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Supplier Development Engineer, PCB (Starlink)

SpaceX· Starlink - Supply Chain Engineering
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Bastrop, TXFull-timePosted 2mo ago

About the role

Engineer responsible for supplier selection, development, qualification, and scaling of PCB suppliers for Starlink User Terminals, focusing on bare PCBs, multilayer boards, and high-frequency/RF PCBs in high-volume production.

Responsibilities

  • Own supplier development activities for the PCB portfolio within the Starlink User Terminal Bill of Materials, with primary focus on managing incoming PCB supply chain quality and reliability.
  • Build and maintain a resilient, high-quality, and scalable supply base capable of supporting high-volume production ramp and sustained growth of the Starlink User Terminal business.
  • Assess supplier manufacturing capabilities, including production capacity, process stability, equipment suitability, process windows, material control, and overall technical readiness for high-volume PCB fabrication (lamination, drilling, plating, etching, solder mask, surface finishes, impedance control, and automated optical/electrical testing).
  • Lead Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), First Article Inspections (FAI), production rate ramps, and reliability campaigns to enable high-volume manufacturing.
  • Develop and execute robust qualification plans tailored to PCBs, including dimensional and electrical verification, RF performance testing, thermal/mechanical reliability demonstration, and compliance to applicable standards.
  • Create and standardize qualification protocols across the PCB supply base, including equipment buy-off checklists, Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), and consistent reliability demonstration methods.
  • Drive supplier performance improvement through Lean methodologies, supplier scorecards, process audits, and systematic problem solving to deliver measurable gains in quality, cost, and on-time delivery.
  • Perform root cause analysis and lead corrective actions for quality issues, with focus on common PCB defect modes and failure mechanisms such as delamination, plating voids or thin plating, open/short circuits, warpage, copper thickness variation, solder mask defects, impedance drift, CAF (conductive anodic filament), pad cratering, and material-related reliability issues.
  • Partner closely with Design Engineering, Reliability Engineering, RF/Electrical teams, and Production to ensure supplier processes and manufacturing capability align with Starlink’s high-volume product requirements and performance goals.
  • Support continuous improvement of supplier quality systems and manufacturing processes to meet escalating volume, cost, and reliability targets for both standard and high-frequency/RF PCBs used in indoor and outdoor-rated products.
  • Qualify new suppliers and manage ongoing performance of the incoming PCB supply base.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Material Science, RF Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
  • 3+ years of experience in PCB engineering, quality engineering, reliability engineering, or supplier development.

Skills

Required:PCB manufacturing processes
Nice to have:PPAP/FAIIPC standardsReliability testingLean / Six Sigma
Last updated Aug 26, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

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