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 to enhance solar cell efficiency for the Starlink project. 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 with a track record of driving cross-functional collaboration in fast-paced environments.

Joblaze insights

Listed about 2 months ago — first seen on Joblaze September 1, 2026. Last confirmed on SpaceX's careers page November 10, 2026.
Chemical Engineering appears in 0.6% of 2714 comparable senior other roles in United States; photovoltaics appears in 0.1% of 2714 comparable senior other roles in United States.

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: Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Semiconductor, Statistical Process Control, crystal growth, design of experiments.
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:

Standard company text repeated across SpaceX's postings is omitted here.

Sr. Materials Engineer, Silicon Crystal Growth (Starlink)

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