Testing & Qualification Lead - Space Solar Products

Location

Hawthorne, CA

Full time

Starlight Solar

Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA

Employment Type: Full-time

Department: Starlight Solar

Starpath Robotics is developing a full stack solution for commercial scale rocket propellant production on the Moon and Mars. We are building one of the key enabling technologies that will make Humans a multi-planet species.

The Starlight team is focused on dramatically reducing the cost of space-rated solar power to support both Starpath's propellant production goals and the greater space economy.

If high ownership, fast pace, working with hardware, and solving challenging problems sounds like a dream come true, come join the team!

We’re hiring a Testing & Qualification Lead to own a mission-appropriate qualification and acceptance strategy for space solar panels. You will build customer confidence and reduce real technical risk—without burying the team in paperwork or over-testing.

This is a pragmatic role: strong standards knowledge, strong judgment, and willingness to get hands-on.

• Own internal processes for qualification and acceptance of space solar hardware
• Maintain environmental test plans and reference mission set aligned with NASA GEVS (and/or ECSS equivalent) and customer needs.
• Coordinate execution of environmental tests internally and externally (TVAC, vibration, thermal, radiation, etc.)
• Efficiently tailor and execute test plans as-needed to explore physical conditions beyond the standard reference mission set
• Drive right-sized risk analysis (FMEA/FMECA-lite, fault trees where useful)
• Support failure analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective/preventive actions
• Partner with Manufacturing on quality controls, acceptance gates, and nonconformance workflows
• Communicate testing rationale and results clearly to customers and internal stakeholders

• B.S. or higher in an engineering discipline
• 7+ years in reliability, quality, or test engineering for high-reliability hardware (space/aerospace strongly preferred)
• Experience building/owning environmental test programs (planning + execution)
• Strong judgment on test sufficiency vs overkill (schedule/cost/risk tradeoffs)
• Comfortable pushing back and aligning stakeholders around a clear reliability philosophy

• Radiation effects or space environment materials degradation experience
• Solar array / power subsystem experience
• Direct experience with quality and acceptance testing
• Startup or rapid development program experience

• Location:
  
  Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
• Salary base rate is $135-$170k/yr, plus equity package; compensation scales with candidate experience
• PTO & health/dental/vision coverage included

• 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.

Equal Opportunity

Starpath is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.