Thermal Mechanical Test Engineer, Silicon Packaging (Starlink)

SpaceX • Bastrop, TX

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About The Position

As a Thermal Mechanical Test Engineer for Silicon Packaging at SpaceX, you will develop and execute thermal and mechanical modeling and test programs for advanced semiconductor packaging and board-level assemblies. You will support the silicon packaging process engineering organization by characterizing package and board thermal performance, validating mechanical robustness, and correlating simulation results with physical test data to enable high-volume production of reliable Starlink hardware.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering, math, or science discipline
• 1+ years of experience with thermal or mechanical modeling and testing in an industry or academic setting

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, materials science, aerospace engineering, physics, applied mathematics, or other STEM discipline
• Advanced degree in an engineering, math, or science discipline
• Experience with board-level thermal testing and characterization using thermocouple mapping, power dissipation testing, or infrared thermography
• Experience using finite element analysis or thermal simulation tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, COMSOL, Flotherm, or Icepak
• Experience with 3D and reduced-order thermal and mechanical modeling
• Experience correlating simulation models with physical test data
• Experience in simulation and characterization of IC packaging thermal resistance parameters
• Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for data analysis and post-processing
• Background in semiconductor packaging or high-reliability electronics environments
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-volume manufacturing or new product introduction setting

Responsibilities

• Develop and run thermal and mechanical finite element models, and thermal simulations, to predict package and board-level behavior under operational and environmental conditions
• Develop process models to support new production line bring-up and investigations into packaging processes
• Design, set up, and execute thermal and mechanical test campaigns
• Perform board-level thermal characterization and testing to evaluate heat spreading, junction temperatures, and system-level thermal performance
• Operate and maintain thermal and mechanical test equipment, such as thermal chambers, along with instrumentation, including thermocouples and infrared cameras
• Analyze test data, correlate models with empirical results, and provide actionable feedback to packaging, silicon design, and manufacturing teams
• Support new package and board designs through test planning, execution, and data reporting
• Collaborate cross-functionally with packaging process engineers, hardware design teams, production operations, and quality to integrate test insights into product development and production ramp

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level