
Machine Maintenance Specialist, Solar Cells (Starlink)
SpaceX · Bastrop, TX
- Level
- Specialist
- Team
- Reliability
- Travel
- 20%
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 4+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A specialist reliability role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Bastrop, TX. Provide advanced troubleshooting, repair, and modification support for complex solar cell production equipment and tools.
- They ask for
- 4+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, OEE, Root cause, PLC
- Day to day
- about 20% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Reliability Engineer roles in Texas: typical posted base $124k–$135k.
Median of the low and high ends of 9 live postings that list pay, out of 55 reliability engineer openings in Texas, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Texas plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 54 other live reliability postings in Texas.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Typical (4+ years)
Typical $124k–$135k, from 8 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 47%
- SAP 25%
- ✓ Automation 25%
- Team leadership 24%
- FMEA 22%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Lean, TPM, PLC, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at SpaceX
We found 4 people at this company and state: 4 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Marcus → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- The posting says about 20% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: SpaceX in Bastrop
157 other open roles at this site · 4 people we found in reliability roles at SpaceX.
- Facilities Specialist, Solar Cell Factory (Starlink) · Reliability · Specialist
- Lead Operations Engineer · Production · Manager
- Sr. Supplier Development Engineer (Starlink) · Quality · Senior
- Lead Production Technician, Solar Cells (Starlink) · Production · Technician
- PECVD Process Engineer, Solar Cells (Starlink) · Process
- Process Specialist, Vendor Management (Starlink) · Process · Specialist
Full description from SpaceXAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Provide advanced troubleshooting, repair, and modification support for complex solar cell production equipment and tools
- ◆Execute preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance strategies targeting >95% availability
- ◆Perform rapid root cause analysis and corrective actions on vacuum deposition, chemical processing, firing, printing, and diffusion systems
- ◆Assist in spare parts inventory management and vendor coordination on shifts, optimizing costs
- ◆Drive OEE improvements and support factory scaling through hands-on technical initiatives
- ◆Ensure safety protocols, cleanroom standards, and regulatory compliance during maintenance activities
- ◆Support the development of training materials for team members on equipment maintenance, safety protocols, and process procedures
- ◆Train and mentor junior team members on equipment maintenance, safety, and best practices
- ◆Collaborate with team members to foster technical excellence, accountability, and innovation on the maintenance floor
Qualifications
- ✓High school diploma or GED
- ✓4+ years of experience in industrial/machine maintenance
- ✓3+ years of experience maintaining complex manufacturing equipment in a high-volume environment
Preferred skills and experience
- ✓Associate’s degree or equivalent technical certification
- ✓Prior hands-on experience with semiconductor, solar, or advanced manufacturing equipment maintenance
- ✓Experience troubleshooting and repairing automation and control systems on complex production equipment, including PLC logic, HMIs, sensors, actuators, servo drives, and interlocks
- ✓Ability to rapidly diagnose faults, implement corrective actions, and restore equipment to full operation while minimizing downtime in a high-volume manufacturing environment
- ✓Proficiency in Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) and data analytics for reliability
- ✓Familiarity with lean, TPM, Six Sigma, cleanroom protocols, and pyrophoric gas handling
- ✓Experience scaling maintenance in fast-paced manufacturing environments
Requirements
- ✓Ability to travel internationally (20%)
- ✓Ability to stand up to 6 hours, lift up to 25 pounds unassisted, and maneuver around equipment in a factory setting
- ✓Ability to work in industrial environments with fumes/odors, noise, hazardous chemicals, and confined spaces
- ✓Must be available for one of the following AWS shifts (start and end times are approximate):
- ✓A Shift – 5:00am-5:00pm, Sunday-Wednesday
- ✓B Shift – 5:00am-5:00pm, Wednesday-Saturday
ITAR
Requirements
- ✓To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant 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. Learn more about the ITAR here .
qualifications
and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com .
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
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.
Machine maintenance specialist, solar cells (starlink)
At SpaceX, we are building the next generation of space infrastructure to enable large-scale AI data centers in orbit. These orbital AI platforms require massive amounts of reliable, high-efficiency solar power to support intensive computing workloads in space. To make this possible, we are standing up one of the largest solar cell manufacturing facilities in the world. We are seeking an experienced Machine Maintenance Specialist to provide advanced troubleshooting, repair, and modification support for complex solar cell production tools. This high-impact role offers the opportunity to ensure equipment reliability while enabling SpaceX’s ambitious vision for AI data centers in space.
