Manager, Wastewater Treatment Operations

MANAGER, WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPERATIONS

SpaceX is developing a low-latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of people around the world. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink provides fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable. To enable our goal of “Connecting the Unconnected,” we are looking for talented, creative, and driven managers to own wastewater treatment operations supporting our Starlink production lines, from initial equipment bringup to full scale production.

In this role you will own a multidisciplinary team of supervisors and technicians, working closely with specialists, engineers, and department leadership to operationalize, ramp, and scale a 24/7 state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant. The mission is to recycle process water from various Starlink production lines at high volume and efficiency. You will drive strategic progress on a day-by-day, week-by-week, and on a long-term basis by optimizing labor, processes, equipment, and resources while prioritizing production goals. You will need to frequently work side-by-side with your team during critical ramps and issues, while reporting area status/risks to leadership and fostering cross-department collaboration.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage a large team of supervisors and technicians on a multi-shift schedule
• Ensure a strong focus is placed on safety and maintain an excellent safety record
• Build talent pipeline: Recruit, onboard, and develop leaders and ICs
• Drive transition of wastewater treatment equipment and processes from engineering development to high-volume production, including standing up new lines and bringing them to rate
• Develop and own standard work instructions, PM schedules, training/onboarding programs, and process controls to improve safety, boost quality, and reduce cost
• Define and enforce operational standards with strict accountability
• Drive continuous improvement via metrics (yield, OEE, throughput)
• Ensure root causes for quality issues are identified and appropriate improvement actions are put in place to prevent recurrence
• Report area status/risks to leadership and foster cross-department collaboration
• Build and foster a spirit of cooperation within and between departments, including engineering, operations, and maintenance

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or STEM discipline; OR 5+ years of professional leadership experience in wastewater or water treatment plants
• 3+ years of production operations or process development experience
• 2+ years of experience in a leadership position

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or STEM discipline
• Experience building out multidisciplinary production organizations and leading multi-level teams (50+ members)
• Proven track record standing up new production lines (e.g., wastewater/recycling plants) and ramping to full rate
• Deep experience with wastewater treatment processes (e.g., recycling industrial process water, chemical treatment, filtration) or related fields like chemical manufacturing, wafer fab, or battery production
• Expertise in Lean Manufacturing, FMEA, RCA, and design for manufacturability
• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret technical documentation such as wiring diagrams, layout drawings, mechanical drawings, GD&T, assembly procedures/work instructions, schematics, engineering drawings, and parts lists
• Proficiency with MS Office, ERP/shop floor software, and data analytics tools
• Ability to adapt to constantly changing, fast-paced environments

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel on an ongoing basis, including internationally (up to 20%)
• Ability to stand up to 6 hours, lift 25 pounds unassisted, and maneuver around equipment in a factory setting
• Ability to work in cleanroom and industrial environments with fumes/odors, noise, hazardous chemicals, and confined spaces
• Lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are required to perform the functions of this position
• Must be willing to work all shifts, extended hours and weekends as needed