Sr. Materials Engineer (Starlink)

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.

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.

- Ability to stand/walk for extended periods on the manufacturing floor.

- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.