Operations EngineerPosition DetailsLocation: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
Employment Type: Full-time
Department: Starlight Megafactory
Travel: Occasional
The RoleThe Starlight Megafactory is where we scale space solar production from prototype to high-rate manufacturing. This factory will build the arrays that power the majority of new satellites launched from Earth and all of Starpath's hardware on the Moon and Mars.
As an Operations Engineer on the megafactory team, you will define how our factory runs day to day. You'll design the workflows, staffing plans, and operational systems that let us hit rate and quality targets - and stand up the metrics, tools, and continuous improvement processes that make the line better every week.
Responsibilities- Design and own manufacturing workflows across the megafactory - from material receipt through cell manufacturing, panel assembly, test, and shipping
- Define shift structures, staffing plans, and cell/line layouts to hit production rate and cost targets
- Build and maintain factory metrics - throughput, yield, cycle time, WIP, OEE - and drive continuous improvement against them
- Partner with manufacturing, quality, and test engineering to close operational issues at the source
- Own factory-level scheduling, work order flow, and production planning tools in partnership with IT and manufacturing systems
- Develop and improve standard work, work instructions, and training programs for operators and technicians
- Lead root-cause investigations on production issues - line stoppages, yield excursions, quality escapes - and drive corrective action
- Support rate ramps and new product introductions (NPI) by coordinating across engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing
- Partner with EHS on safety, ergonomics, and factory floor layout
- Push back on unnecessary complexity - simplify workflows, eliminate waste, and cut overhead wherever it doesn't add value
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's or advanced degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related discipline
- 3+ years of operations or manufacturing engineering experience in a production environment
- Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in an engineering or operations discipline
- Experience in high-rate hardware manufacturing (aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, semiconductor, or comparable)
- Direct experience standing up new production lines or supporting factory ramps from low- to high-rate
- Proficiency with lean manufacturing tools - value stream mapping, kaizen, 5S, kanban, SMED, DMAIC
- Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher)
- Familiarity with production planning systems, MES, ERP, and shop-floor data acquisition
- Experience using SQL, Python, or other data tools to drive operational decisions
- Working knowledge of GD&T, DFM/DFA, and manufacturing process design
- Familiarity with cleanroom operations, contamination control, and high-precision assembly environments
- Exposure to aerospace, space, or other high-reliability hardware environments
Compensation & Benefits- Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
- Competitive salary plus equity package; compensation scales with candidate experience
- PTO & health/dental/vision coverage included
EAR 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. a7 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. a7 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
