Manufacturing Specialist, Solar (Starlink)
SpaceX · Redmond, WA
- Level
- Specialist
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A specialist manufacturing role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Redmond, WA. Promote 5S principles of organizing and sustaining efficient and presentable team work spaces.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- 5S, OEE, Root cause, SPC, DOE, PLC
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Washington: typical posted base $103k–$145k.
Median of the low and high ends of 23 live postings that list pay, out of 39 manufacturing engineer openings in Washington, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Washington plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 38 other live manufacturing postings in Washington.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 3+)
Typical $100k–$135k, from 20 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 62%
- ✓ Root cause 49%
- Automation 38%
- Lean 31%
- New product launch 31%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 23%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for 5S, 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 Manufacturing team at SpaceX
We found 1 person at this company and state: 1 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 Robin → (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?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- 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 Redmond
51 other open roles at this site · 1 person we found in manufacturing roles at SpaceX.
- Lead Operations Engineer · Production · Manager
- Automation & Controls Engineer (Starlink Optical Products) · Controls
- Microelectronics Process Engineer (Optical Products) · Process
- Process Specialist, Vendor Management (Starlink) · Process · Specialist
- Manufacturing Engineer, Components Test · Manufacturing
- Sr. Business Operations Manager (Starlink Growth) · Production · Manager
Full description from SpaceXAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Demonstrate extreme ownership of the production outcome of the Starlink Solar Factory as measured by equipment OEE
- ◆Front line troubleshooting of production systems (HMIs, VM’s, Robots, PLCs, etc)
- ◆Support production, engineering, and qualification tests including equipment bring up and configuration, dry runs, and in situ troubleshooting
- ◆Aid in efforts to uncover root-cause of equipment failures and develop permanent resolution on issues found during test operations (via software updates, hardware changes, etc.)
- ◆Design and implement assembly fixtures, tooling, and shop aids to improve manufacturing processes
- ◆Work with production team to develop training plans and standard work instructions for operations
- ◆Develop and implement robust preventative maintenance schedule with focus on increasing long term machine reliability as measured by machine uptime
- ◆Promote 5S principles of organizing and sustaining efficient and presentable team work spaces
- ◆Read, understand and utilize system-level schematics and drawings (mechanical/electrical/pneumatic)
Qualifications
- ✓High school diploma or equivalency certificate
- ✓2+ years of experience working in a hands-on technical position or a bachelor’s degree in an engineering field
Preferred skills and experience
- ✓Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or technical field
- ✓Self-motivated with strong problem solving and communication skills, both written and oral
- ✓Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere
- ✓Experience with design of experiments, statistical process control, and process qualification
- ✓Strong team player attitude with the ability to collaborate with a cross functional team to include production, maintenance and engineering
- ✓PLC & HMI programming experience or familiarization using Ladder Logic and Structured Text Language
- ✓Experience working with OEM suppliers troubleshooting equipment failures
- ✓Demonstrated hands-on skill in fault finding, mechanical system troubleshooting, and solid problem resolution skills
- ✓Excellent skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- ✓Detail oriented, organized, and able to demonstrate a high sense of urgency
- ✓Skilled at gathering and analyzing information to understand complex situations and solve problems
- ✓Ability to maintain a safe and clean working environment while adhering to company policies, quality policies, and industry standards
- ✓Deep knowledge of solar stinger machine functionality, operations, and troubleshooting
Requirements
- ✓Must be available for the following shifts:
- ✓1 st Shift: Monday to Friday (6:00 AM – 4:30 PM)
- ✓2 nd Shift: Monday to Friday (3:00 PM – 1:30 AM)
- ✓Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones
- ✓Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds
- ✓Repetitive assembly operations, grasping, standing, lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this position
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/ethnici
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.
Manufacturing specialist, solar (starlink)
SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable. We are looking for a talented manufacturing specialist to join our solar manufacturing team to lead continuous Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) improvement. The success of Starlink depends on the quality, reliability, cost, manufacturability, throughput, security, and user experience of the products that you deliver.
Pay range
Manufacturing Specialist/Level 1: $34.00 - $40.00/hour
Manufacturing Specialist/Level 2: $38.00 - $45.00/hour
Manufacturing Specialist/Level 3: $42.00 - $51.00/hour
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.
ITAR