HALT/HASS, thermal, vibration, and TVAC

Experience with RF test equipment (e.g. vector network analyzer, spectrum analyzer) and concepts such as S-parameters, impedance matching, and antenna designs

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 and weekends as needed

An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol tests

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:

$165,000.00 - $230,000.00

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 SpaceX. 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.

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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