SpaceX · 12 hours ago
Sr. Materials Engineer, Silicon Crystal Growth (Starlink)
Bastrop, TX
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
5+ years expSpaceX is a company focused on developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. They are seeking a Sr. Materials Engineer to solve materials and processing challenges in silicon crystal growth and wafer production for Starlink solar cells.
AerospaceManufacturingSpace Travel
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Own the full lifecycle of equipment specification, validation, and process development for silicon ingot and wafer production
Specify and implement in-process and off-line metrology tools for quality control
Develop silicon ingot and wafer quality specifications; conduct testing and performance evaluation to ensure specifications are met
Lead root cause failure investigations to resolve process issues
Push material and crystal growth process limits to enable higher PV efficiency
Collaborate with leadership and stakeholders to drive scale-up plans from R&D to production of silicon ingots and wafers
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in materials science, chemical engineering, or a STEM field
5+ years of experience in semiconductor crystal growth manufacturing, research, or characterization
Must be available to work extended hours and weekends as needed
Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% time
Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, and noise
Comfort occasionally working in tight or confined spaces
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
Preferred
Master's degree or PhD in materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field
8+ years of professional work experience (photovoltaics, semiconductor, or crystal growth sectors preferred)
Expertise in CZ crystal growth fundamentals, including thermal management, impurity control, and defect mitigation
In-depth knowledge of polysilicon feedstock, dopants, crucible materials, and their impact on ingot quality and yield
Proficiency in silicon ingot/wafer characterization techniques and equipment, including ICP-MS, GDMS, XRT, SEM/TEM, FTIR, resistivity mapping, and minority carrier lifetime testing (PL)
Experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC), Design of Experiments (DOE), and manufacturing metrics (e.g., CPK, yield, OEE) in production environments
Demonstrated track record in developing new processes, improving efficiencies (e.g., pull rates, purity >9N), and successfully transferring to production in a rapidly growing, fast-paced environment
Proven cross-functional leadership skills, with experience aligning diverse teams to achieve shared technology goals
Company
SpaceX
SpaceX is an aviation and aerospace company that designs, manufactures, and launches rockets and spacecraft.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$11.78BKey Investors
Korea Investment PartnersIntesa SanpaoloAndreessen Horowitz
2025-12-12Secondary Market
2025-09-10Secondary Market
2025-08-13Secondary Market· $10M
Leadership Team
Elon Musk
Founder, CEO & CTO
Bret Johnsen
CFO
Recent News
2026-02-09
Business Standard India
2026-02-09
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