Supplier Development Engineer, Routers (Starlink)
Job description
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.
SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER, ROUTERS (STARLINK)
Starlink User Terminal business is experiencing exponential growth across consumer, retail, enterprise, and mobility applications. This rapid expansion requires a highly resilient and scalable supply chain for WiFi routers and integrated wireless modules. The role entails early engagement in supplier selection, equipment selection, and process engineering to set programs up for success in high-volume manufacturing by ensuring material and process corners are fully completed. The role also includes ownership to deliver on time, monitor field performance, react to issues, and feed lessons learned back to engineering teams for iterative improvement.
We are seeking a technically strong Supplier Development Engineer to drive end-to-end supplier development for the WiFi router portfolio — from strategic supplier selection and new product introduction (NPI) through high-volume production scaling and reactive quality support. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in radio frequency (RF) hardware, WiFi systems, and high-volume manufacturing. The Supplier Development Engineer, WiFi Routers will be responsible for executing supplier strategies focused on WiFi routers, radio frequency (RF) modules, and critical wireless components. This position will have significant technical influence across Starlink engineering, quality, and supply chain teams.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Own end-to-end supplier development for the WiFi router and wireless module portfolio within the Starlink User Terminal Bill of Materials, spanning strategic supplier selection, new product introduction (NPI), qualification, production ramp, and reactive quality support
- Engage early with suppliers on selection, equipment selection, and process engineering to properly set up high-volume manufacturing programs by ensuring material and process corners are fully characterized and completed
- Assess supplier manufacturing capabilities, process controls, and technical readiness for high-volume production of WiFi routers, including printed circuit board (PCB) assembly for radio frequency (RF) circuits, antenna integration and tuning, radio frequency (RF) shielding, thermal solutions, and automated testing systems
- Lead new product introduction (NPI) activities, production part approval process (PPAP), first article inspections (FAI), production rate ramps, and reliability campaigns to enable full-rate, high-volume manufacturing
- Develop and execute robust qualification plans tailored to WiFi routers, including radio frequency (RF) conducted and radiated testing, over-the-air (OTA) throughput validation, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) performance verification, beamforming calibration, thermal throttling assessment, and electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) compliance
- Create and standardize qualification protocols across the WiFi router supply base, including equipment buy-off checklists, factory acceptance tests (FAT), site acceptance tests (SAT), and consistent reliability demonstration methods
- Drive supplier performance improvement through Lean methodologies, supplier scorecards, process audits, and systematic problem solving to deliver measurable gains in quality, cost, and on-time delivery
- Perform root cause analysis and lead corrective actions for quality issues, with focus on common WiFi router failure modes such as radio frequency (RF) desense, antenna detuning, signal degradation due to poor shielding, thermal-induced WiFi instability, packet error rate increases, and interference from power electronics
- Perform reactive quality engineering support, including rapid containment, root cause analysis using eight disciplines (8D) and five-whys (5-Why) methodologies, and corrective actions for quality escapes, field returns, and production issues
- Own on-time delivery of qualification and production ramp activities while continuously monitoring field performance, reacting quickly to issues, and feeding lessons learned from field data back to design and process engineering teams for iterative product and process improvement
- Partner closely with WiFi Router Design Engineering, Radio Frequency (RF) Test Engineering, and Production teams to ensure supplier processes and manufacturing capability align with Starlink’s high-volume product requirements and performance goals
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or other engineering discipline
- 1+ years of experience in WiFi or radio frequency (RF) engineering, quality engineering, reliability engineering, or supplier development (internship and extracurricular experience is applicable)
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES:
- 3+ years of experience in WiFi or radio frequency (RF) engineering, quality engineering, reliability engineering, or supplier development
- Strong technical background in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 WiFi standards, radio frequency (RF) hardware, antenna systems, and high-volume manufacturing
- Hands-on knowledge of high-volume WiFi router manufacturing processes including surface mount technology (SMT) assembly for radio frequency (RF) circuits, antenna tuning and integration, radio frequency (RF) shielding application, automated functional testing, and thermal management solutions
- Experience with production part approval process (PPAP), advanced product quality planning (APQP), design failure mode and effects analysis (DFMEA), process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), and first article inspection (FAI) specifically for WiFi routers and wireless modules
- Deep familiarity with relevant standards including Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ax (WiFi 6), 802.11be (WiFi 7), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Part 15, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) EN 300 328, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62368-1, IPC-A-610, and AS9100
- Practical experience qualifying dual-band and tri-band routers, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna arrays, orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA), 1024-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and 4096-QAM schemes, channel bandwidths up to 320 megahertz (MHz), and beamforming technologies
- Strong problem-solving skills using structured root cause analysis methods and statistical tools such as Minitab, design of experiments (DOE), and Six Sigma
- Knowledge of reliability engineering practices such as accelerated life testing, thermal cycling, humidity exposure, and radio frequency (RF) performance drift analysis
- Ability to read and interpret two-dimensional drawings, radio frequency (RF) schematics, antenna gain patterns, and WiFi performance specifications
- Experience with Lean manufacturing concepts, supplier scorecard systems, and high-volume process capability
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to distill complex technical topics into clear one-pagers and presentations
- Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and suppliers in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, both domestically and internationally
- Position may require extended working hours and occasional weekends to support production ramps and critical issue resolution
- This position is based in Bastrop, TX and requires being onsite
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 reach out to [email protected].