Test Engineer - (Solar Chemistry) - Space SolarPosition DetailsLocation: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
Employment Type: Full-time
Department: Starlight Solar
Travel: Occasional
The RoleThe Starlight team is focused on dramatically improving space solar power to support Starpath's core mission and the greater space economy. Starlight manufactures the lowest cost and highest performance space solar ever, which will power the majority of new satellites built on Earth and all of Starpath's equipment on the Moon and Mars.
As a Test Engineer - Solar Chemistry on the Starlight team, you will plan, build, and execute the tests that validate the materials and chemistry behind our perovskite solar cells. You'll stand up the test stands and characterization workflows that connect chemistry decisions to device-level performance, stability, and lifetime - from precursor formulations through finished cells.
Responsibilities- Execute test campaigns characterizing perovskite materials, films, and devices - including IV, EQE, photoluminescence, stability/degradation testing, and accelerated aging
- Build and operate test setups for solution-processed thin-film characterization, including environmental control (moisture, oxygen, temperature, illumination)
- Run stability and degradation tests under controlled environmental conditions (moisture, oxygen, thermal, UV, light soaking) and analyze degradation pathways
- Partner with the materials and polymer chemistry teams to design experiments that connect chemistry, processing, and device performance
- Build data acquisition and analysis workflows for high-throughput characterization across precursor formulations, deposition conditions, and interface treatments
- Investigate test anomalies and degradation failures; partner with chemistry and manufacturing engineering to close issues
- Write and execute test procedures and contribute to qualification reports
- Push back on unnecessary complexity - simplify test setups, eliminate redundant verification, and cut overhead wherever it doesn't add value
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's or advanced degree in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, applied physics, electrical engineering, or a related discipline
- 1+ years of hands-on experience characterizing thin-film, optoelectronic, or photovoltaic materials and devices (internship and academic research applicable)
- Hands-on experience with materials and device characterization techniques and the ability to interpret electrical, optical, and chemical data
Preferred Qualifications- Master's or PhD in a relevant discipline with research experience on perovskite, thin-film PV, or related optoelectronic materials
- Direct experience with perovskite device characterization - IV, EQE, hysteresis analysis, photoluminescence, time-resolved spectroscopy
- Hands-on experience with stability and degradation testing - moisture/oxygen control, thermal cycling, UV exposure, light soaking, accelerated aging
- Familiarity with solution-processed deposition methods and the connection between processing conditions and device performance
- Experience building or operating glovebox-based test setups and characterization workflows
- Proficiency with LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, or equivalent for data acquisition and analysis
- Familiarity with statistical analysis of test data, design of experiments (DOE), or high-throughput screening workflows
- Familiarity with aerospace test standards (e.g., GEVS, AIAA S-111/S-112 for solar cells) and accelerated life testing for space-grade hardware
- 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
