Water Treatment Technician, Solar Cells (Starlink)

WATER TREATMENT TECHNICIAN, SOLAR CELLS (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 talented, creative, and driven technicians to drive manufacturing output and yield. You will have ownership of one or more process areas and will have the opportunity to directly impact Starlink’s products. You will have frequent interaction with engineering teams and leadership and will participate in developing and validating new equipment, processes, and technologies. The success of Starlink depends on the quality, reliability, cost, manufacturability, throughput, security, and user experience of the products that you will manufacture.

As a Water Treatment Technician on Starlink, you will take ownership of state-of-the-art production processes and equipment performance and reliability by monitoring process parameters and maintaining components, with a keen eye for leading indicators of instability or malfunction, and a drive to correct those issues in advance of undesirable events. This position is responsible for the development, implementation, and operationalization of equipment, facilities, treatment, and manufacturing process technologies necessary for high volume production. This role will focus on supporting one or more of our ZLD (zero liquid discharge) water treatment facilities, our Solar Cells facility, our PCB operations (largest printed circuit fab in North America!), or our Chip Packaging Plant (featuring a state of the art panel level packaging process). You will ensure reliable water quality for our partner teams, in a fast-paced, innovative manufacturing environment. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Operate and monitor UPW (ultrapure water) systems, including reverse osmosis (RO), electrodeionization (EDI), UV disinfection, and filtration
• Manage wastewater treatment processes, including pH neutralization, evaporators (multiple-effect vacuum and MVR units), clarification/precipitation and solids dewatering, AOP (advanced oxidation processes), crystallizers, and a variety of other processes (TMF, UF, etc.)
• Perform routine preventative maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting on pumps, valves, sensors, membranes, and control systems
• Conduct daily water quality sampling, analysis (e.g., TOC, silica, metals, conductivity), and data logging using tools like Hach analyzers or similar
• Respond to alarms, investigate excursions, and implement corrective actions to minimize downtime (target: >99.9% system availability)
• Collaborate with manufacturing, EHS, and engineering teams to optimize water usage, reduce waste, and implement sustainability initiatives
• Ensure adherence to OSHA, EPA, and SpaceX safety protocols, including lockout/tagout (LOTO) and chemical handling
• Execute startup and shutdown procedures for production equipment
• Identify equipment and process deviations and perform corrective actions
• Work with engineers and technicians to create operating procedures
• Use knowledge of systems and existing documentation like schematics and parts lists to create and maintain a mature and efficient hardware inventory system – including procurement of critical spares
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities for uptime and quality
• Safely handle chemicals (including transporting and loading) and chemical handling equipment
• Read, interpret, and follow technical documents such as manufacturing work instructions
• Ensure 5S standards are upheld by maintaining a clean and organized work area
• Perform other related duties, as assigned, for the purpose of ensuring an efficient and effective work environment

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school degree or equivalency certificate
• 2+ years of experience working in a hands-on technical position OR an associate’s degree in a STEM field

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Proficiently use a computer and MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• 3+ years of hands on experience in UPW production and/or industrial wastewater treatment (semiconductor, pharma, or electronics manufacturing ideal)
• Experience in a chemical manufacturing or oil/gas industry
• Strong knowledge of water chemistry, ion exchange, RO/EDI systems, and wastewater technologies
• Proficiency with water quality instrumentation and basic PLC troubleshooting
• Experience working in a manufacturing environment or wet lab
• Experience with process parameters and engineering units for temperature, pressure, flow, and power
• Ability to read and understand P&ID and schematic wiring diagrams
• Experience with mechanical equipment and systems requiring the isolation of the malfunction, disassembly of industrial machinery and repair/replacement of bearings, gears, structural components
• Experience with lock out tag out, job hazard analysis, hot work permitting
• Experience handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, or hazardous chemicals
• Experience using production and inventory management software such as MES/ERP
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills to work closely with other technicians and cross-functional teams
• Ability to identify and maintain priorities for tasks and projects while staying organized
• Ability to rapidly change roles/responsibilities while working independently in a high-paced, challenging work environment with minimal oversight
• Current or past certification for IPC-A-600, IPC-6012 or equivalent

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be open to work all shifts, overtime and/or weekends as needed
• Due to the nature of production line bring-up, the work schedule will evolve
• Will start as 5 AM - 5 PM (Monday - Thursday) 
• Final permanent schedules:
• A-Shift: 5 AM - 5 PM (Sunday-Tuesday and every other Wednesday)
• B-Shift: 5 AM - 5 PM (Thursday - Saturday and every other Wednesday)
• C-Shift: 5 PM - 5 AM (Sunday-Tuesday and every other Wednesday)
• D-Shift: 5 PM - 5 AM (Thursday - Saturday and every other Wednesday)
• Must be able to lift up to of 25 lbs. unassisted
• Must be able to walk and stand for long periods of time
• Must be comfortable working in a production environment with extensive use of hazardous chemicals such as acids, alkalis, and solvents
• Must be able to wear appropriate PPE for lab and electro-chemical manufacturing environment
• Must be comfortable with climbing up and down ladders, grasping, standing, lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, carrying, crawling, and maneuvering in tight spaces