---
title: 'CVD Equipment Engineer, Solar Cells (Starlink) at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/cvd-equipment-engineer-solar-cells-starlink-spacex-bastrop-r3sqxyvc0sc2'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-03'
---

# CVD Equipment Engineer, Solar Cells (Starlink) at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Bastrop, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-10-28
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-03
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8919767002?gh_jid=8919767002

## Job description

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.

## CVD EQUIPMENT ENGINEER, SOLAR CELLS (STARLINK)

Starlink believes in providing fast, reliable internet to those that need it most. We design, build, and launch the world's largest and most advanced satellite constellation that is capable of delivering high-speed internet to even the most remote locations.

As a CVD Equipment Engineer for our solar cell factory, you will own the PECVD equipment used to manufacture silicon heterojunction solar cells at massive scale. You will work closely with our existing CVD Process Engineering team to ensure world-class equipment performance, reliability, and uptime. While the process team focuses on film properties and cell efficiency, you will be the hardware owner responsible for tool availability, stability, and scaling to support our ambitious goals.

Your work will form the backbone of the Starlink network (photons of sunlight in is directly proportional to photons of data out to customers!) and help provide internet to tens of millions of customers all around the world. You will spearhead state of the art production equipment for an internal solar cell production line, providing high efficiency and high-quality solar cells for both our latest generation Starlink satellites and for Starship missions to the Moon and Mars.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Work with facilities and process engineering teams to install, qualify, maintain, and continuously improve high-throughput PECVD equipment for heterojunction silicon solar cell manufacturing
- Drive equipment reliability and uptime to support very large volume production with minimal downtime
- Run experiments and analyze data to improve capacity (UPH), reduce tool to tool variation, and improve defect performance
- Develop and execute robust preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, spare parts programs, and tool matching protocols for high-volume manufacturing
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions on all equipment-related issues, including vacuum systems, RF generators, gas delivery, temperature control, and automation
- Partner closely with Process Engineers to implement new process requirements on existing and future equipment platforms
- Evaluate and select next-generation high-throughput PECVD tools capable of supporting 1GW+ per tool scale production
- Work with vendors on equipment design improvements, upgrades, and custom solutions tailored to heterojunction solar cell requirements
- Establish equipment performance metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR) and implement statistical process control for hardware stability
- Ensure all equipment meets cleanroom, safety, and high-reliability manufacturing standards
- Analyze production processes and machinery from a first principles, physics-based approach
- Attend meetings to communicate factory state to leadership with respect to the team’s equipment

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, or other engineering discipline
- 2+ years of hands-on experience owning and maintaining CVD or PECVD equipment in a high-volume semiconductor, solar, or other manufacturing environment
- Experience handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, and/or hazardous chemicals and gases safely

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

- 5+ years of hands-on experience owning and maintaining CVD or PECVD equipment in a high-volume semiconductor, solar, or display manufacturing environment
- Strong technical expertise in vacuum systems, RF plasma systems, gas delivery, mass flow controllers, and temperature control hardware
- Demonstrated success improving equipment uptime and reliability in a 24/7 high-volume production setting
- Experience with heterojunction (HJT) silicon solar cell manufacturing equipment
- Previous work at high-volume solar, semiconductor, or display manufacturing facilities (multi-GW or 300mm fab experience is a plus)
- Deep knowledge of PECVD tool architecture and subsystems
- Experience with throttle valve PID tuning, leak rate measurements, helium leak checking, manometer adjustment, slit valve. and actuator troubleshooting, etc.
- Experience with CDA controlled valving and equipment
- Experience with electro-pneumatic robot and transfer module systems
- Experience with pyrophoric and toxic gas delivery and handling systems
- Experience with vacuum chamber clean optimization and RPS unit qualification
- Experience with RF generators and impedance matching systems
- Experience scaling equipment from pilot to very high volume production
- Proficiency with statistical tools (JMP, Minitab), failure analysis techniques, and reliability engineering principles
- Strong project management skills with the ability to drive complex equipment installations and qualifications
- Familiarity with high-reliability manufacturing standards for aerospace applications

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support production and urgent equipment downtime situations
- Ability to lift 25 lbs. unassisted, work in cleanroom environments, and move between multiple production areas
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to vendor sites (up to 20%)

## 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](https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987).

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.

