Thin-Film PV Materials Scientist - Space Solar

The role

You will own the materials and process chemistry behind perovskite solar cells. You will drive chemistry decisions for cell efficiency, yield, environmental stability, and lifetime in space.

What you will do

• Develop and optimize precursor formulations and solution-processed deposition routes for perovskite solar cells
• Engineer charge transport layers, interfaces, and contact stacks
• Drive root-cause investigations on yield, efficiency, and degradation issues
• Develop environmental stability strategies
• Characterize materials, interfaces, and devices using XRD, XPS, photoluminescence, and IV/EQE
• Translate bench chemistry into stable, reproducible, high-yield processes
• Simplify chemistries, reduce process steps, and cut overhead

Required qualifications

• Master's or PhD in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, applied physics, or a related discipline
• Graduate research experience with perovskite, thin-film photovoltaic, or related optoelectronic materials
• Demonstrated ability to connect materials chemistry to device performance through characterization and analysis

Nice to have

• PhD in a relevant discipline with a research focus on perovskite photovoltaics
• Direct experience with solution-processed deposition methods — spin coating, blade coating, slot-die coating, or vapor-assisted deposition
• Hands-on experience with precursor formulation, solvent engineering, and additive optimization
• Familiarity with charge transport materials, interface passivation, and contact stack engineering
• Experience scaling perovskite chemistry from research scale to larger-area or pilot manufacturing
• Knowledge of perovskite degradation mechanisms and stability strategies (moisture, oxygen, thermal, UV, radiation)
• Familiarity with glovebox and cleanroom operations, chemical safety, and contamination control
• Exposure to aerospace, space, or other high-reliability hardware environments

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, and retirement plans
• Paid time off, holidays, and flexible policies
• Professional growth opportunities through training and development
• The chance to own high-impact work that directly shapes the future of robotics & space!
• A collaborative, mission-driven culture where craftsmanship and innovation are celebrated

Before you apply

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, you 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)

About the company

Starpath develops and manufactures the technologies that will enable humans to live on the Moon and Mars. They are building robotic systems that locally produce water, power, and oxygen.