Materials R&D Specialist (Starlink)

Responsibilities

• Maintain safe, clean, and organized lab operations, including enforcing safety protocols, 5S standards, inventory control, and proper workflows.
• Operate, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot a wide range of materials characterization equipment, including DSC, TGA, rheometers, thermal conductivity systems, FTIR, SEM/EDS, mechanical test frames, hardness testers, and metallographic preparation equipment.
• Perform consistent sample preparation and testing while ensuring traceability and accurate documentation.
• Review test data, provide initial interpretation, and escalate off-nominal results to engineering.
• Develop, write, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for lab processes and equipment.
• Manage daily lab workload and test requests to meet program priorities.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase lab efficiency and capability.
• Use precision measurement tools (micrometers, calipers, etc.) and maintain compliance with relevant ASTM, ISO, and IPC standards.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s diploma or equivalency certificate.
• 4+ years of hands-on materials testing or characterization experience in a laboratory environment.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in materials processing or characterization, with strong focus on sample preparation, defect analysis, and contamination control.
• Experience operating and maintaining thermal analysis, mechanical testing, and microscopy equipment (DSC, TGA, rheometers, SEM/EDS, etc.).
• Experience working in a production-support or high-volume testing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to write clear SOPs and follow complex procedures with high attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively with engineers and cross-functional teams.
• Experience with failure analysis or root cause investigation support.