## About SpaceX

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft while building a global satellite broadband network and AI infrastructure to enable interplanetary life.
- **Entity Type**: Public (Nasdaq: SPCX) – IPO priced at $135/share on June 12, 2026
- **Headquarters**: Starbase, Texas (primary); Hawthorne, California (historical headquarters)
- **Founded**: 2002
- **Founders**: Elon Musk

## Core Business
- **Industries**: Aerospace & Defense, Spaceflight, Satellite Telecommunications, Artificial Intelligence
- **Target Customers**: Government (NASA, U.S. Armed Forces, international agencies), Commercial satellite operators, Broadband consumers (Starlink), Defense/intelligence (Starshield)
- **Mission**: To make humanity multiplanetary by building the integrated hardware and software infrastructure of the future across space, connectivity, and AI.

## Products & Services
- **Falcon 9**: Reusable two-stage rocket – the world’s most launched orbital rocket, with over 630 successful first-stage reflights.
- **Falcon Heavy**: Heavy-lift launch vehicle composed of three Falcon 9 cores; capable of lifting nearly 64 metric tons to orbit.
- **Starship**: Fully reusable super-heavy launch vehicle and spacecraft (largest ever built) designed for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
- **Dragon 2**: Crew and cargo spacecraft used for NASA Commercial Crew and private missions to the ISS and beyond.
- **Starlink**: Low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation providing high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to over 10.3 million people globally.
- **Starshield**: Military-grade satellite services for national security and defense customers.
- **SpaceXAI**: Division focused on AI compute infrastructure, frontier models, and real-time data processing (including AI compute satellites).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Conflicting reports – Internal share offer in 2025 valued SpaceX at **$800 billion**; IPO pricing (June 2026) implied a market capitalization of approximately **$75 billion** for the shares offered.
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue of **$15.0 billion** (2025); total funding raised **$15.2 billion** across 56 rounds.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Google (led $1B Series G), Intesa Sanpaolo, NASA, U.S. Space Force, and numerous institutional investors.
- **Growth Signals**: Employee headcount of **11,387** (monthly growth +2.5%); **1,671 active job postings**; Falcon 9 launch cadence of 1–3 per week; Starlink subscriber base covering ~10.3 million people; recent acquisition of xAI (February 2026).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Full reusability**: Only company with a fleet of reusable orbital rockets (Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy), dramatically lowering per-launch cost.
- **Vertical integration**: Designs, manufactures, and operates its own rockets, spacecraft, satellite constellation, and AI platform – enabling rapid iteration and cost control.
- **Scale and reliability**: More orbital launches per year than any other provider (public or private); proven track record with NASA and DoD.
- **First-mover in commercial spaceflight**: Established crew transport, satellite internet, and now AI compute in orbit.

## Strategic Focus
- **Starship development**: Complete testing and operational deployment of the fully reusable Starship system for lunar (Artemis) and Mars missions.
- **Starlink expansion**: Grow subscriber base, launch V3 satellites, and extend mobile and direct-to-cell services.
- **AI integration**: Leverage SpaceXAI for on-orbit compute and real-time data analytics; build AI compute satellites.
- **Interplanetary infrastructure**: Develop technologies for sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: Employees directly contribute to making life multiplanetary – “hard work and innovative solutions result in big gains.”
- **Impactful projects**: Work on reusable rockets, crewed spacecraft, global broadband, and AI systems that are actively changing the space industry.
- **Compensation**: Competitive salaries, comprehensive health benefits, and equity packages.
- **Work locations**: Primary campuses in Hawthorne, CA and Starbase, TX (with additional sites in Cape Canaveral, FL and Vandenberg, CA). Roles span engineering, software, manufacturing, and support.
- **Engineering culture**: Merit-based, fast-paced, with high ownership; top talent sourced from Tesla, Boeing, NASA JPL, and other aerospace leaders.
- **Open roles**: Over 1,600 active positions across software, AI, avionics, propulsion, supply chain, and more – including internships.

## Sources
1. [SpaceX Careers Page](https://www.spacex.com/careers)
2. [LinkedIn – SpaceX Company Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/spacex)
3. [SpaceX IPO Factsheet (PDF)](https://content.spacex.com/cms-assets/FINAL_Documents%20and%20Updates/SpaceX%20IPO_Factsheet.pdf)
4. [SpaceX IPO Pricing Press Release](https://ir.spacex.com/updates/releases-details/2026/Space-Exploration-Technologies-Corp--Announces-Pricing-of-Initial-Public-Offering/default.aspx)
5. [SpaceX Jobs Board (Greenhouse)](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/spacex)

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