Lead Electrical Engineer, Hardware Reliability (Starlink)

LEAD ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, HARDWARE RELIABILITY (STARLINK)

As a Lead Electrical Engineer at on the Hardware Reliability team at SpaceX, you will play a key role in shaping and executing reliability test strategies for the Starlink User Terminal Kit. You will take ownership of product and production reliability across all electrical aspects of our kit components – including cables, power supplies, Wi-Fi routers, and user terminals – and lead qualification efforts to ensure new designs are ready for mass production. Your work will directly support Starlink’s mission to deliver global satellite internet connectivity.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and mentor a team of electrical engineers focused on design reliability, production reliability, and product qualification for all components of the Starlink User Terminal Kit
• Allocate resources appropriately across several next-generation product qualification campaigns to ensure appropriate coverage exists for test execution and troubleshooting failures
• Develop individual team members by enabling opportunities suited to each individual that align with the strategic goals of the Starlink Product program
• Develop and implement reliability test strategies for new products and their subcomponents to maximize field life and minimize early life failures
• Develop, implement, and validate test and inspection processes for new and existing products, ensuring that criteria are objective and that reliability goals are consistently met
• Design and execute novel environmental, RF, mechanical, and electrical testing techniques tailored to the product and its functions
• Automate reliability test initiatives and reporting using proper data visualization techniques and thorough knowledge of the product and its functions
• Define the ongoing reliability testing strategy to monitor the manufacturing process health and screen for long-term reliability defects caused by process and component variability
• Investigate failures in test, identifying and mitigating the immediate and underlying root causes in order to reduce risk and improve reliability of designs and processes
• Work closely with hardware, software, manufacturing, supply chain, and product engineering teams to maximize reliability across all disciplines and proactively influence current and future designs
• Oversee containments, MRB (material review board), quality metrics, training, and applicable command media for factory compliance

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering
• 2+ years of experience in an engineering role within design qualification, manufacturing, reliability test, or a production environment

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, or aerospace engineering
• Experience with high-volume manufacturing
• Experience with PCB, PCBA and Electromechanical assembly processes
• Demonstrated experience training and mentoring junior engineers
• Demonstrated experience working in a highly adaptive and iterative environment
• Ability to influence other organizations through strong engineering/business rationale and data
• Ability to effectively organize, assign and track work/deliverables
• Ability to define scope of work independently and execute accordingly
• Ability to identify and analyze production process improvements for rate and quality
• Experience with both electronics and mechanical design and analysis including knowledge of RF principles
• Working experience in an AS9100 or equivalent quality system
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• 2+ years in a leadership position leading a team of 5+ people

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work extended hours, weekends, and offsite as needed
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. unassisted
• Must be willing to relocate to the Bastrop, TX area; hybrid or remote work not considered