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Equipment Engineering Manager - Solar Cell Factory (Starlink)

SpaceX· AI Satellite Solar Engineering
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Full-timePosted 2mo ago

About the role

Equipment Engineering Manager to lead development, installation, qualification, and sustainment of manufacturing equipment for next-generation solar cell production lines; drive strategy, reliability, and performance for high-volume, high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing.

Responsibilities

  • Grow, lead, and mentor a team of equipment engineers responsible for solar cell manufacturing tools including wet chemical benches, PECVD deposition systems, PVD/sputtering tools, metrology/inspection systems, and beyond
  • Own equipment lifecycle management from installation and process qualification through high-volume production, including preventive maintenance strategies, spare parts optimization, and continuous improvement of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
  • Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment downtime, yield excursions, and process drift using structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., 8D, FMEA, DOE)
  • Collaborate with process engineering, manufacturing, and facilities teams to define equipment specifications, acceptance criteria, and capacity expansion roadmaps for solar cell technologies
  • Develop and execute equipment roadmaps that improve throughput, reduce cost per watt, and increase cell efficiency while maintaining world-class uptime
  • Establish and enforce equipment safety, cleanroom protocols, and change control processes in a high-volume semiconductor-style manufacturing environment
  • Partner with vendors and internal SpaceX designers to evaluate, qualify, and integrate new equipment platforms and drive performance improvements on existing tools
  • Track and report key performance metrics (MTBF, MTTR, yield impact, cost of ownership) to senior leadership and drive data-driven decisions
  • Support new product introduction (NPI) activities by ensuring equipment is ready for pilot and ramp phases of next-generation cell architectures

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, or materials science
  • 5+ years of experience in equipment engineering or maintenance in a high-volume manufacturing environment (semiconductor, solar, or related industry)
  • 5+ years of experience managing or leading a team of engineers
  • Experience with thin-film deposition, vacuum systems, or wet processing equipment
Last updated Jul 29, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

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