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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.
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
BASIC 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
ADDITIONAL 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 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.
SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.
