Sr. Fluid Systems Engineer, Solar Cell Factory

SpaceX•Bastrop, TX

17h

About The Position

SpaceX’s Solar Cell team is scaling production of high-efficiency solar cells for Starlink constellations, launch vehicles, and other space applications. The Sr. Fluid Systems Engineer will design, build, activate, and optimize systems that deliver critical gases and chemicals for solar cell fabrication. The role focuses on safe, reliable, and efficient fluid supply for processes such as vacuum deposition and etching in a high-volume manufacturing environment. The engineer owns projects from requirements definition through design, equipment procurement, construction coordination, commissioning, and project management. The role also involves developing modular systems for future production facilities, integrating controls and data acquisition, and collaborating with process, facilities, EHS, automation, and procurement teams. Responsibilities include ensuring regulatory compliance, assessing hazards, troubleshooting installations, monitoring performance, and supporting continuous improvement and fluid reuse.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, or another engineering discipline.
At least 5 years of professional fluids systems design experience.
Ability to travel frequently for work, potentially for extended periods during machine buyoffs and startup.
Ability to lift 25 lbs. unassisted.
Ability to perform work involving lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying.
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical milestones.
Must meet the stated ITAR eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in engineering or a related field.
At least 2 years of fluid systems design experience, particularly involving gases or hazardous chemicals in manufacturing or semiconductor industries.
At least 2 years of experience in photovoltaic, semiconductor, or thin-film deposition manufacturing.
Knowledge of safety protocols for pyrophoric materials such as silane and toxic gases or chemicals such as phosphine and hydrofluoric acid.
Knowledge of ASME B31.3 and SEMI S2/S8 standards, and experience with cleanroom HVAC integration for fluid systems.
Familiarity with cleanroom fluid systems, gas cabinets, scrubbers, and wastewater neutralization for solar cell fabrication.
Familiarity with air separation units for gaseous nitrogen production.
Certification in process safety, such as CSP or Six Sigma Green Belt, or hazardous materials handling.
Proficiency with fluid dynamics software such as ANSYS Fluent or Pipe-Flo and CAD tools such as AutoCAD or SolidWorks.
Experience with process safety management, including risk assessment and regulatory compliance.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, iterative environment and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to work independently, take initiative, and communicate effectively.
Ability to rapidly change roles or responsibilities while maintaining urgency in a demanding work environment.
Creativity in designing reliable, efficient, and maintainable systems from scratch.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and activate distribution and exhaust systems for specialty and bulk gases, chemicals, and solar cell process applications, including tanks, pumps, heat exchangers, gas panels, valves, scrubbers, and abatement systems.
Own projects from requirement definition and design through justification of key decisions, equipment procurement, build coordination, commissioning, and project management.
Design modular systems that can be manufactured at scale for future solar production facilities.
Apply fluids and mechanical engineering skills, including P&ID development, equipment sizing, fluid and thermal analysis, system-level CONOP development, structural analysis, and materials and component selection.
Perform safety and hazard assessments, such as FMEAs and HAZOPs, and develop appropriate hazardous-system designs, emergency shutdown CONOPs, and redundancy.
Design, build, and deploy data acquisition and control systems for fluid facility monitoring and control.
Collaborate with process engineers to integrate fluid systems with manufacturing equipment and optimize delivery rates, purity, and process-fluid recovery or recycling.
Support installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting with facilities operations, EHS, automation, and procurement teams.
Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, ASME, NFPA, and SEMI standards for chemical and gas handling.
Track system performance metrics, including flow rates, contamination levels, and downtime, and contribute to lean manufacturing and sustainability improvements for fluid reuse.