Process Specialist, Vendor Management (Starlink)
SpaceX · Hawthorne, CA
- Level
- Specialist
- Team
- Process
- Base pay
- $80k–$105k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 8 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A specialist process role at SpaceX (aerospace & defense) in Hawthorne, CA. Lead a weekly metrics review covering take rates, completed installations, issues, SLA performance, and customer sentiment; surface risks and actions to leadership.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Capacity planning
- Base pay
- $80k–$105k
- 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
Process Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $124k–$171k. This one lists $80k–$105k.
Median of the low and high ends of 49 live postings that list pay, out of 78 process engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 77 other live process postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 37% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $124k–$171k, from 47 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 47%
- Team leadership 26%
- DOE 24%
- SPC 23%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 23%
- ✓ New product launch 22%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Capacity planning, Power BI / Tableau, 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 Process team at SpaceX
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find 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.
- 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 Hawthorne
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Full description from SpaceXAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Own the health of the authorized installer network in your region, acting as the primary relationship owner for strategic installation partners
- ◆Identify, assess, and establish partnerships with authorized installers aligned with business needs; negotiate and close partnership deals between SpaceX and installation partners as coverage and capacity require
- ◆Hold vendors accountable to contracted SLAs (quality, cycle time, coverage, customer experience) and drive corrective action when performance slips
- ◆Own the quarterly budget for your region, including partner spend, capacity planning, and cost tradeoffs against service and coverage goals
- ◆Lead a weekly metrics review covering take rates, completed installations, issues, SLA performance, and customer sentiment; surface risks and actions to leadership
- ◆Monitor partner service quality and ensure compliance with company standards and customer expectations
- ◆Ensure partner readiness for nationwide (and regional) coverage; communicate readiness levels, requirements, schedules, and risks with clear ownership
- ◆Identify opportunities to improve installation processes and procedures to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction
- ◆Provide training and resources so partners can install product effectively and consistently
- ◆Collaborate with cross-functional teams (sales, engineering, regulatory, business, planning, customer experience, and finance)
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related discipline
- ✓2+ years of experience in vendor management, procurement/sourcing, channel partnerships, contract management, or omnichannel sales
- ✓2+ years of experience managing vendor or partner relationships after onboarding, not only sourcing new suppliers
Preferred skills and experience
- ✓5+ years of experience in vendor management, procurement/sourcing, channel partnerships, contract management, or omnichannel sales
- ✓Demonstrated success holding vendors to SLAs and recovering underperforming partners
- ✓Experience owning a P&L, regional budget, or similar commercial target
- ✓Strong relationship-building skills with a proven ability to influence external partners and internal stakeholders
- ✓Experience developing vendors or building sales/service channels in international or multi-region markets, with a track record of launching and scaling new products or services
- ✓Comfort running a recurring operating review (weekly/monthly metrics, customer sentiment, action tracking)
- ✓Independently motivated, with a demonstrated track record of project and partner ownership
- ✓Strong interpersonal, presentation, communication, and negotiation skills
- ✓Demonstrated technical aptitude in a professional setting
- ✓Strong proficiency using Microsoft Excel, SQL, and/or Power BI
Requirements
- ✓Must be available to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed to support critical milestones or operations
- ✓Must be willing to travel to other SpaceX offices, partner sites, and customer locations as needed; up to 25%
requirements
of the law.
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 resi
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.
Process specialist, vendor management (starlink)
Starlink is a revolutionary satellite constellation, delivering low-latency broadband internet around the world and bringing an unprecedented opportunity to significantly impact communities, businesses, and governments worldwide. The Starlink Installer team is seeking a Vendor Manager to own the authorized installer network for their region — building durable partner relationships, holding vendors to performance, and driving the operating cadence that keeps installations on time and customers satisfied.
This role will include some sourcing and partner onboarding, but the long-term focus is vendor management: developing installer partners, enforcing SLAs, owning quarterly regional budgets, and running a weekly metrics review that includes customer sentiment. The ideal candidate has a strong background working with service-providing vendors in consumer electronics, telecommunications, or technology, and a track record of building strategic channel partnerships — not just closing deals, but staying in the relationship and driving results after the ink is dry.
Success will require systems thinking, commercial judgment, and excellent communication skills. This is a special opportunity to work at the cutting edge of satellite technologies with a world-class team focused on connecting the unconnected.
Pay Range
Level 1: $80,000.00 - $105,000.00
Level 2: $95,000.00 - $130,000.00
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. 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 accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use