---
title: 'Sr. Materials Engineer (Starlink) at SpaceX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/sr-materials-engineer-starlink-spacex-bastrop-06dyqryhfjda'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Sr. Materials Engineer (Starlink) at SpaceX

- **Company:** SpaceX
- **Location:** Bastrop, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-08-05
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/8675270002?gh_jid=8675270002

## 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.

## SR. MATERIALS ENGINEER (STARLINK)

Starlink is building the world's largest satellite constellation to deliver fast, reliable internet to people who need it most—and powering that constellation starts on the factory floor. We are insourcing solar cell manufacturing end-to-end, from crystal growth and ingot production through wafering and cell fabrication to drive performance, cost, and scale at every step. High-efficiency, high-reliability cells made in-house are the backbone of the Starlink network: more photons in means more data out to customers around the world.

As a Sr. Materials Engineer, you will own critical consumables that enable our end-to-end solar cell manufacturing—from ingot growth through wafering and cell fabrication. You will set the technical bar for materials sourcing, qualification, and production hand-off, solving the hardest materials and supply-chain challenges that stand between us and reliable, high-volume cell production. We are looking for a general Materials Engineer who brings deep fundamentals across metals, polymers, crystals, and process consumables—solar experience is welcome but not required. If you are passionate about solving hard problems, anchor your engineering judgment with first principles thinking, and are relentless about acting with urgency, this role is for you.

## RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Own and drive strategy for consumable materials across ingot, wafer, and/or solar cell manufacturing lines—from supplier selection and technical evaluation through qualification, production hand-off, and long-term lifecycle management.
- Lead cross-functional efforts with supply chain, process engineering, quality, and production to source, qualify, and dual-source critical materials that reduce risk and support aggressive scale and cost targets.
- Define and own material requirements, specifications, and acceptance criteria; ensure they accurately reflect process needs, quality standards, and manufacturability at rate.
- Architect and execute rigorous material qualification programs—including characterization, process trials, reliability assessment, and production-readiness reviews—then drive clean hand-off into manufacturing.
- Lead root cause investigations to first principles and implement durable, data-driven corrective actions with urgency.
- Apply deep materials fundamentals across metals, polymers, crystals, coatings, and other process consumables to anticipate failure modes, guide selection, and unlock performance or cost gains.
- Identify and champion path-finding material opportunities that deliver measurable improvements in yield, reliability, uptime, and cost.
- Mentor peers and partner teams on materials problem solving, engineering judgment, and qualification best practices.
- Communicate technical status, risks, and strategic recommendations to leadership.
- Champion a culture of safety, quality, and extreme ownership in all materials and manufacturing activities.

## BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelor's degree in materials science, chemical engineering, or a STEM field.
- 5+ years of experience in materials engineering, materials selection, process materials, supplier qualification, or manufacturing materials support.

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

- Master’s degree or PhD in materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field.
- Proven track record owning materials from concept or sourcing through qualification and high-volume production.
- Broad hands-on experience with metals, polymers, crystals, ceramics, coatings, adhesives, or other process consumables in a manufacturing or R&D environment.
- Experience partnering with supply chain on technical sourcing, supplier development, dual-sourcing, and reducing single-source risk for critical materials.
- Strong expertise in materials characterization (e.g., SEM-EDS, XRD, FTIR, XPS, optical microscopy, mechanical/chemical property testing) and linking material/process variables to performance.
- Demonstrated ability to lead ambiguous, high-scope technical problems; apply first principles, iterate rapidly, and deliver durable solutions under aggressive timelines.
- Hands-on experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment; comfortable on the production floor and partnering closely with operators, process engineers, and quality teams.
- Passion for building, mentoring, and owning outcomes end-to-end; thrives in a fast-paced, scrappy environment with tight timelines and aggressive schedules.
- Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills; able to influence and convey technical concepts across all levels of the organization.

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

- Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% time.
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.
- Ability to stand/walk for extended periods on the manufacturing floor.
- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

## 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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