Test Engineer (Solar Chemistry) - Space Solar Seen this week

About Starpath

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

The Role

The Starlight team focuses on dramatically improving space solar power. We manufacture 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 tests that validate the materials and chemistry behind our perovskite solar cells. You'll stand up 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 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, partnering with chemistry and manufacturing engineering to close issues
• Write and execute test procedures and contribute to qualification reports
• Simplify test setups, eliminate redundant verification, and cut overhead where it doesn't add value

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, applied physics, electrical engineering, or 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 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 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 and Benefits

• Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
• Competitive salary plus equity package; compensation scales with candidate experience
• PTO, health, dental, and vision coverage included

US Person Requirement

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. §1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. §1158, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.