Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Space Solar
Starpath Robotics · Hawthorne
Position Details:
Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
Employment Type: Full-time
Department: Starlight Solar
Travel: Frequent
The Mission
Starpath develops and manufactures the technologies that will enable humans to live on the Moon and Mars. Today, we are building robotic systems that locally produce the essential commodities a lunar civilization will require at extreme scale: water, power, and oxygen. Our ultimate goal is to build and operate a self-sustaining city on Mars.
Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Space Solar
The Starlight team is focused on dramatically improving space solar power to support Starpath's core mission and the greater space economy. Starlight manufactures the lowest cost and highest performance space solar ever, which will power the majority of new satellites built on Earth and all of Starpath's equipment on the Moon and Mars.
As a Senior Manufacturing Engineer on the Starlight team, you will own the most critical processes on our space solar manufacturing line — defining how we scale from prototype to high-rate flight production. You'll set the technical direction for process development, drive yield and rate across the line, and mentor a growing manufacturing engineering team.
Responsibilities:
Own the technical strategy for key manufacturing processes — including cell-interconnect-coverglass (CIC) integration, interconnect welding, coverglass attach, and panel layup — from development through high-rate production
Drive yield, rate, and cost across the solar manufacturing line, setting and hitting performance targets that scale with the business
Design and qualify precision tooling and automated cells that protect fragile hardware, eliminate assembly error, and minimize cycle time
Lead automation initiatives for novel processes such as cell laydown, interconnect bonding, and coverglass placement to ensure repeatability at scale
Partner deeply with cell and panel design engineering to shape solar array architecture through design for manufacturing (DFM), driving decisions that materially reduce cost and complexity downstream
Stand up in-process inspection systems — electroluminescence imaging, IV/flash test, and automated optical inspection of weld and bond joints — to catch defects at the source and continuously improve first-pass yield
Lead the handoff of solar hardware from development into production, ensuring processes are documented, stable, and ready to scale
Mentor manufacturing engineers, set technical bar, and grow the team's capability as the line scales
Push back on unnecessary complexity — simplify specs, streamline workflows, and cut overhead wherever it doesn't add value
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace, manufacturing, materials, mechanical, electrical, or a related engineering discipline
6+ years of manufacturing and process design experience, with demonstrated ownership of processes from development through production
Track record of taking manufacturing processes from prototype through qualification and into stable, high-rate production
Experience leading technical work across cross-functional teams (design, quality, operations, supply chain)
Preferred Qualifications:
Master's degree in an engineering discipline
Direct experience manufacturing photovoltaic hardware — solar cells, strings, panels, or arrays — ideally multi-junction (III-V) cells for space or other high-reliability applications
Deep expertise in cell interconnect joining processes such as parallel-gap resistance welding or tab bonding, including process development, qualification, and weld/bond inspection
Hands-on experience scaling a manufacturing line from low-rate prototype to high-rate production, including rate readiness reviews and yield improvement campaigns
Experience leading automation programs — defining requirements, selecting integrators, and qualifying automated cells for production use
Proficiency with coverglass attach, encapsulation, and adhesive/RTV bonding processes for solar hardware
Strong background in electrical characterization of solar cells and panels — LIV/flash testing, electroluminescence, and IV-curve analysis
Proficiency in FMEA, statistical process control (Cp/Cpk), and root-cause investigation methodologies
Experience using SQL or other data management tools to drive priorities and measure line performance
Prior experience mentoring or leading manufacturing engineers
Exposure to aerospace, space, or other high-reliability hardware environments
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.
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