Sr. Failure Analysis Engineer, Gateway Electronics - SpaceX

SR. FAILURE ANALYSIS ENGINEER, GATEWAY ELECTRONICS

SpaceX is leveraging its experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation that provides fast, reliable internet to millions of users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact. As we continue to upgrade and expand the constellation, we’re looking for best-in-class engineers to join the team.

As Failure Analysis Engineer on Starlink, you’ll sit at the intersection of electrical, mechanical, thermal analysis, software, and antenna engineering - ultimately ensuring that our Ground antenna hardware can withstand the harshest environmental conditions while maintaining reliable communication with millions of users on a global scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, develop, and conduct reliability test solutions for our ground antenna electronics and payload
• Perform detailed failure analysis of ground antenna hardware, identifying root causes of failures and implementing corrective actions
• Select commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and/or design custom PCBAs to measure signals, apply flight-like loads, and power units under test
• Hands-on support of hardware through design qualification, production ramp, and ground network rollout
• Work closely with engineers from adjacent disciplines (mechanical, thermal, software, test engineering, supply chain, silicon design) to deliver tightly integrated, high-performance hardware
• Perform electrical bench testing of failures to replicate and inform mitigation of anomalies
• Drive continual improvements to our designs by building physical and digital tools to analyze data collected both in the field and in the lab

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, or other STEM discipline
• 5+ years of experience in hardware development, failure analysis, or reliability engineering (internships and co-ops acceptable)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or similar engineering degree
• Strong understanding of computers and programming languages (Python, C/C++)
• Experience analyzing circuits and PCBAs, and developing functional test plans
• Experience with test equipment and measurement techniques to verify and validate product requirements (oscilloscope, multimeter, electronic load, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, vector signal generator, source measurement unit, etc.)
• Thorough understanding of electronics reliability, manufacturing, and failure mechanisms
• Experience in environmental testing such as HALT/HASS, thermal, humidity, shock & vibration
• Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, Six Sigma, and root cause analysis methods
• Thorough understanding of metrology, sources of measurement error, and uncertainty analysis

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work extended hours or weekends as needed for mission critical deadlines
• Occasional travel to ground network sites to support root cause investigations