Materials R&D Technician

MATERIALS R&D TECHNICIAN 

In this role as a Materials R&D Technician, you will focus on daily lab operations to support materials and process development, failure investigations, process control validation, and more—for Starlink user terminals, gateways, printed circuit boards, panel-level packaging, and solar products. Hands-on laboratory experience is required. A basic understanding of materials science fundamentals is preferred. The ideal candidate is highly skilled in setting up, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting laboratory equipment. Success in this role requires being hands-on, flexible, a quick learner, organized, detail-oriented, and having a collaborative, results-oriented attitude.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain safe and efficient operations by enforcing proper workflow, safety, cleanliness, organization, and inventory control of lab consumables.
• Support maintenance and calibration needs of lab instrumentation.
• Ensure proper and consistent sample preparation and traceability for materials testing.
• Calibrate, maintain, troubleshoot, and operate thermoanalytical equipment (DSC, DMA, TGA, TMA); microscopy tools (FTIR, Raman, SEM/EDS); RF equipment (VNAs, dielectric testers); optical spectroscopy equipment (spectrophotometers, ellipsometers, photoluminescence) and mechanical test frames. 
• Prepare reports on generated materials test data. Provide basic interpretations of results to requesters and flag off-nominal results for engineering review.
• Summarize data and document results in an organized and thorough manner. 
• Develop, author, and implement standard operating procedures.
• Manage lab backlog and ensure requests are performed according to program priorities.
• Champion larger-scale lab improvement initiatives while completing day-to-day test requests.
• Promote 5S principles for organizing and sustaining a clean, tidy workspace.
• Properly use and maintain precision-calibrated tools, such as micrometers and calipers, to ensure accurate measurements.
• Familiarize yourself with relevant ASTM, ISO, and IPC standards.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
• 1+ years of materials testing experience in a laboratory environment.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Associate degree in an applied science field or 2+ years of professional experience in a lab environment.
• Knowledge of safe work practices in environments involving furnaces, environmental chambers, saws, solvents, acids/bases, etc.
• Understanding of basic materials science fundamentals.
• Experience setting up and running tests and experiments.
• Positive attitude and experience working on cross-functional teams.
• Strong attention to detail when executing test instructions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Atlassian JIRA, and work order systems.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills to collaborate closely with engineering teams.
• Strong organizational skills to keep work areas tidy and manage workflow.
• Creative approach to problem-solving, with a willingness to learn and try new things.
• Experience using various hand tools and/or power tools.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Able to work off-shifts and available for overtime and weekends if needed. 
• Able to wear appropriate PPE for lab and machine shop environment.
• Able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. unassisted.
• Lifting, standing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this position.