SpaceX Verified

Aerospace, Space Exploration, Telecommunications, Manufacturing

Engineering Manager, Wastewater Treatment & Ultrapure Water (Starlink)

Bastrop, TXFull TimeManager / HeadPosted 2 months ago

Is this role right for you?

Upload your resume and get a skill-by-skill breakdown — see exactly where you match, where you're close, and what to highlight. Not a mystery percentage.

Get a tailored resume highlighting what this role needs.

Required skills

wastewater treatment
ultrapure water
engineering manager
Starlink
PCB manufacturing
solar cell manufacturing
chemical precipitation
clarification
membrane filtration
TMF

Nice to have

chemical engineering
environmental engineering
materials engineering
material science
external contractors
greenfield projects

Role summary

SpaceX is seeking an Engineering Manager for its Starlink program in Bastrop, TX, to lead the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of large-scale ultrapure water (UPW) and wastewater treatment plants. This role is critical for supporting advanced manufacturing processes, including PCB and solar cell production, with a focus on achieving zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) and ensuring environmental compliance. The manager will lead cross-functional teams, manage external contractors, oversee operational teams, and implement advanced automation and maintenance strategies. The position requires a strong background in industrial wastewater treatment and UPW systems, with experience in hazardous waste management and environmental regulations. A Bachelor's degree in engineering and 8+ years of relevant experience, including 2+ years of team leadership, are required. Preferred qualifications include an advanced degree and extensive experience in high-growth manufacturing environments and ZLD technologies.

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.

ENGINEERING MANAGER, WASTEWATER TREATMENT & ULTRAPURE WATER (STARLINK)

Starlink will continue to spearhead the next era of space infrastructure as we prepare to launch next-generation connectivity satellites, strive to scale our userbase to 100 million users globally, and begin development on large-scale AI data centers in orbit. Our Bastrop, TX site has multiple manufacturing processes consuming ultrapure water (>18mOhm) and generating complex waste streams, representing >10,000 gallons per minute of total capacity across 24/7 operations. This includes one of the largest PCB manufacturing lines in North America and soon to be one of the largest solar cell manufacturing facilities in the world. To support this mission, we are seeking an Engineering Manager to lead the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of multiple large scale, state of the art (fully closed loop/zld) ultrapure and wastewater treatment plants.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead the full lifecycle of UPW and wastewater treatment facilities, from conceptual design through commissioning, startup, and ongoing operations, ensuring compliance with all environmental regulations (e.g., EPA, NPDES)

Support wastewater treatment systems for vertically integrated (ingot/wafer/cell) multi-GW thin-film solar PV, PCB, and silicon packaging manufacturing lines

Ensure 100% compliance with ultra-pure water reuse goals and hazardous waste minimization

Develop and manage design specifications for advanced treatment processes, including chemical precipitation and clarification, membrane filtration (TMF/UF/RO), EDI and IX, membrane degasification systems, advanced oxidation processes (AOP), and solids handling tailored to a variety of effluents (e.g., high COD, heavy metals, fluoride, solvents, silica, etc.)

Lead cross-functional teams for ZLD systems, including advanced RO, evaporation, and crystallization systems (mechanical vapor recompression, forced circulation, etc.)

Oversee and collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams (process, civil structural, mechanical, electrical, controls) and external EPC contractors to deliver the facility on aggressive timelines and within budget

Grow a high-output multi-disciplinary organization that will set the standards and plan for fast build out and turn-on of multiple UPW and wastewater plants, likely spanning more than Bastrop, TX geography over time

Manage operational teams post-commissioning, implementing predictive maintenance, SCADA/PLC automation, and continuous improvement initiatives

Ensure safety-first culture, HAZOP studies, and risk assessments for handling hazardous waste in a high-volume industrial environment

Interface with regulatory agencies, conduct permitting, and prepare technical reports/due diligence for environmental audits

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or STEM discipline

8+ years of experience in wastewater treatment design, construction, and operations for industrial facilities

2+ years of experience leading engineering teams

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Advanced degree in chemical engineering, environmental engineering, materials engineering, or material science

5+ years of experience leading large cross-functional teams and external contractors on greenfield projects

5+ years of experience and proven track record of success in high-growth and high-volume manufacturing environments (e.g., solar, semiconductors, batteries)

Deep expertise in advanced treatment technologies and chemicals associated with semiconductor/photovoltaic manufacturing effluents (e.g. HJT, PERC, TOPCon processes)

Hands-on experience with zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) systems, including thermal evaporators and crystallizers

Proficiency in process simulation software, P&ID development, and equipment sizing

Familiarity with PLC programming (Allen-Bradley, Siemens) and DCS systems supporting process automation

Experience managing $50M+ budgets on rapid timelines with impeccable safety record

Strong knowledge of US environmental regulations and permitting processes

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to travel internationally (10%)

Ability to work in industrial environments with fumes/odors, noise, hazardous chemicals, and confined spaces

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 EEOCompliance@spacex.com.

Sample SpaceX interview questions

1
Build a distributed platform for storing and serving digital assets.
system designmedium
2
Design a system for real-time processing of IoT device data.
system designmedium
3
Design a distributed message queue like Kafka.
system designmedium
4
Develop a web app that shortens URLs like TinyURL.
system designmedium
5
Propose a high-level design for a tracing system that can handle millions of spans per second across thousands of services.
system designmedium

Get started to unlock a personalized interview prep pack for this role.

Ready to apply?

You'll be redirected to SpaceX's application page.