Skills & Technologies
Requirements
- Experience
- 5–8 years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Visa
- Sponsorship available
Joblaze summary
The Sr. Materials Engineer for Silicon Crystal Growth at SpaceX focuses on overseeing the entire lifecycle of silicon ingot and wafer production, addressing materials and processing challenges for Starlink's solar cells. Key skills include expertise in semiconductor crystal growth, proficiency in various characterization techniques, and a strong background in process development and quality control. This role is ideal for seasoned professionals with extensive experience in the photovoltaics or semiconductor sectors, particularly those who excel in cross-functional collaboration. SpaceX's fast-paced environment demands innovative problem-solving to push the limits of material efficiency.
Joblaze insights
- Listed about a month ago on Joblaze — tracked directly from SpaceX's career page.
- SpaceX has 1668 other open roles including Maintenance Supervisor (Starlink), Maintenance Supervisor (Starlink) - Night Shift, IT Network Infrastructure Engineer.
- 37 active Statistical Process Control roles on Joblaze right now.
- 23 active Semiconductor roles on Joblaze right now.
- 19 active design of experiments roles on Joblaze right now.
Quick facts
- How much experience is required?
- 5–8 years of relevant experience for this Sr. Materials Engineer, Silicon Crystal Growth (Starlink) role.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: design of experiments, TEM, photovoltaics, Statistical Process Control, Materials Science, ICP-MS.
- Does SpaceX sponsor work visas for this role?
- Yes — the posting indicates visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.
- What seniority level is this role?
- SpaceX targets senior candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Sr. Materials Engineer, Silicon Crystal Growth (Starlink) role at SpaceX.
From the original posting
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, SILICON CRYSTAL GROWTH (STARLINK)
Starlink, our revolutionary satellite constellation, will deliver low-latency broadband internet worldwide. We are committed to offering access to high-speed internet to customers and are looking for a Materials Engineer to utilize their knowledge, experience, and creativity to solve materials and processing challenges in silicon crystal growth and wafer production for Starlink solar cells.
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.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in materials science, chemical engineering, or a STEM field.
- 5+ years of experience in semiconductor crystal growth manufacturing, research, or characterization.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- 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.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- 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.
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.
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.