EEE Parts Reliability Engineer

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.

EEE PARTS RELIABILITY ENGINEER

The EEE (Electronic, Electrical, and Electro-mechanical / Electro-optical) Reliability team at SpaceX is a multidisciplinary team committed to the reliability of flight components (integrated circuits, discrete semiconductors, and passives). Your range of exposure as an EEE Parts Reliability Engineer will be vast as you collaborate with every vehicle design team at SpaceX to design reliable parts on the front-end, investigate the root cause of failures in our state-of-the-art EEE lab on the back-end, and use physics of failure techniques to evaluate the flight reliability risk. You have extreme ownership over design for reliability from concept to multi-vehicle implementation. You have extreme ownership over failure analysis investigations and operate specialized lab equipment to determine root cause, develop corrective actions, maintain constant communication with internal SpaceX teams and external government teams, and guide the implementation of permanent solutions. You perform proactive EEE destructive physical analysis (DPA) to assess the quality workmanship and flight reliability risk of components considered for design and provide informed feedback to guide reliable component selection. You post-process data to understand the factors that drive reliability, and support quality objectives in design and development teams to drive improvements in reliability in manufacturing, test, and flight. You can dive deep into the details to identify and understand the physics of the failure mechanisms and modes to solve challenging technical problems and also utilize a system-level approach to prioritize issues for the vehicle as a whole. You thrive in a hands-on environment and will spend time in the office, on the factory floor, and in the lab to execute the mission to make humanity interplanetary.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide support for team leadership and technical guidance within the EEE Parts Reliability group
• Drive Avionics EEE piece part reliability issues and risks towards closure
• External customer coordination on reliability risk assessments and EEE part approvals
• Use reliability physics of failure models and reliability statistics to assess risk levels to the mission for components and solder joints
• Advise EEE customers on parts selection based on part reliability and manufacturing processes
• Independently apply technical concepts to resolve complex issues, and make decisions in creative and effective ways
• Interface with SpaceX departments such as supply chain, design engineers, and production/manufacturing
• Support failure analysis and destructive physical analysis investigations to provide corrective actions and paths to closure
• Develop accelerated test profiles for component-level screening and qualification testing
• Perform accelerated testing of components and solder joints and develop derating specifications for components
• Process issues within SpaceX’s non-conformance system for items requiring failure analysis investigations and DPA
• Coordinate, drive, and perform EEE parts root cause failure analysis and DPA from initial assessment to a Corrective Actions report in EEE’s internal Failure Analysis / Destructive Physical Analysis Lab
• Evaluate electrical, thermal, and mechanical characteristics of integrated circuits, components, sub-components, and PCBAs to determine root cause of failure
• Generate failure reports and recommend corrective actions to prevent recurrence of problems
• Leverage failure analysis and DPA results to interact with design, process, and production teams to implement corrective actions, containment efforts, and risk assessments
• Serve as technical failure analysis and DPA liaison within the SpaceX certification program
• Identify optimum analytical approaches to critical problems
• Develop methods to track metrics on all known failure analyses and DPA’s to resolve systematic issues and their root cause
• Conduct innovative use of new analytical tools, equipment and methodologies
• Maintain and oversee failure analysis lab equipment calibration, consumables, and safety practices
• Operate autonomously and safely all EEE Failure Analysis / Destructive Failure Analysis Lab equipment, tools, and machinery (i.e. Laser Decap, X-Ray, CSAM, SEM/EDS, Keyence, Soldering Station, Optical Microscopy, Nisene Etch, Ultrasonic, Cross-Section, Thermal Chambers, Thermal Humidity Chambers, HALT/HASS, Curve Trace, Source Meter, Multimeter, Power Supply, etc.)

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in reliability engineering, mechanical engineering, material science, physics, electrical engineering, or applied engineering
• 1+ years of experience with EEE part reliability, failure analysis, DPA, and qualification; or EEE part design and construction, wafer fabrication, electronic packaging, electronic materials; or materials characterization, material stress testing, or material stress analysis

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree or PhD in reliability engineering, mechanical engineering, material science, physics, electrical engineering, or applied engineering
• 3+ years of experience with EEE parts reliability engineering in commercial, automotive, military, and/or aerospace industries
• Fundamental knowledge of failure modes and mechanisms in active and passive EEE parts
• Medium-scale data management and manipulation (SQL, JIRA, etc.)
• Strong and effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Experience with physics of failure approach to reliability
• Experience with accelerated environmental screening and qualification techniques, and corresponding acceleration factors
• Experience in a wafer fabrication, EEE part production, design, assembly, packaging, and testing facilities
• Knowledge of manufacturing qualification and process controls and the differences between commercial, automotive, military, and space grade EEE parts
• Must be detail-oriented and have the ability to work proactively and effectively in a fast paced environment with minimal supervision
• Familiar with the following standards: AEC-Q100, AEC-Q200, AEC-Q101, MIL-PRF-38535, MIL-PRF-38534, MIL-STD-883, MIL-STD-1580, EEE-INST-002, PEM-INST-001, SMC-S-011, SMC-S-010, SMC-S-016, IPC, JEDEC, GEIA-STD-0005-2

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:

EEE Reliability Engineer/Level I: $100,000.00 - $120,000.00/per year

EEE Reliability Engineer/Level II: $115,000.00 - $135,000.00/per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Exempt employees are eligible for 5 days of sick leave per year.

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 notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.