Supplier Development Engineer, Reliability (Starlink)
SpaceX · Bastrop, TX
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Quality
- Travel
- 25%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 1+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level quality role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Bastrop, TX.
- They ask for
- 1+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, Minitab, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- Day to day
- about 25% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Texas: typical posted base $90k–$121k.
Median of the low and high ends of 20 live postings that list pay, out of 84 quality 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 83 other live quality postings in Texas.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (1+ vs 3+)
Typical $90k–$120k, from 19 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 69%
- ✓ New product launch 38%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 37%
- Lean 36%
- FMEA 33%
- Six Sigma 30%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Minitab, 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 Quality team at SpaceX
We found 2 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, plus 1 likely hiring manager. 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 Timothy → (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?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- The posting says about 25% 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 · 2 people we found in quality 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
- ◆Own end-to-end hardware reliability for Starlink consumer electronics products, from early reliability plan development through new product introduction, mass production, and field performance
- ◆Develop comprehensive reliability plans, accelerated life test plans, and reliability demonstration test protocols
- ◆Build and maintain reliability models using first-principles understanding of the bathtub curve (infant mortality, useful life, and wear-out phases) and appropriate statistical distributions (Weibull, lognormal, exponential)
- ◆Design statistically sound sampling plans and test strategies with strong logical justification to balance risk, cost, and confidence levels
- ◆Set up clear reliability reporting and data systems for new development proto builds, providing visibility and actionable insights throughout the development cycle
- ◆Ensure reliable execution of all reliability test programs at the supply base, including highly accelerated life testing, highly accelerated stress screening, accelerated life testing, thermal cycling, humidity testing, mechanical stress testing, and power cycling
- ◆Lead bring-up of reliability test capacity at suppliers, including equipment specification, validation, and scaling to support high-volume production
- ◆Develop and implement ongoing reliability testing plans to monitor and sustain long-term product reliability in mass production
- ◆Drive failure analysis processes for all reliability failures and field returns, ensuring thorough root-cause investigation using first-principles thinking and rigorous physics-based reasoning
- ◆Perform detailed root cause analysis and lead corrective actions to close issues permanently, working closely with suppliers and internal engineering teams
- ◆Partner with cross-functional teams (design, test, quality, supplier development) to embed reliability into product architecture, component selection, and manufacturing processes
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, or a other engineering discipline
- ✓1+ years of experience in hardware reliability engineering for consumer electronics or high-volume electronics (internship and extracurricular experience is applicable)
Preferred skills and experiences
- ✓3+ years of experience in hardware reliability engineering for consumer electronics or high-volume electronics
- ✓Strong technical background in reliability physics, test development, failure analysis, and statistical modeling
- ✓Deep understanding of the bathtub curve and its application to consumer electronics reliability
- ✓Demonstrated ability to develop reliability plans, build reliability models, and create statistically rigorous test and sampling plans
- ✓Hands-on experience executing reliability programs at high-volume electronics suppliers, including test capacity bring-up and ongoing reliability testing
- ✓Strong first-principles approach to root-cause investigation and failure analysis with proven success closing complex issues
- ✓Experience setting up reliability reporting systems and data dashboards for new product development proto builds
- ✓Proficiency with reliability tools including Weibull analysis, Minitab, JMP, or equivalent software
- ✓Knowledge of relevant standards and test methods for environmental and reliability testing
- ✓Experience with production part approval process, design failure mode and effects analysis, process failure mode and effects analysis, highly accelerated life testing, highly accelerated stress screening, and accelerated life testing
- ✓Excellent communication skills with the ability to distill complex reliability data and models into clear insights for engineering and leadership teams
- ✓Demonstrated ability to influence suppliers and internal teams in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
Requirements
- ✓Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, both domestically and internationally
- ✓Position may require extended working hours and occasional weekends to support production ramps and critical reliability issue resolution
- ✓This position is based in Bastrop, TX and requires being onsite
ITAR
Requirements
- ✓To conform
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.
Supplier development engineer, reliability (starlink)
Starlink User Terminal business is experiencing exponential growth across consumer, retail, enterprise, and mobility applications. This rapid expansion demands exceptional product reliability to meet high consumer expectations. We are seeking a Supplier Development Engineer, Reliability to own end-to-end reliability activities — from developing reliability plans and models to executing test programs at the supply base, bringing up test, implementing ongoing reliability testing, and driving failure analysis to closure. The ideal candidate will bring strong first-principles thinking, deep expertise in reliability physics, and the ability to deliver statistically sound reliability programs at scale. This role requires a strong combination of technical depth in reliability engineering, statistical rigor, and the ability to influence suppliers and cross-functional teams in a high-volume consumer electronics environment.
The Supplier Development Engineer, Reliability will be responsible for creating and executing comprehensive reliability strategies across the full product lifecycle. This position carries significant technical authority and will have broad influence across design, test, quality, and supply chain organizations. Success requires excellent engineering judgment, strong logical reasoning in sampling and failure analysis, and the ability to translate reliability data into actionable product improvements.