Water Treatment Engineer
Job description
About the role
You will manage the activation and operation of an ultrapure water treatment facility dedicated to Starlink manufacturing. This role supports the production of printed circuit boards, silicon packaging, and solar cells by ensuring consistent water quality.
Key facts
What you'll do
- Lead the construction, startup, and daily operation of a new commercial ultrapure water plant.
- Design and integrate fluid and mechanical systems that comply with internal and regulatory standards.
- Analyze data streams, lab results, and operator input to ensure safe plant performance.
- Create and refine operational procedures and maintenance protocols.
- Collaborate with manufacturing, EHS, facilities teams, and external suppliers to manage plant status and risks.
- Oversee continuous improvement initiatives, including budget planning and cost analysis for new equipment.
This role manages the activation and operation of an ultrapure water treatment facility dedicated to Starlink manufacturing. You will lead the construction, startup, and daily operation of a new commercial ultrapure water plant, and you will design and integrate fluid and mechanical systems that comply with internal and regulatory standards. The facility supports the production of printed circuit boards, silicon packaging, and solar cells.
The role blends process engineering with operations. You will analyze data streams, lab results, and operator input to ensure safe plant performance, create and refine operational procedures and maintenance protocols, and collaborate with manufacturing, EHS, facilities teams, and external suppliers to manage plant status and risks. You will also oversee continuous improvement initiatives, including budget planning and cost analysis for new equipment.
Ultrapure water is essential to semiconductor and solar manufacturing, so consistent water quality is critical. Candidates with proficiency with engineering units for power, flow, pressure, and temperature, the ability to interpret 2D and 3D CAD, PFDs, P&IDs, construction drawings, and BOMs, and a background in repairing industrial machinery will be well prepared. Experience with lean manufacturing and transitioning products from R&D to full-scale production is a strong advantage.
This role is ideal for a process engineer who enjoys owning a facility from construction through daily operation. The work is hands-on and varied, and it offers the chance to build and run a brand-new water treatment plant. If you are comfortable working outdoors with hand tools and enjoy solving mechanical and fluid system problems, this is an excellent opportunity.
Requirements
- Bachelor degree in science, math, or engineering.
- Minimum 1 year of experience in manufacturing or with mechanical, fluid, or electromechanical design and analysis, including project or internship work.
Nice to have
- 3 or more years of project experience specifically in wastewater treatment.
- Proficiency with engineering units for power, flow, pressure, and temperature.
- Ability to interpret 2D and 3D CAD, PFDs, P&IDs, construction drawings, and BOMs.
- Background in repairing industrial machinery, including structural components, gears, and bearings.
- Familiarity with hot work permitting, job hazard analysis, and lock out tag out procedures.
- Experience with lean manufacturing and transitioning products from R&D to full-scale production.
Skills & tools
Mechanical equipment maintenance, fluid system design, process engineering, data analysis, project management.
Practical notes
Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee to comply with ITAR regulations. Physical requirements include standing for long periods, climbing ladders, bending, and lifting up to 25lbs unassisted. Must be comfortable working outdoors with hand tools. Availability for all shifts and weekends is required. The ultrapure water facility you help build and run is essential to Starlink manufacturing, and the role offers real ownership over a critical new operation. The role offers strong growth potential as the water treatment operation expands with the manufacturing campus.
About the company
Based in Starbase, Texas, a company pursues work in spaceflight, telecom, and artificial intelligence. A unit handles rocket launches, leading yearly orbital counts beyond other national and commercial teams. Another unit runs Starlink, a satellite communications firm. A third area, through SpaceXAI, advances Grok and AI integration with X, while managing data center operations. Roles often cross these paths. Candidates with engineering, software, or operations backgrounds may find chances to join projects that span launch, connectivity, and machine learning efforts in this Texas-based enterprise.