The opportunity
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.
What you'll do
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.
What they're looking for
- 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.
