Process and Equipment Development Engineer

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.