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Sr. Supplier Development Engineer (Starshield)

SpaceX · Hawthorne, CA

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Level
Senior
Team
Quality
Base pay
$135k–$190k
Travel
60%
Degree
Required
Experience asked
5+ years
Industry
Aerospace & defense
Posted
30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A senior quality role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Hawthorne, CA. And in the making of, the Starshield satellite constellation.

They ask for
5+ years · degree required
Tools it names
Lean, Six Sigma, Root cause, PPAP, DOE, AS9100
Base pay
$135k–$190k
Day to day
about 60% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

How this role compares

Against 163 other live quality postings in California.

Base pay
About 31% above similar roles

Typical $100k–$149k, from 79 postings that list pay.

Experience asked
Typical (5+ years)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Root cause 78%
  • FMEA 56%
  • ✓ Supplier quality 48%
  • Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 43%
  • ✓ AS9100 41%
  • ✓ PPAP 39%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 5+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone on the team first.

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. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at SpaceX

    We found 8 people at this company and state: 6 on the team, 2 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓

  2. 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 Alina → (free)
  3. 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 60% travel. Between which sites?
    • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
  4. 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. 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 Hawthorne

47 other open roles at this site · 8 people we found on the quality team.

All 48 roles at SpaceX →
Full description from SpaceXAs posted on their careers site.Show

Responsibilities

  • ◆Own and manage PCBA processes and PCBA products for the Starshield supply chain
  • ◆Own continuity of supply for electronic products on the Starshield program, ensuring internal production has infeed assemblies needed to build to program level volume targets
  • ◆Collaborate with design engineers to gain an in-depth knowledge of piece part, assembly, and/or sub-system design intent
  • ◆Support the procurement team to strategically source parts matched with supplier competencies by reviewing and assessing supplier manufacturing processes and quality systems
  • ◆Create and define supplier technical

requirements

and flow downs to meet hardware manufacturing needs

  • ✓Implement and monitor the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) with selected suppliers to enable rate production
  • ✓Assure supplier understanding of product and submission

requirements

  • ✓Develop and approve process controls to control critical characteristics
  • ✓Recommend technical product improvements to reduce risk and potential defect opportunities
  • ✓Analyze supplier quality and delivery metrics to identify trends and pinpoint systemic performance gaps and root causes to drive supplier improvement plans
  • ✓Provide feedback as appropriate on manufacturing methods, with a specific focus on eliminating costs, reducing cycle times, and increasing yields
  • ✓Function as liaison between purchasing, engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers to resolve supplier quality issues and to provide technical support
  • ✓Drive supplier corrective actions associated with any escapes or containments identified in Production and Supply Chain
  • ✓Collaborate with teams, lead projects, and continuously drive improvement in the supply base with a focus on reductions in cycle time, nominal cost, and cumulative scrap

Qualifications

  • ✓Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, material science engineering, hardware engineering, engineering physics, or other engineering discipline
  • ✓5+ years of experience in PCBA manufacturing, SMT processing and/or microelectronics packaging either from industry, research, or academic projects
  • ✓5+ years in a manufacturing, reliability, and/or design engineering role (student project team or internship experience qualifies)

Preferred skills and experience

  • ✓Knowledge of supplier quality processes (production part approval process, advanced product quality planning, first article inspection reports, etc.)
  • ✓Knowledge of statistical techniques and methods, e.g., design of experiments, Six Sigma, etc.
  • ✓Experience with quality systems (ISO 9000/TS/AS9100/NADCAP)
  • ✓Knowledge pf IPC manufacturing standards
  • ✓Knowledge of lean concepts
  • ✓Experience with basic failure analysis tools and methods (X-ray, cross-section, polishing)
  • ✓Experience with sharing information and influencing others across organizational lines, internally and externally
  • ✓Strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to make presentations to suppliers, team members, and management
  • ✓Ability and willingness to obtain a Top Secret clearance

Requirements

  • ✓Role is in office and located in Hawthorne, CA
  • ✓An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol
  • ✓Must be willing to work long hours and weekends when needed to meet critical deadlines
  • ✓Ability to travel: Up to 25-60% work week travel may be required
  • ✓Valid driver’s license
Show full description ↓

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.

Sr. supplier development engineer (starshield)

Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on three areas: Earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. Designed to meet diverse mission requirements, Starshield satellites are capable of integrating a wide variety of payloads, offering unique versatility to users. With the proven ability to iterate rapidly, SpaceX's unique full-stack approach in developing end-to-end systems, from launch vehicles to user terminals, enables the deployment of capabilities at scale with unprecedented speed. Starshield's proliferated low-Earth orbit architecture provides inherent resiliency and constant connectivity to on-orbit assets, while SpaceX's proven rapid launch capability provides expedient and economical access to space.

As a member of the Starshield Supply Chain team you will manage the demand plan and sourcing for hardware used on, and in the making of, the Starshield satellite constellation. Our team moves quickly and you must too. SpaceX has the unique ability and desire to influence and shape suppliers to be better with us as we challenge our supply chain on cost, quality and speed of execution. The functions within the department include procurement, planning and fulfillment, supplier development and quality, logistics and inventory. This roles scope will help enable production rates in the satellite factory of the future!

Pay Range

Level 3: $135,000.00 - $190,000.00

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 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.

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