Sr Materials Engineer, Wet Processing (Ingot/Wafer)

SR MATERIALS ENGINEER, WET PROCESSING (INGOT/WAFER)

Starlink is building the world's largest satellite constellation to deliver fast, reliable internet to people who need it most—and powering that constellation starts on the factory floor. We are insourcing solar cell manufacturing end-to-end, from crystal growth and ingot production through wafering and cell fabrication, to drive performance, cost, and scale at every step. High-efficiency, high-reliability cells made in-house are the backbone of the Starlink network: more photons in means more data out to customers around the world.

As a Sr. Materials Engineer for wet processing, you will set the technical bar for the chemistry, materials, and surface-quality outcomes of the wet steps that turn silicon ingots into production-ready wafers. That includes degumming, saw-damage etch, wafer cleaning, surface conditioning, chemical recycle/reclaim, and the wet-process chemicals that feed them. You will own the wet-process strategy from path-finding through golden-line and high-volume hand-off; solve the hardest contamination, etch, and supply-chain problems that stand between us and reliable wafer production at rate; and mentor partner teams on first-principles wet chemistry. 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.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own and drive strategy for wet-process materials and chemistry across silicon ingot and wafer production—degumming, saw-damage etch, cleaning, surface conditioning, and silicon recycle/reclaim—from path-finding and tool/recipe qualification through production-ready baths, specs, and long-term lifecycle management
• Lead cross-functional efforts with process, equipment, quality, production, supply chain, and water treatment to source, qualify, and dual-source critical wet chemicals and consumables that reduce risk and support aggressive scale and cost targets
• Define and own chemical requirements, bath recipes, concentration windows, lifetime limits, and acceptance criteria; ensure they accurately reflect process needs, contamination budgets, quality standards, and manufacturability at rate
• Architect and execute rigorous wet-process qualification programs—including characterization, process trials, reliability assessment, and production-readiness reviews—then drive clean hand-off into manufacturing
• Serve as the primary technical escalation for wet-process, contamination, and surface-quality issues; lead root cause investigations to first principles and implement durable, data-driven corrective actions with urgency
• Apply deep materials and surface-chemistry fundamentals (etch kinetics, oxide/HF chemistry, metal gettering and contamination, particle adhesion, bath aging) to anticipate failure modes, guide selection, and unlock performance or cost gains
• Identify and champion path-finding opportunities—alternative chemistries, new suppliers, bath-life extension, recycle/reclaim, or process changes—that deliver measurable improvements in wafer quality, cell efficiency, yield, uptime, and cost, while remaining compatible with UPW and closed-loop/ZLD wastewater constraints
• Stand up wet-process and wet-lab capability at a high technical bar; own bath monitoring strategy, filtration and chemical-delivery requirements, data integrity, and SPC so results can be trusted for process decisions
• Mentor peers and partner teams on wet-process problem solving, engineering judgment, and qualification best practices; hold a high bar for technical rigor, safety, and chemical handling across the organization
• Communicate technical status, risks, and strategic recommendations to leadership; align priorities and secure support for critical wet-process initiatives. Champion a culture of safety, quality, and extreme ownership in all chemical handling, wet-bench, lab, and manufacturing activities

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in materials science, materials engineering, chemical engineering, or a STEM discipline
• 5+ years of professional experience in wet chemical processing, surface chemistry, semiconductor/PV wafer processing, process materials, or manufacturing materials support

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's or PhD in materials science, materials engineering, chemical engineering, or in a related technical discipline
• Proven track record owning silicon wet processes from development through qualification and high-volume production (alkaline and/or mixed-acid etch, RCA or equivalent cleans, HF last, degumming, slurry or diamond-wire coolant chemistry, wafer surface conditioning)
• Deep hands-on experience owning bath chemistry—concentration control, lifetime optimization, filtration, rinse/dryer performance, and particle control—on wet benches or inline wet tools in a 24/7 manufacturing setting
• Strong expertise in contamination control (metallic, organic, particulate) and linking surface/chemical state to minority-carrier lifetime and downstream cell performance
• Strong expertise in materials characterization (e.g., ICP-MS / TXRF / VPD, FTIR, TOC, SEM-EDS, XPS, optical microscopy, surface roughness, particle inspection, four-point probe, QSSPC/PL lifetime) and linking material/process variables to performance
• Experience partnering with supply chain on technical sourcing, supplier development, dual-sourcing, and reducing single-source risk for critical wet chemicals and consumables
• Experience with chemical delivery systems, wet-process equipment, pumps, filtration, temperature control, and hazardous chemical handling/abatement; familiarity with scaling wet tools from pilot to high volume
• Experience with UPW quality requirements and industrial wastewater constraints for PV/semiconductor wet processes (fluoride, silica, metals, COD), including closed-loop/ZLD tradeoffs
• 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 or fab environment; comfortable on the production floor and partnering closely with operators, process engineers, equipment engineers, and quality teams
• Comfortable with data analysis (Python, JMP, MATLAB, or equivalent) and SPC for bath and wafer metrics
• Passion for building, mentoring, and owning outcomes end-to-end; thrives in a fast-paced, scrappy environment with tight timelines and aggressive schedules
• Thorough, detail-oriented engineer who still acts with urgency and ships solutions
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills; able to influence and convey technical concepts across all levels of the organization
• Self-motivated with strong organizational skills and a bias toward action

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors as needed (up to 25%)
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
• Ability to stand/walk for extended periods in the lab and on the manufacturing floor
• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support manufacturing, tool bring-up, and critical milestones
• Must be comfortable working in a production and laboratory environment using hazardous chemicals such as acids, alkalis, oxidizers, and solvents
• Must be able to wear appropriate PPE for lab and electro-chemical manufacturing environments