Process and Equipment Development Engineer

Role details

Position Details: Location: Carson, CA Employment Type: Full-time Department: Starlight Solar Travel: 25% The Mission Starlight is developing our own photovoltaic cells and ultra-thin solar blankets and building the equipment and processes to manufacture them internally. Process and Equipment Development Engineer As a Process and Equipment Development Engineer, you will turn experimental recipes into repeatable fabrication processes at Starpath. You will work with materials R&D and external development engineers to understand what works, reproduce it on our equipment, and establish the process controls needed to build consistent hardware.

Responsibilities

• Transfer externally developed recipes into Starpath’s laboratory, identifying equipment differences and adapting process conditions as needed.
• Develop and integrate fabrication steps into a complete process sequence for photovoltaic cells and blanket materials.
• Specify, select, commission, and qualify process equipment, working with equipment vendors and internal build engineers.
• Design and execute experiments to establish process windows, investigate variation, and improve performance, repeatability, and yield.
• Troubleshoot interactions between materials, process steps, and equipment; drive root-cause investigations with R&D and test engineers.
• Establish baseline recipes, work instructions, equipment settings, maintenance requirements, and traceable process records.
• Partner with blanket integration, test, reliability, and manufacturing teams to validate changes and transfer successful processes into pilot builds and production.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Hands-on experience developing fabrication processes for thin films, photovoltaics, semiconductors, coatings, or comparable precision products.
• Experience bringing laboratory or production equipment into operation and troubleshooting process or equipment issues.
• Ability to plan controlled experiments, analyze results, and connect process conditions to material or device performance.
• Experience documenting processes so others can execute them consistently.
• A desire to make humans a multi-planet species.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with perovskite photovoltaics, deposition or coating processes, patterning, encapsulation, or flexible substrates.
• Experience transferring processes between different tools or facilities.
• Experience with process integration, statistical process control, yield improvement, or pilot manufacturing.
• Familiarity with vacuum systems, thermal processing, fluid delivery, instrumentation, or equipment controls. EAR Requirements: To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, you 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.

Equal Opportunity

Starpath is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Benefits

At Starpath Robotics, base pay is just one part of your total rewards package. We also offer: Generous benefits including health, dental, vision, and retirement plans. Paid time off, holidays, and flexible policies to support balance. Professional growth opportunities through training and development. The chance to own high-impact work that directly shapes the future of robotics & space! A collaborative, mission-driven culture where craftsmanship and innovation are celebrated.