Test Engineer (Solar Chemistry) - Space Solar

Position Details

• Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Department: Starlight Solar
• Travel: Occasional

The Mission

Starpath develops and manufactures the technologies that will enable humans to live on the Moon and Mars. Today, we are building robotic systems that locally produce the essential commodities a lunar civilization will require at extreme scale: water, power, and oxygen. Our ultimate goal is to build and operate a self-sustaining city on Mars.

About the role

The 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

EAR Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, you 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.

Benefits

At Starpath Robotics, base pay is just one part of your total rewards package. We also offer:

• Generous benefits including health, dental, vision, and retirement plans.
• Paid time off, holidays, and flexible policies to support balance.
• Professional growth opportunities through training and development.
• The chance to own high-impact work that directly shapes the future of robotics & space!
• A collaborative, mission-driven culture where craftsmanship and innovation are celebrated.