Supplier Development Engineer, Automation & Controls (Starlink)

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. SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER, AUTOMATION & CONTROLS (STARLINK) Starlink User Terminal business is experiencing exponential growth across consumer, retail, enterprise, and mobility applications. This rapid expansion requires a highly resilient and scalable supply chain with world-class automated manufacturing lines at contract manufacturers. The role entails early engagement in supplier selection, equipment selection, and process engineering to set programs up for success in high-volume manufacturing by ensuring material and process corners are fully completed. The role also includes ownership to deliver on time, monitor field performance, react to issues, and feed lessons learned back to engineering teams for iterative improvement. We are seeking a technically strong Supplier Development Engineer to drive the development, bring-up, and optimization of automated manufacturing equipment and control systems. This role focuses on automation cells, custom fixturing, conveyor logic, and overall line optimization to achieve high throughput, quality, and efficiency production at contract manufacturers. The Supplier Development Engineer, Starlink Automation & Controls will be responsible for end-to-end equipment and controls development — from concept and specification through design, debug, qualification, and continuous improvement. This position demands strong mechanical, controls, and manufacturing engineering expertise with extreme ownership across the full lifecycle. RESPONSIBILITIES: • Own end-to-end development and qualification of automation equipment and control systems at contract manufacturers, spanning equipment selection, new product introduction (NPI), line bring-up, and high-volume production support • Engage early with suppliers on equipment selection, fixturing design, and controls architecture to properly set up high-volume manufacturing programs by ensuring material and process corners are fully characterized and completed • Design and qualify custom automation fixtures, workholding solutions, and poka-yoke mechanisms to ensure repeatability, ergonomics, and high process capability • Develop and optimize conveyor systems, including conveyor logic, routing algorithms, accumulation strategies, and material flow control to maximize throughput and minimize work-in-process (WIP) • Program and debug programmable logic controller (PLC) logic, human-machine interfaces (HMI), and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems for automated cells, including safety interlocks, sequencing, and error recovery routines • Lead line optimization initiatives focused on takt time reduction, bottleneck analysis, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) improvement, cycle time balancing, and throughput maximization • Integrate robotic systems, vision guidance, servo motion control, and torque tooling into automated assembly cells while ensuring robust communication protocols (EtherCAT, Ethernet/IP, Profinet) • Design and execute design of experiments (DOE) and corner case studies to validate equipment robustness across material variation, environmental conditions, and process parameter windows • Lead equipment and line qualification activities including installation qualification (IQ), operational qualification (OQ), performance qualification (PQ), gauge repeatability and reproducibility (GR&R), and production part approval process (PPAP) • Perform reactive quality engineering support, including rapid containment, root cause analysis using eight disciplines (8D) and five-whys (5-Why) methodologies, and corrective actions for equipment downtime, quality escapes, and field issues • Own on-time delivery of equipment bring-up and production ramp activities while continuously monitoring field performance, reacting quickly to issues, and feeding lessons learned from field data back to design and process engineering teams for iterative improvement BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, controls engineering, or other engineering discipline • 1+ years of experience in automation equipment development, controls engineering, or manufacturing line deployment PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES: • Strong technical background in automation systems, fixturing design, conveyor logic, and line optimization • Hands-on experience designing and bringing up automated assembly lines including custom fixtures, robotic cells, and conveyor systems • Proficiency in PLC programming (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Beckhoff), HMI development, and industrial networking protocols • Strong experience with line balancing, takt time optimization, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) tracking, and throughput improvement methodologies • Expertise in design of experiments (DOE), statistical process control (SPC), and process window development • Experience leading full equipment qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ) and production part approval process (PPAP) at contract manufacturers • Knowledge of relevant standards including ANSI/RIA robot safety standards, ISO 13849 safety of machinery, IPC-A-610, and AS9100 • Strong problem-solving skills using structured root cause analysis methods and statistical tools such as Minitab and design of experiments (DOE) • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to distill complex technical topics into clear one-pagers, equipment specifications, and executive presentations • Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and contract manufacturers in a fast-paced, high-growth environment ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: • Ability to travel up to 30% of the time, both domestically and internationally • Position may requir